Featuring 292 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction and Children's & Teen
KIRKUS VOL. LXXXII, NO.
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REVIEWS
FICTION
The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman A well-traveled young woman buys a bookstore in Wales, then tries to figure out how she got there. p. 26
INDIE Our Guide to Navigating Self-Publishing p. 124
CHILDREN'S & TEEN
Loot
by Jude Watson Felonious twins pursue a set of cursed moonstones in this fast-paced, comedic thriller. p. 111
NONFICTION
Flash Boys by Michael Lewis A riveting, maddening yarn that is causing quite a stir already, including calls for regulatory reform p. 60
on the cover Cerebral, funny writer Rivka Galchen sharpens her considerable instincts in her new story collection, American Innovations. p. 14
a note from the editor
Books You’ll Be Hearing About This Month B Y C la i b orne
Smi t h
We starred Anthony Doerr’s new World War II novel, All the Light We Cannot See (May 6), about a blind French girl and a German boy whose lives intersect in occupied France. Doerr is the recipient of four O. Henry Prizes, three Pushcart Prizes, the Rome Prize, the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award, the National Magazine Award for fiction, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Story Prize (sheesh, leave some for the other writers, would ya?) Our reviewer likes the fact that All the Light “focuses, refreshingly, on the innate Claiborne Smith goodness of [Doerr’s] major characters.”….A new story collection by Antonya Nelson is always something to celebrate—Funny Once is out on May 20 and set in the Southwest with more of her tough, sometimes bleakly unhappy (but also quite funny) characters. ….Roxane Gay’s debut novel, An Untamed State (May 6), comes with the kind of early praise (from Meg Wolitzer, Edwidge Danticat and others) that makes you take notice. The novel is set in Haiti as a rich woman is kidnapped for ransom. ….Kaui Hart Hemmings’ The Descendants (2007) became the basis for the George Clooney movie; now, Hemmings is back with The Possibilities (May 13), set in Breckenridge, Colo., as a mother reckons with her son’s death from a skiing accident. Hemmings writes “a piercing, empathetic story about parenthood and unfathomable heartbreak and manages to bring humor and hope to her characters,” our critic wrote in a starred review. ….Anna Brundage is tussling with her famous artist father’s influence on her life (and her own semifame as a 44-year-old rocker) in Stacey D’Erasmo’s fourth novel, Wonderland (May 6). If you ask me, D’Erasmo’s writing this time around is more engaging than her previous work, so here’s hoping she gains many more readers. ….Earl Swift’s Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream (May 6) caught my attention because its publisher is very proud of the book, but I remember it more for our review, which mentions that the book’s main character, Tommy Arney, “carries surprisingly few scars for a man who is said to have once bitten a police dog back.” I encourage you to go to our site to check out the review, which finishes with my favorite final line of a recently published review (which also happens to be starred): “A big, weird, heartfelt book about a badass who could give a damn whether you root for him or not.”
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contents fiction Index to Starred Reviews............................................................5 REVIEWS.................................................................................................5 Rivka Galchen's Surreal Universe........................................14 Joshua Ferris Is Back in Form................................................ 24
The Kirkus Star is awarded to books of remarkable merit, as determined by the impartial editors of Kirkus.
Mystery............................................................................................. 29 Science Fiction & Fantasy.......................................................... 37 Romance........................................................................................... 40
nonfiction Index to Starred Reviews..........................................................41 REVIEWS...............................................................................................41 Lewis Dartnell Saves the World...........................................56
children’s & teen Index to Starred Reviews..........................................................77 REVIEWS...............................................................................................77 He Wrote, She Wrote...................................................................84 Rushing into the Abyss..............................................................94 interactive e-books...................................................................113
indie Index to Starred Reviews.........................................................117 REVIEWS..............................................................................................117 A Guide to Best Practices......................................................... 124
Appreciations: Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End....135
Elizabeth Crook takes an almostforgotten massacre at the University of Texas and creates a confident and lyrical novel. Read the starred review on p. 8. |
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on the web Check out these highlights from Kirkus’ online coverage at www.kirkus.com 9 Photo courtesy Kym DeGenaro
Jessie might have the girl, but Rick Springfield has the book. That’s right. The writer and singer of the 1980s smash hit—scourge of karaoke bars around the world—“Jessie’s Girl” is publishing his debut novel in May. Magnificent Vibration is best described as black comedy. The book is centered around Bobby Cotton, an LA sound editor and recently divorced cuckold. He steals a self-help book of the same title as the novel and finds a note scribbled inside: “1-800-Call-God.” Naturally, Bobby calls and becomes convinced he’s speaking to the Almighty. Springfield spins a wonderfully creative story and not just due to the mind-boggling number of euphemisms he offers for male reproductive organs. Look for our interview in May with Springfield about his life, his music and his book on our site, kirkusreviews.com. Roxanne Gay is not messing around with her debut novel. An Untamed State is a harrowing and emotionally cleareyed vision of one woman’s kidnapping and abuse in Haiti. The majority of the novel is narrated by Mireille, visiting her native Haiti with her husband and infant son when she’s abducted by a gang and held for 13 days. The motivation for the kidnapping is that her father heads a profitable construction firm, and his resistance to paying the ransom baffles Mireille’s U.S.-born husband. Gay’s characters are designed to explore conflicts over gender and class, and the book’s structure underscores this intelligent probing. The novel alternates between past and present, often deliberately undermining traditional methods of resolution. “I think that there are certain experiences that change you, which is different for every person who experiences trauma, but there is no closure,” Gay says in an interview with Kirkus. “We like to believe the characters in these kind of narratives find peace...but what if you don’t?” Look for more from Gay about this stunning debut in an interview online in the coming weeks. Print indexes: www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/print-indexes Kirkus Blog: www.kirkusreviews.com/blog Advertising Opportunities: www.kirkusreviews.com/about/advertising-opportunities
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The protagonist of Stacey D’Erasmo’s fourth novel is Anna Brundage. At 44, she’s a semifamous, aging rock star willing to take one more crack at reckoning with her music, her father and an old flame. Wonderland follows typical rock-novel conventions—band squabbles, onstage meltdowns, ill-advised one-night stands— but D’Erasmo writes all these episodes in an artful and insightful style, giving Brundage a nononsense, road-worn tone we’d expect of anyone who’s taken the rock-’n’-roll life into middle age. For instance, here’s what Brundage has to say about a fling: “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 especially skilled at capturing the randomness and the joy of the creative process, all while balancing themes of aging, art and relationships. We talk to D’Erasmo about all this and more on kirkusreviews.com. Photo courtesy Nina Subin
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9 And be sure to check out our Indie publishing series, featuring some of today’s most intriguing self-published authors. 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.
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fiction SAVE THE DATE
These titles earned the Kirkus Star:
Andrews, Mary Kay St. Martin’s (400 pp.) $26.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-250-01969-1 978-1-250-01968-4 e-book
MONDAY, MONDAY by Elizabeth Crook.............................................8 FRIENDSHIP by Emily Gould.............................................................12 THE GIRL WHO SAVED THE KING OF SWEDEN by Jonas Jonasson; trans. by Rachel Willson-Broyles........................... 17 THE LAST ILLUSION by Porochista Khakpour................................... 17 THE RISE & FALL OF GREAT POWERS by Tom Rachman............... 26 THE BONES BENEATH by Mark Billingham.....................................30 RECKLESS DISREGARD by Robert Rotstein...................................... 35 THE WAYS OF THE DEAD by Neely Tucker........................................36 CROWN OF RENEWAL by Elizabeth Moon.......................................39
the last illusion
Khakpour, Porochista Bloomsbury (288 pp.) $26.00 May 13, 2014 978-1-62040-304-4
Andrews (Christmas Bliss, 2013, etc.) produces another happily-ever-after with the usual complications; her heroine this time is a Savannah florist trying to gain a foothold in the bridal industry. Bloom owner Cara Kryzik is barely keeping her business afloat creating innovative flower arrangements for weddings, and the last distraction she anticipates is historic-building restorer Jack Finnerty. The two met when Cara accused him of stealing her runaway goldendoodle puppy, and now Jack seems to show up at every wedding she designs. Cara isn’t immune to Jack’s charms, but she initially attempts to ignore their developing attraction. Her experience growing up with an emotionally distant and sometimes physically absent military father and her recent divorce from a philandering husband have left her feeling jaded when it comes to love. But Jack’s sincerity and persistence win her over, and soon they’re sharing a bed. Cara’s career also is looking up. She wins a lucrative contract to design and direct a society wedding, and the money she’s slated to receive upon completion will enable her to pay off a loan, solidify her reputation as a floral designer and plan some much-needed improvements for her business. However, troubles multiply, and it’s not long before Cara is juggling her time between the unhappy bride and the bride’s micromanaging stepmother. In addition, Bert, her assistant and friend, becomes increasingly distant and unreliable; a competitor tries to undermine her business; and a client’s family heirloom goes missing. As Cara tries to sort out problems and repair damage, she’s ultimately forced to face her own beliefs and make some tough decisions. But, in trademark Andrews style, things end on a high note in another light, predictable and pleasant diversion. A deft mixture of romance and humor in a story featuring a likable protagonist and cute critters: It’s a date Andrews fans won’t want to miss.
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THE BOOST
Baker, Stephen Tor (336 pp.) $24.99 | $11.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-0-7653-3437-4 978-1-4668-1068-6 e-book A novel about the technology that controls our lives accelerates into an exquisite thriller on the Mexican border. The year is 2072. Technology has left the keyboard and is implanted in our brains; those who don’t have the implants are “wild,” meaning natural thinkers. Baker has created a believable, not-too-distant world with the same issues we face but on a grander scale: People spend too much time in virtual reality; there’s a proliferation of porn sites and a computing-power arms race. But here, it’s all done seamlessly through “the boost” in people’s heads; keyboards and screens are antiques. The ghost in the machine is surveillance—surprise! A scheduled software update will enable American workers to be as efficient as their Chinese counterparts; Ralf Alvare is tipped off about a gateway that will allow Varagon Inc. to snoop, collecting personal data from anyone’s head, for marketing and advertising purposes. He is caught trying to close the software gate, his implant is removed—rather, ripped from his head—and he’s soon on the run to El Paso. He’s now “wild,” which isn’t a comfortable state of mind for this digital genius. Baker’s characters are memorable and wickedly fun. Ralf ’s companion, Ellen, has been genetically enhanced as an Artremis—a stunningly beautiful, Amazon-like ball of fire. Don Paquito is an unassuming hero who prints the last remaining newspaper, the only outlet for uncensored truth. As Ralf and his brother Simon shimmy through a tunnel from El Paso to Ciudad Juárez, they enter a world where the boost is safe from surveillance and the largest population of “wild” people in the world lives in the past. From here, they make their stand against “the virtual as real.” Baker has written a true delight of a techno-thriller that has deep, dark roots in the present.
THE LINCOLN MYTH
Berry, Steve Ballantine (448 pp.) $27.00 | May 20, 2014 978-0-345-52657-1
In Berry’s (The King’s Deception, 2013, etc.) latest, retired secret agent Cotton Malone is drafted from his Copenhagen bookstore to battle a conspiracy, one threatening the U.S. Constitution. Malone was the go-to guy for toughminded Stephanie Nelle, chief of the Magellan Billet—the U.S. Justice Department’s secret action group. Now she needs his help again: Rescue a man from Sweden who has information about a missing Magellan operative. That ends in gunplay, 6
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with Luke Daniels, newbie Magellan agent and the president’s estranged nephew, and Cassiopeia Vitt, Malone’s current flame, soon involved. The same way Dan Brown’s books feature Catholic conspiracies, Berry employs rogue members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Mormons—as foils. The plot pivots on a vitally important historical document, written after the Constitutional Convention and secretly handed down from president to president until Abraham Lincoln loaned it to Brigham Young in a bid to keep the Mormons pro-Union during the Civil War. With Lincoln’s assassination, the document was never returned and was eventually lost among Young’s personal papers. Now the legendary document is being sought by a U.S. senator from Utah, Thaddeus Rowan, who’s also one of 12 LDS apostles. In a speed-chess plot moving from Copenhagen to Salzburg—both described with familiarity—then Washington, Iowa and Salt Lake City, Malone disrupts a prestigious antiques auction, Rowan steals from the Library of Congress, and everyone ends up at Wasatch Mountain cave, where Ute Indians secreted conquistador gold. Berry employs Mormon history while offering Magellan new-guy Luke a chance to meet cute with a beautiful historian and reconcile with his unclepresident while leaving Malone and Cassiopeia to rethink love and loyalties. All action all the time as Malone once again yanks civilization back from the precipice. (Agent: Simon Lipskar)
BRUTAL YOUTH
Breznican, Anthony Dunne/St. Martin’s (416 pp.) $25.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-250-01935-6 978-1-250-01935-6 e-book The sadism and smaller cruelties of high school get a workout in this patchy novel, which features violence and bloodshed without a single vampire, werewolf or zombie. Pittsburgh-area St. Michael’s needs major repairs to its building, staff and traditions as the school year starts in 1991. In the cinematic opening flashback, a tormented boy on the school’s roof topples statues of saints toward kids below. Freshmen confront not just the usual first-year anxieties, but yearlong hazing by seniors. A budding friendship between newbies Peter Davidek and Noah Stein becomes an enduring alliance, despite their shared desire for classmate Lorelei Pascal. She wants to be popular, Peter hopes to survive, but in the smart, fearless Noah, Breznican creates a likable rebel. Born of Jewish and Lutheran parents, his troubled back story includes his mother’s death in a fire that scarred his face and constant fights that lead to being expelled from public school, leaving St. Mike’s his only option. The ineffectual staff includes many St. Mike’s alumni, who tend to abet the hazing they too once suffered or to inflict their own punishments. The exception is the well-intentioned principal, Sister Maria, who battles the insidious pastor, Father Mercedes, a caricature of nastiness (he smokes in church!). The school’s
most-powerful person is senior Hannah Kraut, feared by students and staff alike because she has been collecting everyone’s secrets in a notebook that will be aired before graduation. That’s an obvious echo of the movie Mean Girls and its “Burn Book,” yet Breznican weaves a much darker tale than Tina Fey’s, one in which there seems to be no limit to the kinds and amount of pain young people will inflict on one another. Readable and clever, this novel might make an easy transition to the movie screen, where stock characters, oblivious parents and needless repetition are familiar, but today’s audiences probably won’t go for a look at an era that lacks the viral abuses of cyberbullying.
FEAR
Chevallier, Gabriel Translated by Imrie, Malcolm New York Review Books (336 pp.) $16.95 paper | May 20, 2014 978-1-59017-716-7 A French novel originally published in 1930 suggests that war is hell, in any century, in any country. The first American publication of this novel—by a French author known mainly as a satirist (Clochemerle, 1934)—marks the centennial of World War I. Its first-person narration by a young soldier who, like the author, was wounded in battle, hospitalized, returned to the front and remained an infantryman until the armistice reads like a cross between the darkest humor and the bleakest reportage. At the start, he seems clueless: “I was, in particular, very bad at marching.” By the end, he has become hopeless: “I have fallen to the bottom of the abyss of my self, to the bottom of
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those dungeons where the soul’s greatest secrets lie hidden, and it is a vile cesspit, a place of viscous darkness....I am ashamed of the sick animal wallowing in filth that I have become.” In between, he witnesses an onslaught of carnage and death, matter-of-factly and often graphically, while caring little about whether he lives and almost welcoming death as an escape. His wound provides temporary respite: “A hospital is the promised land, the greatest hope for millions of men. And for all the pain and suffering and harrowing sights it can contain, it is still the greatest happiness that a soldier can imagine....After I’ve paid my debt of pain every morning (the cost of my board and lodging), I really do feel as if I’m on holiday.” Chevallier (who died in 1969) said in the preface to a 1951 edition that he would have written the story differently later. But the themes of what he calls “this anti-war book” are timeless: the folly of nationalism, the foolish pomposity of military leaders, the arbitrariness of death, the madness of war. In tone, much of this novel feels very modern.
THE UNTOLD
Collins, Courtney Amy Einhorn/Putnam (288 pp.) $26.95 | May 29, 2014 978-0-399-16709-6 The dead have tales to tell, if only we could hear them. Debut novelist Collins bases her story on the legendary Australian outlaw Jessie Hickman. Born to a coldhearted mother and a loving father who died too soon, Jessie finds herself sold to a traveling circus at age 12. After her closest friend and fellow tightrope walker takes a terrible fall, she leaves the circus for a career in horse rustling, which lands her in prison; eventually, she’s given a choice between languishing in jail or breaking horses for Fitz Henry. Of course, in 1917, a female convict is at the mercy of her employer, who is also her legal guardian, and Fitz quickly blackmails her into a brutal marriage. Pregnancy gives Jessie the courage to violently defy her husband, but the battle costs her the baby, as well. On the lam, she’s pursued by men seeking rewards and legal retribution. Two of her pursuers—Jack Brown, Fitz’s former drover, and Barlow, the new police officer who’s already fighting some demons of his own—appear like Furies, seeking vindication, vengeance and something more. Curiously, the novel is narrated by Jessie’s dead child. This choice certainly emphasizes the land, which becomes a character in its own right, binding its inhabitants together in shared tribulations, challenging Jessie, Jack and Barlow at every turn. Too often, though, the narrative premise seems forced, unnecessarily drawing attention to the fantastic ability of the undead to know a past it never lived. Prefacing the tale with a brief account of one of Harry Houdini’s escapes also seems strained; Jessie’s horse may be named for the magician, but the allusion rather heavy-handedly foreshadows Jessie’s fate. Collins richly evokes a heartbreaking emotional terrain, setting it against the sparse, brutal landscape of the Australian Outback. 8
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MONDAY, MONDAY
Crook, Elizabeth Sarah Crichton/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (352 pp.) $26.00 | May 13, 2014 978-0-374-22882-8 An almost-forgotten massacre at the University of Texas propels an intergenerational tale marked by vivid moments of connection and disconnection, fear and courage. Framing a story in the context of calamity—in this instance, mass murder—invites both sensationalism and sentimentality; there have been few memorable successes, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Wally Lamb’s The Hour I First Believed among them. Add Crook’s latest to the plus side of the list. Its opening finds Shelly, a 4.0 student, outside on that fateful day in August 1966 when a former Marine named Charles Whitman opened fire from atop the university’s tower, killing 17 people and wounding many more. Shattered by a bullet—and Crook’s account of that mayhem is both gruesome and perfectly pitched, emotionally speaking—Shelly is rescued by two cousins who are forevermore bound up in her life and she in theirs. One, Wyatt, is on the cusp of the rising new Austin of hippies and Willie Nelson; the other, Jack, is apparently more conventional. Wyatt is rebel enough to admit to not much liking chicken-fried steak; but then, neither does Shelly, and that’s not the only way their tastes will intersect, either. Wisely, Crook allows her characters to change in believable ways over the course of four decades, but the novel—with its moments of love, loss and conflict—is always pointing back to that terrible past. Crook (The Night Journal, 2006, etc.) gets the period details just right, not least the bittersweet song of the title, which was wafting from radios as Whitman was firing. And she delivers beautifully turned lines, as when, at the end of their long, bumpy ride, Shelly says to Wyatt in parting, “[d]on’t say anything I won’t be able to forget.” Shelly reflects that “[s]he had never come anywhere near perfection, but had come close to a rightness with herself, through her losses.” So it is with this novel, which, though not quite perfect, is just right: confident and lyrical as it smartly engages terror and its aftermath.
ABROAD
Crouch, Katie Sarah Crichton/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (232 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-374-10036-0 Foreign students in Italy: One winds up dead in this awkward riff on the notorious Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher case. Tabitha “Taz” Deacon is Irish, an exchange student from an English university. From the outset, Crouch (Men and Dogs, 2010, etc.) designates narrator Taz as the victim; she will eventually, in a nod to
Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, address the reader from beyond the grave. Taz is just one more in a centuries-old line of Umbria’s sacrificial victims, whose profiles pop up throughout the novel. In Grifonia, the stand-in for Perugia, Taz takes a particular interest in Etruscan mythology. This is commendably high-minded, but Grifonia is swarming with students itching to get laid, and Taz is lonely, with limited sexual experience. Luckily, she runs into a trio of girls who make her the fourth member of their Brit Four Society. Their leader is Jenny, and her advice is succinct: You’re only young once, so don’t take just one lover—take 10. The girls have access to all the best parties because, it emerges, they’re a drug ring: procuring, storing and selling the stuff. The failure to convince us of this is the hole at the heart of the novel. Taz must also reckon with her American roomie, Claire, who’s loyal, loudmouthed, needy and too beautiful for her own good. Not surprisingly, she scores even more often than Jenny, while Taz makes out with their Italian neighbor; rough trade but satisfying. Hookups and breakups: The novel’s movement is circular, with too many characters riding the sex and drug carousel, and lacks suspense. Taz’s murder only happens because she’s pressured to connive in the drug business; the heat is on, and she hides the product in an Etruscan burial chamber, a 21st century addition to its layers of history. A crass use of a still-active murder case.
with sex—but smoothly resolved, flouting the intensity of the struggle Hana says she’s endured. That’s disappointing, since early in the novel Dones smartly demonstrates how easily a woman’s standing in Albania can be diminished; Hana’s literary ambitions in particular were dismissed if not considered suspect. And Dones’ dialogue has plenty of casual wit, especially when Hana tries to explain her gender switch to her cousin’s young daughter. But the main drama feels curiously small for such a provocative theme. Cleanly written and informed but worthy of a broader psychological canvas.
SWORN VIRGIN
Dones, Elvira Translated by Botsford, Clarissa & Other Stories (288 pp.) $15.95 paper | $12.95 e-book May 13, 2014 978-1-908276-34-6 978-1-908276-35-3 e-book A woman lives as a man to escape oppression in her native Albania, but switching back after coming to the United States proves tricky. As the novel opens, Mark has arrived in America shortly after 9/11, taken in by a cousin in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and ready to start fresh. Landing a job and improving his English are less crucial, though, than deciding how to resume life as a woman, Hana. In Albania, Hana was a literature student until her aunt died and she was forced to leave school to care for her ailing uncle. The uncle was insistent on arranging a marriage for her, and she resisted by opting to live as a man—a choice rooted in Albanian custom, as acclaimed novelist Ismail Kadare explains in the foreword. The switch is acceptable as long as Hana remains a virgin, and though the setup promisingly raises themes of national and sexual identity, the novel feels like a missed opportunity. Dones provides plenty of flashbacks to Hana’s early life in Albania, yet little time is spent on the 15 years she spent as a man and the tensions it created for her; a diary from that time is repeatedly mentioned but readers are denied a peek into it. Present-time difficulties are raised— spats with her cousin, going on dates, becoming comfortable |
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“An irresistible page-turner.” from suspicion
WHAT IS VISIBLE
Elkins, Kimberly Twelve (320 pp.) $25.00 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4555-2896-7 978-1-4555-2897-4 e-book The story of Helen Keller’s forgotten forerunner comes nimbly to life in Elkins’ debut novel. Born in 1829, Laura Bridgman was just 2 years old when she contracted scarlet fever. She survived but lost all senses except touch. At 7, she was sent to Boston to live with Samuel Gridley Howe, founder of the Perkins Institute, who taught her tactile sign language, tapped out in the palm of the hand, which eventually enabled her to read, write and do arithmetic as well as hold conversations. As word of Howe’s achievement spread, Laura herself grew famous. A miracle girl whose renown was rivaled only by Queen Victoria, she was celebrated in the press and even written about by Dickens. Yet she remained an experiment for Howe. After he acquired a family and her development plateaued, she was increasingly left trapped in her own inner world. Flitting back and forth over the course of a half-century, the novel is told from alternating viewpoints, including Laura’s own. She is at once savvy and naïve, and as she strives to understand the world through touch alone, she falls in love with Howe, campaigns to be allowed glass eyes and access to the Bible, and has an intensely physical affair with an orphaned Irish girl. A little too much is made of the latter event, along with bouts of anorexia and self-harming, though the historical background is elegantly sketched. In her late 50s, Laura meets 8-yearold Helen Keller, already known as “the second Laura Bridgman.” (“The second, and I’m still here!” she huffs.) Other perspectives contextualize her celebrity and include those of Howe; his headstrong wife, Julia, a writer, abolitionist and suffragist; and Laura’s favorite teacher, who marries a missionary and meets a tragic end. An affecting portrait which finally provides its idiosyncratic heroine with a worthy voice.
CUTTING TEETH
Fierro, Julia St. Martin’s (336 pp.) $24.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-250-04202-6 The urban-sophisticate mothers of middle-class Brooklyn come under the spotlight in a debut novel set in Eden, the not-so-paradisiacal Long Island beach house where a play group gathers to spend one transformative Labor Day weekend. Needy, obsessive-compulsive and anxious—and that’s just the parents in Fierro’s satire of contemporary New York child care. Nicole, mother of Wyatt, is continuously wracked with terror over germs and knives but now fears a catastrophe is looming and posts her apprehensions on urbanmama.com; lesbian couple Susanna 10
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and Allie are keeping secrets from each other while stressing over who’s the real mommy; stay-at-home dad Rip needs his wife, Grace, to want another baby, but she doesn’t; and former debutante Leigh, whose son, Chase, has behavioral issues, is unwilling to share her Tibetan Buddhist nanny, Tenzin, with sexy Tiffany, still breast-feeding her bossy daughter, Harper, age 4. As the holiday proceeds and meals, conversations and beach activities go on in the background, Fierro tirelessly pursues her characters’ interior dilemmas, moving from one adult perspective to another, each parent preoccupied with sex, money, work, home, partner and, of course, the actual children. While the Americans are all pursuing some elusive future happiness, it is asylum-seeking Tenzin, thousands of miles from her husband and children, who can see the bigger, life-and-death picture and delivers the moral message: “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from our own actions.” Eventually, on the final evening, the claustrophobic pitch of petty tension among this edgy group intensifies, leading to an inevitable but brief riot of panic, bad behavior and repentance. Capable and readable but narrowly focused, Fierro’s novel, with its obvious targets, can seem like the literary equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel.
SUSPICION
Finder, Joseph Dutton (384 pp.) $27.95 | May 27, 2014 978-0-525-95460-6 Following two Nick Heller novels (Vanished, 2009; Buried Secrets, 2011), Finder gives us a stand-alone in which Boston writer Danny Goodman gets in treacherously over his head after borrowing a large sum of money from a fabulously rich man who isn’t what he seems. Since his wife died from cancer two years ago, Danny has been struggling—emotionally, because his teenage daughter, Abby, still blames him for not telling her that her mother was dying; and financially, because he had Abby transferred to the city’s most exclusive private school, where her best friend, Jenna, goes. When the school threatens to kick her out for lack of tuition payments, Jenna’s father, Tom Galvin, loans Danny $50,000, saying his formerly troubled daughter’s current happiness depends on her continuing to have Abby as a classmate. Tom, who is married to the daughter of a prominent Mexican businessman, also values his burgeoning friendship with Danny, a fellow Bostonian with working-class roots like his. But no sooner has Danny deposited the money than DEA agents are all over him, informing him that Galvin works for a top Mexican drug cartel and unless Danny spies on him for them, he will go to prison as an accessory—or even worse, be targeted by the murderous cartel. Danny’s nail-biting exploits include breaking into Galvin’s locker during a game of racquetball to drain data from his cellphone. Is Tom onto him? Is he being so warm and generous to Danny only to set him up? The characters don’t break any molds; we’ve seen even the likes of the cartel’s sadistic “angel of death,” Dr. Mendoza, before. But
the plot is so smartly put together, expertly paced and unpredictable that neither Danny’s shallowness nor Finder’s limitations as a prose stylist keep this from being an irresistible page-turner. This is another winner from Finder, who, as ever, builds suspense without a shred of overstatement.
IN THE WOLF’S MOUTH
Foulds, Adam Farrar, Straus and Giroux (336 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-374-17582-5 The title of Foulds’ latest (The Quickening Maze, 2010, etc.) refers to an Italian good-luck saying tinged with fear, a fitting reference to the interconnected fates of three World War II soldiers— one British and two Italian-American— after the liberation of Sicily.
British enlistee Will, the university-educated son of a schoolmaster in a rural English village, is disappointed to be assigned, not to the battlefield, but to Field Security Services. Doing mop-up work, first in North Africa and then Sicily, he proves better qualified than the officers above him, but his suggestions are generally, sometimes disastrously, ignored. Ray, a sensitive working-class kid from New York with dreams of writing screenplays, experiences the surrealist horror of battle in North Africa, where most of his company is killed. Because he speaks some Italian, he’s then sent to Sicily, where he watches a new friend get blown to pieces after stepping on a land mine. Shellshocked, Ray wanders into the palace of the prince of Sant’Attilio, where the prince’s lonely daughter, Luisa, hides him as she nurses him back to health. Also stationed in Sant’Attilio is Albanese, a petty New York mobster the Americans enlisted for his Italian and general knowledge of Sicily, where he was born. The English are clueless in sorting out the sociology of the Sicilian town, but Will’s instinctive qualms about Albanese, whom he meets briefly on several occasions, are all too correct. When Albanese escaped Sant’Attilio
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“Perfect summer reading for people who’d rather stay in the city than go to the beach.” from friendship
in a casket almost 20 years earlier, he left behind a young wife and a profitable position working as the prince’s representative (while cheating him on the side). In Albanese’s absence, his wife remarried, and the prince gave his job and his house to one of his former shepherds. Now Albanese will go to any length to get back his wife and his home. Foulds writes like no one else; while individual scenes are rendered with poetic simplicity, they fit together into an elliptical, complex plot readers will puzzle over long after finishing this novel.
FRIENDSHIP
Gould, Emily Farrar, Straus and Giroux (272 pp.) $25.00 | Jul. 1, 2014 978-0-374-15861-3 Two young women try to create the glamorous lives they’ve imagined for themselves while talking on Gchat from their desks at their less-than-ideal jobs. Bev left her cool-sounding but dispiriting entry-level position at a Manhattan publishing house to follow her boyfriend to the Midwest. Bad move. Now she’s back in New York, single again, and temping. Amy was once famous for her work at a hot website—or maybe she was just notorious: “[N]ow that she was neither, it mattered less which one it had been.” She’s been working for three years at Yidster, “the thirdmost-popular online destination for cultural coverage with a modern Jewish angle,” but is basically just floating through life on a diet of clicks and tweets, hoping her boyfriend will move in with her so she’ll be able to keep paying the rent on her lovely brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. When Bev gets pregnant on a hilariously dreadful first date, the women are forced to confront their differing dreams and priorities. Plot takes a back seat to Gould’s razor-sharp humor and observations about life in New York among a class of young people who know more about how they’d like to live than how to pay for it. It’s also a delight to read a novel that places female friendship at its center; we watch Bev and Amy manage their fluctuating feelings of love, jealousy and sometimes disdain for each other. “It seems improbable that this hasn’t happened to us before,” Amy says when she learns that Bev is pregnant. “Us?” Bev replies. “Are you going to start saying ‘we’re pregnant’?...We’re not a couple, Amy.” They’re not, but they are, and Gould brilliantly charts their ups and downs. Perfect summer reading for people who’d rather stay in the city than go to the beach.
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PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE
Guterson, David Knopf (176 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 14, 2014 978-0-385-35148-5
Some of the best stories in this uneven collection suggest a return to form for a writer better known for his novels. Guterson’s first story collection in 15 years should appeal to fans of his debut novel (Snow Falling on Cedars, 1994) who might have found the dark, antic humor of his most recent one (Ed King, 2011) jarring. Many of these stories concern the awkwardness of intimacy, how uncomfortable it can be—particularly in the Internet age, which has had such a profound effect on how people understand their own lives and each other. The first story, “Paradise,” sets the tone and theme; it concerns two middle-aged people traveling to consummate a relationship that began through an online dating service. They barely know each other except for the narratives they have conjured, and the unnamed man has particular concerns: “He told her he didn’t know what would happen in bed. He said he hadn’t slept with anyone but his wife for twenty-six years—then add on the six months since she’d died of a heart attack while in the middle of leaving him for someone new.” The woman ultimately tells her story, which casts her in a different light than he had imagined, in a tale that resists sentimentality or pat resolution. Many of the rest feature similar difficulties in connecting: the landlord and the title character of “Tenant” (whose interplay is restricted to email and bank transfers until they finally meet in person); the adult brother and sister in “Pilanesberg” (he visits her in Africa, where she is dying of cancer). Many of the stories hit similar notes, in which self-conscious characters discover that “no matter what you did, you were wrong.” The return to the Pacific Northwest and introspective characters finds the author striking familiar, responsive chords. (Author tour to Portland, San Francisco and Seattle)
THE LAST MAGAZINE
Hastings, Michael Blue Rider Press (352 pp.) $26.95 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-399-16994-6
A posthumous novel about the news business. Hastings (The Operators, 2012, etc.) was one hell of a journalist, covering wars and geopolitical strife for venues like Rolling Stone and BuzzFeed. As it turns out, he would have made a fine novelist had he not died in a car accident in 2013. This “secret” novel was resurrected from his files by his widow, Elise Jordan; it’s a messy, caustic and very funny satire. His protagonist is a young journalist also named Mike Hastings, who has just landed his first job at The Magazine in
the dying days of traditional journalism. In wry metacommentary scattered throughout the text, the character Mike—who claims he’s the one writing this book—reflects on just what it is he’s writing. “Maybe I’m talking genres, and maybe the genre is corporate betrayal,” he says. “Including the big decision that the entire media world is so interested in: Who and what is left standing?” Hastings, the author, tells the story of how Mike makes the journey from ambitious young man to cynical hack partially by showing us Mike’s new friend A.E. Peoria, a classic old-school journalist who fuels his brilliant war reporting with alcohol and drugs and transvestite hookers. In the crevasse between his sanitary cubicle and Peoria’s lewd adventures, our hero is also tracking the war of career strategy between his managing editor, Sanders Berman, and the international editor, Nishant Patel, whose favor Mike is carefully currying. Hastings chooses the start of the Iraq War to disrupt Mike’s burgeoning career path. “There’s war in the backdrop, looming and distant and not real for most of these characters, myself included,” Mike says. In a way, the book reflects Hastings’ career arc, from unpaid intern at Newsweek to one of the essential war correspondents of his generation. A ribald comedy about doing time in the trenches and the bitter choices that integrity demands. (Agent: Andrew Wylie)
that Sukey likely just ran away. But Maud never believed that her beloved sister would have left of her own accord without saying goodbye. Could the two mysteries be connected? With little to no assistance from the police, then or now, the family must band together to discover the truth. At first, Maud’s disintegrating memory stymies her progress, but soon enough, the elision of boundaries becomes an asset. A poignant novel of loss.
ELIZABETH IS MISSING
Healey, Emma Harper/HarperCollins (320 pp.) $25.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-230966-2 Maud’s memory is failing, slipping further away each day. So how can she convince anyone that her best friend is truly missing? In her debut novel, Healey deftly evokes the frustrations of Maud and her daughter, both annoyed by Maud’s inability to remember that she bought peach slices yesterday (not to mention the day before), or her own address or the fact that she’s already alerted the police to Elizabeth’s absence four times. Large and small notes blanket the house and fill Maud’s purse with reminders (no more peaches; Elizabeth’s son says she’s OK), but Maud disregards or mistrusts them, questioning her daughter’s authority and Elizabeth’s son’s truthfulness. Healey also compassionately draws the landscape of Maud’s mind, layering the past over the present, blurring the lines between reality and memory. Just as she’s worried about Elizabeth in the present, she’s troubled by events from her childhood in post–World War II London. Then, she and her parents had a lodger, Douglas. Her sister, Sukey, lived with her husband, Frank, in a big house crammed with odds and ends collected through his furniture-moving business. But Sukey disappeared, too. Both Douglas and Frank were briefly considered suspects. Certainly, Douglas’ close friendship with Sukey and Frank’s mysterious business dealings raised some hackles. But a lack of evidence prompted officials to determine |
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Rivka Galchen
The cerebral, funny writer sharpens her instincts in her new story collection By Claiborne Smith
Photo courtesy Ken Goebel
Rivka Galchen’s fiction traffics in heady questions about the mutability of identity and the failures of love; her prose can be obfuscating and cerebral. In a book review of D.T. Max’s biography of David Foster Wallace, she described Wallace’s writing as having a “thinkiness” to it, a word that describes her fiction. Reading her can sometimes feel like being subjected to a brainteaser. The text on the back cover of her new story collection, American Innovations, practically brags about the big-name writers her stories reference: Nikolai Gogol, James Thurber, Jorge Luis Borges. After reading a book by Galchen, what keeps me from throwing it across the room, waiting in rapture for the pleasing effect of the thud it makes as it crumples against the wall? Book critics like to concentrate on the intellectual aspects of Galchen’s work, her “inventive narrative strategies,” as the New York Times described the storytelling of her 2008 novel Atmospheric Disturbances in a review that ran on the cover of the Book Review. The Times, Slate, and Salon.com all named that book one of their notable or best books of the year. In 2010, Galchen was named to The New Yorker’s “20 Under 14
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40” list (she is now 37). And who can blame reviewers for focusing on the intellectual quality of her writing? Galchen revels in the narrative games and techniques postmodern fiction encourages writers to employ. Critics like chasing down the byzantine divagations in her work to suss them out, to try to beat her at her own game. And Atmospheric Disturbances offered critics plenty of intellectual games to unravel. It’s about a man who is convinced that the woman who lives with him is not, in fact, his wife but an imposter, a “simulacrum” who looks very much like his real wife, and where the hell is she? Even though the word “playful” routinely surfaces in reviews of Galchen’s books, what seems missing from most assessments of her writing is how very funny it is. To call a writer playful connotes an intellectual pleasure that recalls the writing of Pynchon, Borges and Kafka (all of whom Galchen would be honored to be compared to). There’s more than just playfulness at work in her fiction, though. She can be boldly silly. In tandem with her thinkiness is a disarming, childlike delight in being daffy, so that there’s emotion and life to her intellectual rigor and substantive heft to her humor; that is what keeps me from throwing her books across the room. The title story in her new collection is told by a woman who wakes up one morning and washes her face in her usual cursory manner, “only enough to rest reasonably assured that nothing too grotesque has overnight arrived on or departed from my face.” On the morning in question, nothing has arrived or departed from her face, but there is a “substantial lump” on the right side of her lower back, “maybe a B cup in size.” She wonders if the lump is trying to hide from her. It might want to “discreetly maintain an unacknowledged child.”
Of all the writers Galchen has referenced in her fiction (and there are many—Roberto Bolaño, Pynchon, Carlos Monsiváis, to name a few), Gogol seems like the spirit most kindred to hers. “The Nose,” the story Galchen references in “American Innovations,” was written sometime in the 1830s and is about “an extraordinarily strange incident,” as the narrator puts it. Ivan Yakovlevich, a barber, cuts into a loaf of bread one morning to find in the middle of the loaf the nose (“and, what’s more, it seemed like a familiar one”) of Maj. Kovalev, one of his customers. As in “The Nose,” there are gradations of humor in “American Innovations.” Galchen is a sharp satirist who mentions, in this story, “the celebrity underwear designer Lorna Drew” and, in the next paragraph, “a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles who combined belly button removal with breast addition in a package deal.” There’s outright silly: “There had once been a TV show in which a gnu named Gary Gnu reported the gnews,” the character with the newly arrived mass on her back tells us. The same character declares that “I’m not one of these people who are disheartened that the universe is expanding,” an acknowledgment that seems to come out of nowhere until you realize at the end of the story that by that odd, sly confession, Galchen is letting you know that the woman with the sudden growth on her back is going to be OK. Galchen took an unusual route to become one of today’s leading literary talents: She grew up in Norman, Okla., after her parents moved there when she was a child, she attended Princeton and then went to medical school at Mt. Sinai in Manhattan. Galchen says that she used to apologize to patients before she conducted an exam on them. She grew so frightened of placing an IV line in people’s veins that one day in her third year of medical school, after a patient entered the emergency room and needed an IV, she chanted the stages of how to place an IV line to herself. She got the needle in but forgot to release the tourniquet. “So then as I pull the needle out, blood is just pulsing everywhere,” she recalls. The patient said to her, “Are you okay?” Perhaps it is a blessing that the infirm of Manhattan, where she lives, will never encounter a Dr. Rivka Galchen. She says that it is because she has always been “obedient and dutiful” that she applied to Columbia University’s creative writing program while she was still in her final year at Mt. Sinai and entered the program without taking any time off after finishing med school.
It was at Columbia that Galchen met Karen Russell, which means that in one classroom, what would become the female vanguard of thoughtfully weird, fantastical, arresting American fiction met and became close friends. Russell, the author of Swamplandia! and, more recently, Sleep Donation, says that Galchen had a “pharmaceutical way” of packaging feedback to her classmates in writing workshop “in a capsule of kindness that made it go down well.” Russell says that Galchen was considered “the best-read person I know. I was always like, ‘This reminds me of Betty & Veronica’ and she would say, ‘This is like what Walter Benjamin said about butterflies.’ ” Russell and Galchen met novelist David Gordon at Columbia; Galchen considers Gordon, who’s published two novels and will have a story collection out this fall, her best friend. They read one another’s manuscripts. Galchen’s writing “comes to me totally confident, but like most writers, she is not confident,” Gordon says. “You have to try to be fearless when you’re writing, and yet I think that only makes the human being more uncertain.” Gordon is right: Galchen’s style is assured and confident in its singularity. Yes, it’s cerebral, but it is also open, emotional and genuinely funny. It’s postmodern but with a heart. “I feel like very often getting increasingly better technically also means sanding down what made you unusual,” Gordon says about Galchen’s voice. “It’s rare to get more mature and at the same time more yourself.” Claiborne Smith is the editor in chief of Kirkus Reviews. American Innovations received a starred review in the Apr. 1, 2014, issue of Kirkus Reviews. American Innovations Galchen, Rivka Farrar, Straus and Giroux (192 pp.) $25.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-374-28047-5
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THE BOOK OF UNKNOWN AMERICANS
Henríquez, Cristina Knopf (304 pp.) $24.95 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-385-35084-6 978-0-385-35085-3 e-book A family from Mexico settles in Delaware and strives to repair emotional and physical wounds in Henríquez’s dramatic page-turner. The author’s third book of fiction (Come Together, Fall Apart, 2006; The World in Half, 2009) opens with the arrival of Arturo and Alma Rivera, who have brought their teenage daughter, Maribel, to the U.S. in the hope of helping her recover from a head injury she sustained in a fall. Their neighbors Rafael and Celia Toro came from Panama years earlier, and their teenage son, Mayor, takes quickly to Maribel. The pair’s relationship is prone to gossip and misinterpretation: People think Maribel is dumber than she is and that Mayor is more predatory than he is. In this way, Henríquez suggests, they represent the immigrant experience in miniature. The novel alternates narrators among members of the Rivera and Toro families, as well as other immigrant neighbors, and their stories stress that their individual experiences can’t be reduced to types or statistics; the shorter interludes have the realist detail, candor and potency of oral history. Life is a grind for both families: Arturo works at a mushroom farm, Rafael is a short-order cook, and Alma strains to understand the particulars of everyday American life (bus schedules, grocery shopping, Maribel’s schooling). But Henríquez emphasizes their positivity in a new country, at least until trouble arrives in the form of a prejudiced local boy. That plot complication shades toward melodrama, giving the closing pages a rush but diminishing what Henríquez is best at: capturing the way immigrant life is often an accrual of small victories in the face of a thousand cuts and how ad hoc support systems form to help new arrivals get by. A smartly observed tale of immigrant life that cannily balances its optimistic tone with straight talk.
THE SILENT HISTORY
Horowitz, Eli; Derby, Matthew; Moffett, Kevin Farrar, Straus and Giroux (528 pp.) $16.00 paper | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-374-53447-9 The world reels with shock and dismay when an entire generation of children is born without the ability to create or comprehend language. It should be interesting to see how this strange dystopian voyage, composed by a talented triptych of writers, is interpreted by readers who don’t know its innovative origins. This is the analog version of a reportedly addictive digital 16
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application of the same name that originally published one story a day; it takes the form of an oral history of the first 30 years of a modern plague that leaves otherwise normal children without the ability to speak, read or write. Clearly borrowing heavily from Max Brooks’ World War Z, this semi-anthology doesn’t include one of the original app’s more interesting features: location-based field reports that could only be activated at certain GPS locations. That being the case, one might expect to find a tighter, more cohesive plotline; but the rambling, episodic and extremely brief natures of its dated entries make it hard to become absorbed in its narrative arc. The first half is very much social commentary, with the linguistic nonconformity of the “silents” standing in for the growing ranks of children with autism and highlighting the well-worn bigotry that emerges around those who are different (dubbed here “mutetards” by the ignorant). Many of the early stories are less compelling—the parents who wish so dearly to have the “normal” children they were expecting; teachers who struggle to reach students who can understand math or art but not their instructions; and the scientists delving into the mysterious origins of the illness. It’s not until forces start to shape the silent generation that the novel gets very interesting indeed. We learn that the children are evolving their own forms of nonlinguistic communication at the same time scientists start using neural implants to “cure” the silent, who may not be so eager to play along. An intriguing but less propulsive entry in an unusually robust year for linguistic thrillers.
SNIPER’S HONOR
Hunter, Stephen Simon & Schuster (432 pp.) $27.99 | May 20, 2014 978-1-4516-4021-2 In his latest Bob Lee Swagger adventure, Hunter (The Third Bullet, 2013, etc.) sends the indefatigable warrior into the Carpathian Mountains. Swagger’s 68 now, retired to the Cascades, his sniper heroics in Vietnam and thereafter left to history books. When long-time friend and veteran reporter Kathy Reilly calls to question him about firearms, Swagger learns that she’s investigating Ludmilla Petrova, a blonde beauty known as the White Witch, a World War II Russian sniper. Petrova, despite heroics at Stalingrad, Kursk and elsewhere, has disappeared from postwar records. Reilly’s curious. Swagger’s intrigued. He’s also willing to help, even if it means flying to Russia. With eight Swagger adventures on the books, Hunter knows his hero like a brother: righteous character firmly set, crafty intelligence thoroughly hidden, stone-cold willing to take the shot if a bad actor must die. Swagger and Reilly end up in Ukraine, thwarting evildoers ranging from an off-the-reservation U.S. clandestine operator to a mobbed-up anti-Semitic Russian oligarch with family connections to Nazisympathizing WWII double agents. In the Carpathian wilderness, Swagger’s sniper instinct helps Reilly uncover Petrova’s WWII exploits, from Kursk, where she went rogue during the
“A funny and completely implausible farce.” from the girl who saved the king of sweden
massive tank battle, to tiny, isolated Yaremche, Ukraine, where she was sent on a suicide mission to kill an Obergruppenführer named Groedl. Swagger displays mighty tradecraft, employing a British Enfield sniper rifle secreted in a Carpathian Mountain cave since 1944. Hunter adds an exotic bad guy, Yusef Salid, SStrained cousin of Jerusalem’s grand mufti, who leads Serbian Nazis into the killing fields, but Hunter doesn’t forget the “good Germans”—a decimated squad of paratroopers trying to do the right thing in spite of the “nutcase paperhanger from Austria.” Despite a not-wholly-related narrative thread highlighting Mossad’s mad skills in frustrating Russian-Iranian anti-Israel machinations, Hunter loads up a whole magazine of action, double-dealing and gun porn.
THE GIRL WHO SAVED THE KING OF SWEDEN
Jonasson, Jonas Translated by Willson-Broyles, Rachel Ecco/HarperCollins (400 pp.) $25.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-06-232912-7
THE LAST ILLUSION
Khakpour, Porochista Bloomsbury (288 pp.) $26.00 | May 13, 2014 978-1-62040-304-4
An audaciously ambitious novel that teeters along a tightrope but never falls off. Following her well-received debut (Sons and Other Flammable Objects, 2007), this Iranian-American novelist returns with what on the surface is a coming-ofage story about a boy who was raised as a bird, based on a myth from the Persian Book of Kings (which finds its way into the story within this story) about an Icarus who becomes a great warrior and hero. The protagonist of this novel is neither. His name is Zal (it rhymes with “fall,” which is what happens to those who cannot fly), and he was born in Iran, very pale and blond in a country of darker skins, to a mother who considered him a mistake and a “White Demon.” His birth sparked his “mother’s
A funny and completely implausible farce about a woman, a bomb and a man’s frustrated ambition to overthrow the king of Sweden. Nombeko Mayeki is a 14-year-old latrine cleaner in apartheid-era Soweto who is exceptionally good at her job. Because of her race, she is incorrectly presumed to be illiterate. She gets another job as the housemaid of the nuclear engineer in charge of South Africa’s secret program to build six atomic bombs, and in her spare time, she masters Wu Chinese at the library in Pretoria. The engineer is an incompetent fool who accidentally builds a seventh bomb that remains a secret even to his bosses. Soon, Nombeko ships two crates: dried antelope meat to feed herself as she escapes to Sweden and the 1,700-pound atomic bomb the engineer wants sent to the Mossad in Israel. But the packages get switched, and for years Nombeko carts a 3-megaton bomb around Sweden while the Mossad doesn’t know what to do with the antelope meat. Meanwhile, Ingmar Qvist’s lifelong dream is to abolish the Swedish monarchy. He indoctrinates his identical-twin sons, both named Holger, to carry on after his death. But Holger One is an idiot, and Holger Two, whose birth was not registered and who thus technically doesn’t exist, is intelligent. Because Nombeko is an illegal immigrant, she doesn’t exist either. And of course the bomb doesn’t exist. Can Nombeko and Holger Two prevent the idiot anarchist Holger One and his idiot girlfriend, Celestine, from blowing up the king, themselves and a sizable chunk of Sweden? Author Jonasson is wickedly inventive with a constant flow of absurdities, for which his narrator blames the Almighty: “If God does exist, He must have a good sense of humor.” This book follows Jonasson’s equally crazy The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2012). Definitely not a book for sourpusses. The rest of the world will chuckle all the way through it. |
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disintegration into a crazy bird lady,” and she raised him in a menagerie, as a bird. The tone then shifts, or slides, from onceupon-a-time fable into something closer to American realism, as the setting shifts to New York City around the turn of the millennium. Zal has been adopted by a behavioral analyst who wants to help him develop the human side of his adolescent personality and guide him into adulthood. Zal learns to “keep the bird in him, any bird in him, so deep within himself that it resurfaced only rarely”—though he does retain an appetite for insects and develops a crush on a particularly comely canary (“tiny but still voluptuous, round in all the right places”). In a coincidence that strains credulity, he happens to meet an artist who works with dead birds, who becomes his first love and is something of a strange bird herself. She suffers from anorexia, panic attacks and premonitions, the last of which proves crucial and tragic. And he encounters an illusionist who sparks the novel’s title, planning to make New York disappear: “Not New York, exactly, but the New Yorkness of New York.” Plot summary fails to convey the spirit of this creative flight of fancy; farce meets disaster in a novel that illuminates what it means to be human, normal and in love.
THE SIXTEENTH OF JUNE
Lang, Maya Scribner (320 pp.) $25.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4767-4574-9
An uneven debut has fun with James Joyce while packing years of a family’s life into a single day. Taking its title from the date on which Joyce set Ulysses, Lang’s novel concerns the Portman family of Philadelphia on the 2004 centennial of what’s known as Bloomsday. Brothers Stephen and Leopold, with the latter’s fiancee, Nora, prepare for the funeral of Grandma Hannah Portman, which takes place only hours before the annual Bloomsday party thrown by the brothers’ parents. Nora recalls her mother’s funeral a year earlier following a long battle with cancer: “She and her mom had been stranded on an island, the tropic of cancer with its thickets of growth.” Lang works disease, aging, death, sibling friction and fraying love into the novel’s brief time frame mainly through the wandering thoughts of the three younger characters. The richest moments stem from Stephen’s friendship with Nora and his empathy with Hannah, formed through weekly visits to her retirement home. By contrast, the parents are thinly drawn, almost types: the wealthy former fund manager and the socialite seeking a good cause. It’s uncertain if either has ever read Ulysses through, which raises the fundamental question of why such people would name their sons for the novel’s two heroes and honor a notoriously obscure book every year. Lang’s numerous allusions to Joyce’s epic may amuse those in the know, but they don’t often enhance the story. She can draw a sharp image—“another old-timer, a fluff of white hair over a stick of a body, like a Q-tip”—yet the writing is dotted with clichés or 18
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oddities, such as: “Their friendship bobs between them like a current, keeping Leo at bay.” That’s a lot of water. A promising writer gives the love triangle an engaging workout under challenging constraints.
THE THREE
Lotz, Sarah Little, Brown (480 pp.) $26.00 | $12.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-0-316-24290-5 978-0-316-24292-9 e-book Lone survivors from different plane crashes spark apocalyptic fears. South African screenwriter Lotz’s new thriller revolves around the fictitious events of “Black Thursday,” Jan. 12, 2012, when four planes crash within hours of each other on different continents. As if that weren’t frightening enough, the drama is intensified when the public learns about the cryptic last message of a woman who died on one of the planes and the odd coincidence that in three of the crashes, a single child survived. When the children are returned to their families, they seem different somehow, and they become the focus of rumors ranging from alien activity to paranormal messaging. In the U.S., the hysteria is brought to a head by a fundamentalist preacher who sees the children as the harbingers of the End Times referenced in the book of Revelation. While the media hounds the survivors’ families, politicians exploit the public’s apocalyptic fears to take domestic and foreign policy in a new direction. Lotz tells the story through a fabricated nonfiction book within the novel called Black Thursday: From Crash to Conspiracy: Inside the Phenomenon of The Three, written by the fictional Elspeth Martins, who says she’s pieced together an amalgam of email messages, interviews, articles, online chat forums and memoirs. This eclectic style of storytelling provides just enough information to follow the developing events, while the reader grasps for the crucial information that will solve the mystery of the enigmatic children. An engaging thriller with clues that will keep you guessing.
THE YEAR SHE LEFT US
Ma, Kathryn Harper/HarperCollins (336 pp.) $25.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-06-227334-5 A debut novel featuring a simple plot crammed with information—factual and emotional, conflicting and unreliable. The result is complicated, like real life. Eighteen-year-old Ari was adopted as a baby from an orphanage in China; her mother, Charlie, raised her in San Francisco with ample input from her own sister, Les, and their mother, Gran. The three women present a nuanced take on what it means to be
Chinese-American. Gran grew up privileged in China, moving to the U.S. after the Second Sino-Japanese War. She attended Bryn Mawr, married a Chinese man, cooked goose and stuffing every Christmas, opened a Chinese restaurant, married again, moved to Taipei and back. Gran’s life could fill its own book. Her daughters both entered the legal profession, neither marrying, with only Charlie bringing a child into the family. Charlie raised Ari among a minor mob of other WACDs—WesternAdopted Chinese Daughters—and their white parents, working to emphasize a heritage Charlie herself never had. The point of view moves among the women, including Ari, whose attitude toward her upbringing is scathing. But it hardly seems to matter. “I fixed my sights on that bleak beginning and ran straight toward it,” she says from the start. She leaves home twice: once to go to China, where she sinks into a violent depression, and then on a search for a father. Charlie, Les and Gran are devastated by her leaving, but as close as they are, there is little warmth between them. Their sniffing disapproval of each other’s handling of Ari drives them further apart. The novel questions the meaning of family, background and belonging. Ma is a cagey writer, withholding and misdirecting at nearly every turn, which can be frustrating. Nonetheless, this is an impassioned, unapologetic look at tough, interesting subjects.
and their wives are atwitter with speculation about the book’s characters and the identity of its anonymous author. As Dick’s journalist girlfriend plans an article exposing the book’s author, the decisive meeting is held, and Dante’s roommate orchestrates an ingenuous plan. The action intensifies as mild chaos rules, then collapses into a foreseeable resolution. MacVeagh’s satirical style is adequately smooth and somewhat amusing. Readers fascinated with the lifestyles of the very rich may enjoy a chuckle or two.
PAISLEY MISCHIEF
MacVeagh, Lincoln February Books (210 pp.) $15.95 paper | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-9887979-1-8 Ever wonder what goes on behind the closed doors of those exclusive gentleman’s clubs populated by the Park Avenue elite? MacVeagh’s comedy of manners reveals all as a candidate sets his sights on gaining acceptance to one such establishment. Members of The Avenue are privileged blue bloods who think nothing of shedding their clothes and performing their activities in the nude. After all, they have nothing to hide from one another. And even though members may not always get along—or even like each other—they conduct themselves with civility. Club president Wallace “Puff ” Penfield and admissions committee member Dick Burkus, Long Island neighbors, courteously discuss club matters in its hallowed halls, but their ongoing feud is legendary. Puff once opposed Dick’s building project, and Dick retaliated by erecting a spite pole on his property, blocking Puff ’s scenic view. They also appear to have differing opinions of Max Guberstein, a crude Hollywood producer who’s applied for membership: Puff seems to approve, and though he’s not on the committee, his nephew Dante has recently been appointed; Dick has yet to make up his mind and insists on reserving judgment until he dines with Max. It takes only one admissions committee member to blackball a candidate, and Max enlists his underling, Cecil, to do a little spying for him. Meanwhile, a scandalous roman à clef, Paisley Mischief, is making the rounds, and members |
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THE PATRON SAINT OF UGLY
Manilla, Marie Mariner/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (352 pp.) $13.95 paper | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-544-14624-2
Mermaids, maps, amulets and machismo all figure in this tall, busy tale about a girl’s coming-of-age amid plain and improbable family lore. Manilla’s (Shrapnel, 2012, etc.) second novel features the sassy voice of Garnet Ferrari as she responds irreverently to a Vatican emissary’s questions about the origins of miraculous powers she denies having. Born covered with port-wine stains shaped like atlas cutouts, she seems to heal the skin problems of others. Flashbacks to her early life in the 1950s reveal a range of cruelties, from others shunning or mocking her to the favoring of her smart, beautiful brother and the bullying swagger of her uncle. The past also holds love and pain elsewhere in the family, especially an ill-fated triangle with roots in Sicily and thorny branches in the Ferraris’ U.S. home of Sweetwater, W.Va. Manilla plays with different shades of poverty and wealth as Garnet makes a Dickensian journey from low-income housing to a hilltop mansion. The transition includes visits and extravagance from her maternal grandmother, a rich Virginian with Mayflower antecedents. Her paternal counterpart is Nonna Diamante, long-suffering survivor of a bad marriage who melds Catholic faith and belief in malocchio (the evil eye). She’s a colorful soul and a frequent commentator whose accented English phrasings recall—cutely, then cloyingly—those of Chico Marx. There’s even an environmental lesson about clean water running through all this, a real issue in mining-scarred West Virginia. The narrative variety—from saintly myth to Twain-ian stretcher, shifting speakers, newspaper clippings, a 60 Minutes transcript and two pages covered with the letter Z—brings to mind another unusual autobiography, Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy. Manilla’s compulsive embellishment can be wearying, and her ending verges on treacle, which is surprising after what has been at heart a cleareyed, touching fable of a girl learning the hard truths about herself and others.
I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN HERE WITHOUT YOU
Maum, Courtney Touchstone/Simon & Schuster (352 pp.) $25.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4767-6458-0 Despite the clever title and intellectual-verging-on-pretentious characters—a sensitive British painter who wants his work to have meaning; his French lawyer wife who doesn’t want him to sell out; his American former mistress who writes him letters about Kierkegaard—Maum’s first novel is basically a romantic comedy for elitists. 20
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Richard, the narrator, lives with his wife, Anne, and 5-yearold daughter, Camille, in a lovely Parisian house purchased with the help of Anne’s aristocratic parents. In 2002, as George W. Bush prepares the world for the invasion of Iraq, Richard has his first solo gallery show, but his excitement is muted. The gallery caters to collectors looking for art to match their interior design; so instead of the provocative collages of his 20s, Richard has painted realistic interiors as seen through keyholes. He suspects that Anne is unimpressed with his new work and may be hurt that the show includes “The Blue Bear,” which he painted for her while she was pregnant. At the same time, Richard is pining for his unconventional mistress, Lisa, who recently dumped him and moved to London to marry a man who sounds particularly dull. Anne, whose beauty and saintly patience may get on the reader’s nerves after a while, agrees to stay married despite the affair, but Richard fears he can’t rekindle his old passion for her. It doesn’t help that Lisa continues to write him letters through the gallery. He doesn’t answer them, but when Anne finds out, she goes ballistic. By the time he returns from delivering “The Blue Bear” to its gay, New Age-y purchasers in London, where he drops by to see Lisa and realizes she’s a jerk, Anne is fed up and kicks him out. Will he win her back? Will he create a serious piece of performance art about Iraq that is so controversial that everyone loves it? The not-terribly-sharp humor is more enjoyable than the predictable plot shot through with sentimentality.
SHIRLEY
Merrell, Susan Scarf Blue Rider Press (288 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-399-16645-7 Fictional newlyweds spend a year living with the author Shirley Jackson in this brooding novel. Jackson, largely remembered as the author of macabre horror stories such as “The Lottery,” was married to Stanley Edgar Hyman, a literary critic who taught folklore at Bennington College. The couple lived just off campus in a sprawling house filled with books and cats and kids, and it’s here that Fred and Rose Nemser come to stay in 1964. Fred, a graduate student, has been hired as Stanley’s teaching assistant. While their husbands are occupied with adoring undergrads, a tentative camaraderie strikes up between Shirley and Rose, our narrator. The two women could not be more different. Meek Rose, pregnant at just 19, is in flight from a grimy childhood filled with secrets. Shirley, “a mountain of a woman,” is mercurial, droll and possessed of uncanny abilities. “I know what cats think,” she tells Rose, whose thoughts she also seems able to invade. No wonder the locals think she’s a witch. Yet, as Rose discovers, Shirley is prey to demons of an altogether less supernatural nature, too. Everyone at the house drinks into the night, but she pops pills as well; and though she’s accustomed to it, Stanley’s philandering evidently pains her. When Rose learns of a student who went
missing 18 years earlier, she’s unable to resist the notion that Shirley had something to do with it. Merrell (Creative Writing and Literature/Stony Brook; A Member of the Family, 2000, etc.) is no thriller writer, but this unsolved mystery stokes an atmosphere of quiet menace. Her decision to blend fact and fiction adds to a lingering sense of uncertainty, with set pieces—including a cameo for Bernard Malamud—providing comic relief. A sidelong portrait of a category-defying writer dovetails surprisingly snugly with the drama of one young woman’s coming-of-age. (Agent: Henry Dunow)
THE ARSONIST
Miller, Sue Knopf (320 pp.) $25.95 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-307-59479-2 978-0-385-35170-6 e-book As a series of fires in a small New Hampshire town exposes tensions between summer and year-round residents, the members of one in-between family confront their own desires, limitations and capacities to love in Miller’s latest (The Lake Shore Limited, 2010, etc.). Burned out on her transient life working for an NGO in Africa, Frankie takes a possibly permanent leave and comes to stay with her parents, Sylvia and Alfie, in Pomeroy, N.H., where they have recently retired after years of summering there. The night of Frankie’s arrival coincides with the town’s first house fire, which everyone assumes was an accident. Days later, at the annual Fourth of July tea, Frankie begins a flirtation with Bud,
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“The ominous city that awaits her will please readers who love magical creatures of the elegant, blood-thirsty variety.” from the quick
who runs Pomeroy’s newspaper, and accompanies him to the site of the fire so he can take pictures. When a second fire occurs, again at a home belonging to summer residents, Bud begins to wonder if arson is involved. Soon there are more fires—at least six—and Bud is actively covering the story. Frankie becomes more involved than she’d like after realizing she may have seen the arsonist’s car the night of the first fire. Her description helps lead to an arrest. As the investigation meanders—one of the least exciting detective stories ever—Frankie and Bud begin falling in love, though both are in their 40s and on different life paths. But the heart of the story really lies in Sylvia and Alfie’s marriage. For years, seemingly supercompetent Sylvia has been secretly dissatisfied with her marriage to self-important but only moderately successful college professor Alfie. Now Alfie’s mind is failing, and she’s stuck caring for him. Miller’s portrayal of early Alzheimer’s and the toll it takes on a family is disturbingly accurate and avoids the sentimental uplift prevalent in issue-oriented fiction. Any spouse who has been there will recognize Sylvia’s guilt, anger, protectiveness and helplessness as she watches Alfie deteriorate. While the melodrama fails to ignite, Miller captures all the complicated nuances of a family in crisis.
I LOVE YOU MORE
Murphy, Jennifer Doubleday (304 pp.) $24.95 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-385-53855-8
An unscrupulous husband’s murder produces many suspects in Murphy’s absorbing debut, a faint nod to Agatha Christie. When lawyer Oliver Lane is shot to death at the family’s summer rental on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, his wife appears a likely suspect. Then two other women who claim to be married to Oliver come forward, and the investigation takes several unusual turns. As Detective Kyle Kennedy travels to each spouse’s home in separate parts of the state, he notes that the wives sport similar coifs and uniformly deny prior knowledge of the others’ existence. Aside from their haircuts, the women are resolutely different: First wife Diana is artistic, beautiful and gracious, the quintessential Southern lady; Jewels, an architect and the second wife, is athletic, angular and brusque; and cerebral bookstore manager Bert, the third wife, is nurturing and spiritual. Told from multiple points of view— but most interestingly from the perspective of Picasso, Oliver’s precocious, dictionary-reading 12 year-old daughter with Diana—Murphy examines the periods before and after the murder while providing tantalizing glimpses into the minds of a manipulative sociopath and his targets. Picasso knows more than she admits and tries to make sense of events and her emotions while worrying about the future. During the course of the investigation, she evolves from a socially ostracized wallflower into a pretty and popular schemer. Kyle falls in love with one of the wives, and though he suspects she’s involved in the murder, 22
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he feels compelled to seek the truth. The women recognize that their survival depends on maintaining their secrets and protecting each other, at least for a time. Although the author’s decision to insert an additional perspective into the narrative toward the end results in a slightly awkward disruption, her fluent style and descriptive language produce a very readable story with well-articulated characters. A thoughtfully written, original and entertaining exploration of events ignited by love and lies.
THE QUICK
Owen, Lauren Random House (544 pp.) $27.00 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-8129-9327-1 An elegantly written gothic epic that begins with children isolated in a lonely manor house; takes a spin through the velvet-draped salons of late-Victorian literary London; then settles in to the bloody business of an outbreak of evil magic. The novel draws from several genres and benefits from innumerable literary influences. Indeed, its many elements are so familiar that one feels—not unpleasantly—as if one has read and loved it already, years ago, but can’t remember exactly how it ends. The year is 1892, and James Norbury, a poet fresh from Oxford, has taken rooms with an intriguing young nobleman. Alas, the joys of youthful gay abandon don’t last long. James disappears, and his sister Charlotte takes it upon herself to come to London to find him. The ominous city that awaits her will please readers who love magical creatures of the elegant, bloodthirsty variety, and the vast cast of more or less creepy characters that populates the cobblestoned streets will satisfy admirers of ensemble novels. As in Dracula, an obvious influence, the supernatural mystery must be solved by a motley crew of avengers. And although the book is not as lushly described as The Night Circus, Owen’s soaring imagination and her light-handed take on magic save this story from being either obvious or boring. Eventually, Charlotte discovers that her brother’s disappearance can be traced to a secret organization of gentlemen—and no sparkling Beau Brummell or amiable Bertie Wooster is to be found among the terrifying and powerful inner circle of The Aegolius Club. A book that seems to begin as a children’s story ends in blood-soaked mayhem; the journey from one genre to another is satisfying and surprisingly fresh considering that it’s set in a familiar version of gothic London among equally familiar monsters.
THE GIRL WHO WAS SATURDAY NIGHT
O’Neill, Heather Farrar, Straus and Giroux (416 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-374-16266-5 A young Montreal woman tries to escape her minor fame to have a normal life but can’t see past her bizarre family. Nouschka Tremblay’s family ties are stronger than most; when she was young, her father, Étienne, a folk singer, catapulted her and her twin brother, Nicolas, into the small but intense spotlight of Montreal media by using them as props on late-night TV shows to help promote his music and the cause of French-Canadian separatism. At the start of the book, though she is now 19, she and Nicolas still sleep in the same bed and are still embedded in Montreal’s consciousness. When Nicolas dropped out of high school, she followed—no matter how many bad choices she
makes about men, no one else is worthy of her devotion—but now she is starting to regret it. When a documentarian starts filming her family to see what has come of the famous Tremblays, Nouschka starts to imagine a life beyond her family, first going back to school for her diploma and then getting married to a man her brother loathes. The story is delightfully bizarre, flush with the free-form vacuity of early adulthood, but what really shines here is O’Neill’s writing. The author (Lullabies for Little Criminals, 2006) stuns with the vivid descriptions and metaphors that are studded throughout the book, such as “[h]e looked at me some days like I was a hostage that no one was paying the ransom for” and “[The swan] held its wings in front of it, like a naked girl with only her socks on, holding her hands over her privates.” As Nouschka begins to see herself as a separate person, O’Neill’s writing grows ever more distinct and direct. This vigorous writing makes the book; the story is surprising and satisfying, but the real star is Nouschka and how she tells it. A coming-of-age story with a working-class, reality TV twist.
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Joshua Ferris
In his new book, the novelist returns to the sweet-sad-funny tone that made him a best-seller By Jaime Netzer
Photo courtesy Beowulf Sheehan
Joshua Ferris’ latest novel, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, is about baseball and religion and dentistry. And if those sound like disparate elements, rest assured: They combine in a complex but cohesive whole of a novel, which started, Ferris says, back in his dorm-room days in college. Ferris had a Jewish suitemate who became a best friend—the person to whom the novel is in fact dedicated. “He takes me to my first seder and introduces me to his family,” Ferris says, “and at the same time, he’s the first Jew I’ve ever met, and I’m learning all of these things about Judaism and also contrasting his family life with my family life and his religious rituals with the paucity of my religious rituals.” The 24
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family bonds and traditions of his friend, Ferris says, were a “contrast to the great legacy of divorce that mars my family upbringing. “So I’m really attracted to that, and I fall in love with that, and I want it for myself but can’t have it for myself, because I wasn’t born into that tradition,” he says. “And it does seem from my perspective, as a very young person, something that is not acquired, it’s nurtured. And that’s the germ of the novel—the outsider looking into a great tradition.” But Ferris’ protagonist in To Rise Again at a Decent Hour is not a college student, nor a model of himself, but instead a true outsider: a dentist. “I wanted to write about an outsider and somebody who feels alienated from the world, and who better than a dentist?” Ferris says. “You don’t want to spend any time with your dentist. I saw this guy, this figure, the iconic outsider, and there’s nobody better to look into the possibility of this little-known ancient religion that might connect him to something larger than himself.” Ferris’ fictional dentist, Paul O’Rourke, loves Red Sox baseball, hates technology and calls himself an atheist. But as the novel progresses, many things Paul always assumed were true about himself are called into question. Through Paul’s voice, Ferris skillfully toes the sweet-sad-funny line here much as he did in And Then We Came to the End. Since the story feels so intrinsically like Paul’s, it’s hard to believe that the novel didn’t originate with it. At first, Ferris explains, the voice was an entirely different first-person point of view. “I was juggling religious fact as well as religious fiction, and it wasn’t clear what the vessel should be for that,” he says. “Every first-person perspective is limited and marred by its own blindings, so the
question was, to what person would it be best to give these mysteries in order to try to solve them?” He played around with more objective points of view, including that of a detective on the trail of the religious mystery. “None of those were satisfying, in part because it was a colder approach,” Ferris explains. “So the voice was my attempt to put a lot of heat on the question not only of the validity of the religion, but why that religion might be necessary.” To nail the details of the novel, his research stretched from the religious in nature to the practical nitty-gritty of dentistry. “It’s pretty amazing what you can watch on YouTube—there are a lot of really great dentistry videos,” Ferris laughs. “I’m not really sure who they’re for; you don’t want your dentist to be instructed solely by YouTube, but they’re there, presumably for existing professionals.” He also read books about dentistry, though he explains some specifics were easier to find than others: Cosmetic dentistry offered up numerous resources, but if he was curious about what candidiasis or periodontal disease look or feel like, he had to look a little harder. “That was a little tougher to sort of make real in the book,” Ferris says. “I had to imagine how some of those diseases would operate in a patient.” But he didn’t worry about cleaving to facts too much: After all, he was writing a novel. He does admit, though, that “the only people that are truly interested in reading the book”—dentists—“are all going to throw it across the room because it’ll get so many things wrong.” He did take care with the religious facts he chose to include in the book, and with good reason. “I wanted to write a book about a religion and not a cult,” Ferris says. “The only real way you can write about a religion is by making it a part of the tradition. In fiction, I can create any number of cults sort of out of thin air, but if I want it to be taken seriously as a real religion, you have to root it in a preexisting religion. This is what the Christians learned very early on, what the Muslims learned later. If you don’t have your foundational text, you’re going to be a laughingstock for many centuries.” So Ferris went back to the Hebrew Bible. “I found what I thought was a good entry point for laying the foundation of this religion, which would then allow me to show how it evolved over time and came down through the centuries to my dentist.”
After making certain he had rooted his religion in something that already existed, he was then free to do what he does so evocatively: make up the details. “I had the foundation, and then I had the same fictional freedom that I imagine made Joseph Smith exhilarated when he was transcribing the plates.” Jaime Netzer is a fiction writer living in Austin. Her stories have been published in Parcel, Human Parts and Twelve Stories and are forthcoming in Black Warrior Review. Find her on Twitter @jaimenetzer. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour received a starred review in the Mar. 15, 2014, issue of Kirkus Reviews.
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour Ferris, Joshua Little, Brown (336 pp.) $26.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-316-03397-8
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THE BEES
Paull, Laline Ecco/HarperCollins (320 pp.) $25.99 | $14.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-0-06-233115-1 978-0-06-23116-8 e-book An imaginative—though not wholly successful—debut in which a beehive is a dystopian society where obedience is essential. Flora 717 is a sanitation worker, the lowest order of bee, mute and hulking and ugly. When she cracks out of her gestation cell, she’s destined to perform only one role in the hive. But high priestess Sister Sage senses something different about Flora: She can speak and reason, and Sister Sage sees a use for her mutation, reminding others that “Variation is not the same as Deformity.” Flora is brought to the nursery to tend the larvae; in another variation from the norm, royal jelly pours from her mouth to feed the babies. Soon she’s promoted to Category Two, a nursery for the older grubs, where she again displays a facility beyond her lowly rank. Paull uses Flora’s unique abilities to give the reader a working knowledge of the life of a beehive, often to the detriment of character development and drama. Because she has access to the Hive Mind, she’s granted access to the Queen and then serves her and reads the hive’s history in the sacred chamber. Drones pop up now and then, lazy dandies that the hive sisters service. And spiders make an ominous appearance, trading prophesies of the weather for the sacrifice of aging bees. All would be well with Flora’s progression through the ranks except that she has a dangerous secret: She has produced a baby. Though against all the rules—only the Queen can reproduce—her offspring has radical implications for the future of the hive. It’s clear that Paull is using the hive as an analogy for a class-bound society, where variation is punished, but this kind of dystopian vision can only thrive when the associations to contemporary circumstances are unambiguous. Much is muddled here, primarily the reader’s connection to the heroine, who rarely transcends being a bee. Paull deserves kudos for a daring idea, but the resulting work is burdened by a heavy dose of explication.
CATCHING AIR
Pekkanen, Sarah Washington Square/Pocket (352 pp.) $15.00 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-4516-7353-1 Pekkanen, having written a number of popular, character-driven novels, returns to comfortable terrain by focusing on two couples running a Vermont bed-and-breakfast. When Rand and Alyssa offer to share their new B&B business with Peter and Kira, it seems an unlikely venture. Brothers Rand and Peter have an icy relationship, and Kira wants to make partner at her Miami law firm, not 26
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eggs Benedict for skiers. Rand and Alyssa, spontaneous, worldtraveling bohemians, are just as improbable candidates for running an inn, but soon, the four find themselves together, fixing the old place up. Their first guests give them more than they bargained for—newly engaged Scott and Jessica decide to have their large winter wedding at the B&B. Though a boon for business, the timing couldn’t be worse: Rand and Alyssa are going to China to adopt a baby. Though Alyssa is thrilled, Rand isn’t sure about parenthood, and Peter starts pressuring skittish Kira to start their own family. Alyssa then discovers she’s pregnant and needs complete bed rest. Thankfully, Dawn arrives on the scene; she reveals little about herself, but the reader has been privy to her sad tale since the novel’s opening. An unassuming assistant at a New York investment firm, Dawn is thrilled (and surprised) when dashing Tucker falls for her. He says he’s the CEO’s son but changed his name and is starting in the mail room to prove himself; now if only Dawn could help him cook the books so he can make an “investment.” Before she knows it, Dawn is on the run with $100,000 in her handbag, Tucker and the police chasing her. Although this novel shares some of the same qualities as Pekkanen’s other successes, Dawn’s subplot feels like a strained jolt of danger into an otherwise cohesive, if thinly plotted, family drama. A likable, if lesser, effort from Pekkanen. (Author appearances in Baltimore, Memphis, Washington, D.C., Mobile, Ala., and Lexington, Ky.)
THE RISE & FALL OF GREAT POWERS
Rachman, Tom Dial Press (400 pp.) $27.00 | $13.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-0-679-64365-4 978-0-812-99572-5 e-book Rachman follows his best-selling debut (The Imperfectionists, 2010) with the haunting tale of a young woman reassessing her turbulent past. In 2011, Tooly has washed up after a lifetime of wandering in a small Welsh village, where she uses the last of her money to buy a used bookstore. Twelve years earlier, in 1999, she’s a vagabond 20-year-old on the streets of New York City who talks her way into law student Duncan’s apartment by pretending it was her childhood home. Actually, her childhood was spent traveling around Asia with her father, Paul, until, in 1988, she’s scooped up in Bangkok by her feckless mother, Sarah, and falls in with a band of peripatetic misfits led by Venn, a coolly manipulative con man. The three storylines proceed along their separate time tracks to collectively explore how Tooly came to be the remote, hard-drinking young woman who seems to be marking time in Wales. We see that she’s been indelibly scarred by Venn: He imprinted her with his philosophy of relating to people only on the basis of how useful they can be to you; let her believe they had a special friendship as she followed him from country to country and scam to scam; then vanished just after she turned
21 in New York. The revelation of why he let her hang around for a decade forms the novel’s brutal climax, articulated by Venn with matter-of-fact cruelty after Tooly tracks him down. She does have gentler, more nurturing father figures: not just Paul, with whom she reconnects in a tender scene, but Humphrey, the elderly Russian émigré who tried to shelter her from Venn’s influence and softened her fall after he left—though she doesn’t realize this until years later. Still, the overwhelming emotions here are loss and regret, as Tooly realizes how she was alienated from her own best instincts by a charismatic sociopath. Brilliantly structured, beautifully written and profoundly sad.
HOME LEAVE
Sonnenberg, Brittani Grand Central Publishing (272 pp.) $25.00 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4555-4834-7 978-1-4555-4835-4 e-book A tapestry of settings and voices speaks of dislocation and grief in Sonnenberg’s ambitious debut. Multiple narrators—both human and inanimate—relate the story of the Kriegstein family: father Chris, who escaped Midwestern dreariness for corporate stardom; mother Elise, whose genteel Southern childhood ended abruptly with her grandfather’s abuse; and their daughters, Leah and Sophie. Elise’s childhood home bemoans the desolation of losing its last resident, Elise’s elderly mother, Ada, to a nursing home—and the rift that arose when Ada accused Elise of “telling tales” about her grandfather. Chris’ parents, reluctant assisted living residents, comment on their son’s distance—emotional and geographical. From there, the narrators and points of view proliferate, ranging from deeply interior to collective and omniscient. During the first of Chris’ many international postings, to Hamburg, Germany, Elise, pregnant with Leah, blunders into a bizarre winter picnic with strangers, perhaps intended to symbolize her own frozen family life, past and future. Back in the States, left alone as Chris travels, Elise is unable to muster motherly feelings for baby Leah. As teens, negotiating a difficult adjustment to life in Shanghai, Leah and Sophie are most comfortable when they can escape the expat country club and American School for summer “home leaves” with their grandparents. Early on, visits to a family therapist, presented as scenes from a play, reveal that Sophie has died suddenly—though she is still very much present, especially to Leah. Sonnenberg is particularly adept at portraying the conflicting and ambivalent feelings associated with grief: anguish, guilt, even relief (on Leah’s part) that she no longer has to compete with her blonde, athletic younger sibling for her parents’ or boys’ attention. Since the nuclear Kriegstein family is the main focus, chapters featuring peripheral characters, though intriguing in themselves, serve only to distract. The experimental form cannot, however, distract from the lucidity of Sonnenberg’s prose, which is notable for its stark honesty and sharply observed details.
SCARED SCRIPTLESS
Sweeney, Alison Hyperion (320 pp.) $14.99 paper | $9.99 e-book Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4013-1105-6 978-4013-3091-0 e-book A unique take on workplace romance from the actress-turned-author (The Star Attraction, 2013) whose TV credits include The Biggest Loser and Days of Our Lives. Maddy Carson’s success as a script supervisor for a popular television series is getting in the way of her personal life. It’s easy to see why as Sweeney digs into the minutiae of Maddy’s job: “I have a visual record of every prop and how the actor is holding it and every movement they made in the scene,” Maddy says, explaining how she keeps the action consistent between takes, but that’s only one reason her motto is “Never trust the actors.” Maddy is nothing like the stiletto-wearing models who fawn over the show’s handsome stars, and it’s been hard for her to find a good match when the actors on set seem to be the only men available—although the hot new cast member, Adam Devin, is surprisingly down-to-earth. Maddy thinks she’s found the perfect compromise in her buttoned-up boss, Craig, but when her typecasting fails to match reality, she’ll have to decide whether to stick to the script or follow her heart. Their relationship is put to the test when they decide to pitch a reality TV series based on the ski-resort town where Maddy grew up. It takes a long time to build up to the main conflict—the show could either save the flailing town or exploit its residents, depending on how it’s handled—but the second half delivers a big emotional payoff. Whether she’s shaking in her high heels as she pitches the show to a room full of bored executives, cringing at a heavily edited “sizzle reel” that shows her neighbors in a bad light, or agonizing over how invisible she would feel standing next to a star on the red carpet when she pictures a new relationship with Adam, Maddy’s fight for a non-Hollywood ending is about as Hollywood as it gets. With a lovable heroine and industry gossip, Sweeney’s latest goes behind the scenes and straight to the heart.
EYES ON YOU
White, Kate Harper/HarperCollins (320 pp.) $25.99 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-06-157663-8 When a book-launch party turns ugly, B-list celebrity Robin Trainer has to find out who’s targeting her in this latest from former Cosmopolitan editorin-chief White. Robin is all aglow: A friend has thrown a fabulous launch party for her new book, and she’s the center of attention. Along with a sure-fire best-seller, Robin |
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“A deftly plotted homage to the mavens of Cold War spy thrillers.” from the whitehall mandarin
can lay claim to a reinvigorated career as host of a tabloid-TV show and a fresh start after the dissolution of her marriage. Only thing is, someone keeps spoiling her day by putting nasty notes in her handbag, tearing the covers of her books, leaving battered Barbie dolls on her desk, putting annoying chemicals in her foundation and leaving a drugged brownie for her to ingest. Robin is just annoyed at first, but as the assailant’s moves escalate, she finds herself weeding through her friends, suitors and work associates to try to figure out who’s doing this to her before something worse—even deadly—happens. White tries hard to make readers care about the gorgeous, alluring and brilliantly successful Robin, but it’s rough going. The cast is full of stock characters: publicists; an agent; a careless intern; a drop-dead handsome co-star who wants to be more than that to Robin; and an evil stepmother who made Robin’s childhood miserable. None of them ever develops into more than a cardboard cutout; and White—who seems obsessed with clichés— peppers her prose with insider talk that, rather than providing atmosphere and a touch of reality, only serves to make the story less relatable and a little too glib. Readers who like their reading “lite” may enjoy this glimpse into the world of cable TV, but thriller fans won’t find anything compelling in these cookie-cutter characters and dull, by-the-numbers plot.
THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT
Williams, Beatriz Putnam (448 pp.) $26.95 | May 27, 2014 978-0-399-16217-6
The niece of a scientist missing for 50 years receives a valise that could unlock the mystery of her aunt’s 1914 disappearance in Williams’ newest romance. It’s 1964, and Bryn Mawr graduate Vivian Schuyler is working her way up from fact checker to writer at Metropolitan, the New York City magazine owned by her college friend Gogo’s father. When her great-aunt Violet’s suitcase mysteriously arrives at the post office, addressed to her, she decides to investigate her trailblazing ancestor’s life; it doesn’t hurt that she begins a romantic relationship with the handsome doctor who lugs the bag up to her fifth-floor apartment. But her family proves closemouthed about Aunt Violet, a progressive thinker who married her much-older Oxford professor and moved with him to Berlin. Even worse, Vivian finds out that the doctor has also been dating Gogo, and that relationship stalls. While Vivian sorts through her love-hate relationship with Dr. Paul, she explores the suitcase and finds troves of information: proof of a love affair between Violet and an Englishman; documents belonging to an American woman and her son; and a journal penned by Violet’s husband detailing his sexual exploits. Convinced that the trail in the U.S. has run its course, Vivian continues her quest in London. As her search winds down and Vivian puts together the final pieces of 28
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information, she finally resolves the long-standing mystery and sets a course for her future. Williams competently advances the narratives of both women by alternating between Vivian’s and Violet’s stories. But although both are interesting protagonists, readers will find Vivian’s wisecracking subterfuge annoying and question Violet’s naïve, subservient approach to her marriage, especially since she’s previously been presented as a strong, intelligent woman. Even readers interested in pure escapism will want to know why Vivian’s family wasn’t interested in discovering the complete truth about Violet’s fate prior to Vivian’s investigation.
THE WHITEHALL MANDARIN
Wilson, Edward Arcadia Books (372 pp.) $29.95 | May 27, 2014 978-1-909807-53-2
Another Cold War adventure for British MI6 agent Catesby, working at a time when a triple-agent double cross was de rigueur. Wilson’s complicated narrative opens in England, where Catesby is pursuing an American diplomat spying for the Soviet Union. Cauldwell, the double agent, is getting his information from the titled and moneyed British sort who aren’t averse to a weekend country-house orgy and who therefore become perfect extortion targets when they return to Whitehall to tend the Empire’s remnants. It’s all very le Carré until the captured Cauldwell is transferred to U.S. custody and then escapes. At that point, Wilson’s tale goes James Bond: a hijacked DC-7 chased by Super Sabres; a parachute drop into Cuba’s Sierra Madre just in time for Castro to proclaim victory. Central to the tale is Lady Somers, Britain’s first female minister of defense; she has a serious problem with her drug-taking Maoist daughter, Miranda, who’s fled England to serve the Revolution. Catesby is sent to Vietnam to find her, and the tale goes all Graham Greene. Thematically, Wilson cares little for the machinations of the old-boy aristocracy who find themselves at the helms of superpowers. He takes shots at Hiroshima’s psycho-sexual implications, the Bay of Pigs bumbling, Mao’s bad dental habits and the realpolitik of Red China’s quest for the hydrogen bomb. This cynically complex plot is laid over perfectly described settings, from London to Moscow to Vietnam. Wilson’s characters and their consciences come alive to lend the book its power. “The wonderful thing about espionage wasn’t what enemies did to each other, but the way allies stabbed each other in the back,” he writes. A deftly plotted homage to the mavens of Cold War spy thrillers.
m ys t e r y
MRS. HEMINGWAY
Wood, Naomi Penguin (336 pp.) $16.00 paper | May 27, 2014 978-0-14-312461-0 The four wives of Ernest Hemingway—each loved, each abandoned—are given understated yet telling voices as they recount their relationships with a mercurial giant of literature. “He is so good at being in love that Ernest Hemingway makes a rotten husband,” reckons Martha Gellhorn, the third and most rebellious of the writer’s four spouses. Hemingway’s life is familiar territory, and Wood (The Godless Boys, 2011) treads close on the heels of The Paris Wife, Paula McLain’s recent novel about Hadley, the first Mrs. Hemingway, but still brings freshness and grace to her matrimonial survey. Thrifty Hadley, from the Midwest, is the most conventional of the women, Hemingway’s companion during his poorest years. Her mistake is to try to stifle her husband’s affair with wealthy Fife (Pauline Pfeiffer) by embracing it; the trio’s tense 1926 holiday in the south of France ends with Hemingway selecting his mistress over his wife. Twelve years later, in Key West, it’s Fife’s turn to be displaced, this time by young Gellhorn, the future war correspondent. After his second divorce, Hemingway and Gellhorn live together idyllically in Cuba, but as he slows down and suggests children (despite already having three), she refuses to stop working. Tired of his selfishness, Gellhorn eventually asks for a divorce in Paris during its liberation in 1944; although Hemingway resists, he’s already writing love poems to Mary Welsh, to whom he will be married when he commits suicide in 1961. Evocative of place, neat in structure, Wood’s novel occasionally tries to understand Hemingway’s promiscuity but in essence leaves his perspective out of the picture, instead presenting his charisma, grandstanding, prodigious boozing and dark complexity from the individual points of view of the women: “such unlikely sisters.” With its delicate phrasing, softly voiced but insightful portraits, and unsensational handling of the love triangles, Woods’ novel revisits literary myth with restrained empathy.
DEAD HEADING
Aird, Catherine Minotaur (288 pp.) $25.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-250-04113-5 978-1-4668-3728-7 e-book The Calleshire constabulary investigates a number of puzzling crimes that simply must be connected. DI Sloan and his intellectually challenged helper, DC Crosby, are called to a plant nursery owned by Jack Haines. Someone has broken through a fence and left two greenhouse doors open, killing a number of valuable plants, many of them orchids. Oddly, another small nursery’s orchids have been ruined in the same way, and an expert on orchids has been reported missing. Miss Enid Osgathorp, for years the local physician’s receptionist, has failed to return from the most recent of her many trips. A landscape architect who gave Osgathorp a ride to catch her train is also suffering from the plant murders, since many of the victims were special orders for several projects he was working on. Sloan and Crosby find that two different people have broken into the Osgathorp cottage. Despite an all-out hunt, the lady in question remains stubbornly missing. But Sloan does discover that Osgathorp was a blackmailer who used the information she had garnered from her former job to supplement her income nicely. In addition, he finds a link between the greenhouse owners—a man who is stepson to one of them and exhusband to the other—but he soon turns up dead. Someone is desperate to conceal something, but what? That’s the question Sloan must answer to please his irascible superintendent before his annual assessment. All the dry wit of Aird’s very British police procedurals (Past Tense, 2011, etc.) is joined this time by an especially tricky mystery.
STRANGE GODS
Alfieri, Annamaria Minotaur (288 pp.) $26.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-250-03971-2 978-1-250-03972-9 e-book British East Africa in the early 20th century is a place of extraordinary beauty, massive inequality and murder most foul. Justin Tolliver is the second son of an earl who’s fallen in love with Africa. Lacking the money to buy a farm, he’s taken a job as a police officer. His background and skill at sports give him a certain status, but his job makes it difficult for the European ruling |
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“Thorne’s 12th is a tour de force of suspense.” from the bones beneath
class to treat him as one of them. Over at the Scottish Mission, Vera McIntosh also feels the clash between her identities as the dutiful daughter of Scottish tradition and a child of Africa, where she was born and raised. Tolliver and Vera are attracted to each other even before they’re thrown together by her uncle’s murder. Dr. Josiah Pennyman, the brother of Vera’s mother, was forced to leave a fine medical practice in Scotland when his sexual exploitation of young women became too widespread a scandal to cover up. When he’s found with a native spear in his back, the most likely suspect is the Kikuyu medicine man, who makes no secret of his hatred. Although the idealistic Tolliver, assigned to head the investigation, feels that British law should apply equally to all, his superior just wants a quick resolution of the case. But Tolliver continues to examine other possibilities, from the husband of one of the doctor’s lovers to Vera’s younger brother, who left on safari the morning of the murder. Vera and Tolliver explore both Africa and their love for each other as their search for the truth leads to some unpalatable conclusions. Alfieri (Invisible Country, 2012, etc.) aims for the audience who loved Out of Africa, with heartbreaking romance married to a complex mystery.
THE BONES BENEATH
Billingham, Mark Atlantic Monthly (400 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-8021-2248-3
DI Tom Thorne escorts a convicted serial killer to a remote Welsh island with predictably eventful results. Twenty-five years after teenage car thief Simon Milner disappeared from Tides House, a facility for young offenders on Bardsey Island, his mother still doesn’t know what happened to him. Now she has a chance at the closure she craves. Stuart Nicklin, a notorious murderer who put in his time at Tides House along with Simon, says he killed the boy he befriended and that he knows where he buried him. Since the topography of Bardsey—a real-life island reputedly home to the graves of countless saints—is tricky, Nicklin can’t just tell the coppers the location of Simon’s last resting place; he has to lead them to it, and he insists on taking along both Thorne, who put him away, and a more recent friend, history teacher Jeffrey Batchelor, who’s been imprisoned along with Nicklin for killing the young man who jilted Batchelor’s teenage daughter, which led to her suicide. The staff of Long Lartin prison takes all possible precautions in transporting the two prisoners to Bardsey, but Thorne knows that something will go terribly wrong, and of course, he’s right. Like the manipulative Nicklin, Billingham (The Dying Hours, 2013, etc.) delights in toying with his audience, and most readers’ nerves will be shredded long before the sadistic import of Nicklin’s deep-laid plot finally becomes clear. Thorne’s 12th is a tour de force of suspense that dares you to guess the secrets of a magician who’s made his intentions perfectly clear from the very beginning. (Agent: Sarah Lutyens)
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A DARK AND TWISTED TIDE
Bolton, Sharon Minotaur (400 pp.) $25.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-250-02858-7 978-1-250-02857-0 e-book
A cop recovering from a near drowning discovers the first of several bodies in a mystery set near, along and in the Thames. Constable Lacey Flint of the Metropolitan Police’s Marine Unit, who lives in a houseboat, knows the river well enough to negotiate its tides and currents as a wild-swimmer. When she finds a shrouded, skeletal body tied to the landing stage by the old Kings Wharf, she has to report it even though the report puts her on the spot for questionable swimming practices. DI Dana Tulloch, who supervises the case, was Lacey’s boss when Lacey was still a detective herself, before a string of three bad cases changed her life and made her return to uniform. When the evidence suggests the drowning victim was a young woman, possibly of Middle Eastern extraction, Lacey goes undercover to try to flush out the sex traffickers she suspects are responsible. Lacey is used to a false identity; for reasons that aren’t made entirely clear, she’s had one for years, and she’s willing to take chances to save lives. She has the example, too, of her quasi-boyfriend, Mark Joesbury, a full-time undercover cop who makes a couple of secret visits to Lacey’s houseboat. But she’s increasingly suspicious that someone besides Joe is visiting her boat and leaving threatening messages. Lacey’s attempt to rescue one of the victims, her friendship with a set of elderly twins, infestations of Chinese crabs and the knowledge of obstetrics Dana gleaned from her attempts to get pregnant all come together in the tense, horror-filled, over-thetop sequence that ends Lacey’s fourth case. The aquatic maverick heroine is pulled from water so many times that Bolton (Like This, For Ever, 2013, etc.) has to keep upping the ante. Nevertheless, Lacey’s a brave and resourceful protagonist who earns her boss’s and readers’ respect.
COLDSLEEP LULLABY
Brown, Andrew Minotaur (272 pp.) $24.99 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-250-03599-8
A tale of past and present South Africa that exposes the dark underbelly of the country’s history. Now that his downward spiral into drink and drugs has ruined his marriage, veteran mixed-race police detective Eberard Februarie, deeply depressed, has transferred to the little city of Stellenbosch, hoping at least to salvage his career. Eberard must visit a counselor regularly in order to keep his position. When Melanie Du Preez, a young white woman, is found floating
in the river, he gets the case. A massive blow to the head would have killed her had she not drowned. She may have been raped as well. Melanie’s father is a respected law lecturer at the university whose arrogant, outspoken support for protecting Afrikaans culture has ruffled some feathers. Apartheid may be over, but racism still runs rampant. Eberard’s partner, bright young Constable Xoliswa Nduku, wants to make a career for herself in the police force. Their search discloses a scrapbook of nursery rhymes Melanie kept, with some of the later items torn out. As they look into her background, they find that she’s visited a club featuring alcohol, drugs and loud music with sexual undertones. Eberard arrests the bouncer, a Burundian in the country illegally, who’s been seen with Melanie. But before he can be questioned, the professor comes to the jail pretending to be his lawyer and shoots him. Although the Burundian’s semen has been found in Melanie, the club owner pushes a reluctant Eberard, who is sinking back into his old ways, to continue his investigation. With Nduku’s encouragement, he turns up some deeply disturbing possibilities. Brown (Solace, 2012, etc.) has cleverly and ironically woven a second narrative of the cruel past into the present. The mystery takes a back seat in this beautifully crafted scenario of hatred, intolerance and courage.
HELL WITH THE LID BLOWN OFF
Casey, Donis Poisoned Pen (250 pp.) $24.95 | $14.95 paper | $6.99 e-book $22.95 Lg. Prt. | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4642-0298-8 978-1-4642-0300-8 paper 978-1-4642-0301-5 e-book 978-1-4642-0299-5 Lg. Prt. Bullying, blackmail and natural disaster: just another 1916 summer day in Boynton, Okla. Boynton and the surrounding areas are typical rural communities with many hardworking people and a small group of troublemakers. The hard workers include the family members of ever curious Alafair Tucker (Crying Blood, 2011, etc.). Alafair and her husband, Shaw, have 10 children, a farm and little time for much but work. But when their pretty 17-year-old daughter, Ruth, runs afoul of Jubal Beldon, the oldest of six lazy, crude local bullies, Alafair sets aside her chores and turns sleuth. The musically talented Ruth has been spending time at the home of wealthy, widowed piano teacher Beckie MacKenzie, who’s extremely proud of her Scottish heritage and her grandson, Wallace MacKenzie III, who’s just come for a visit with his college friend Randal Wakefield. When Ruth is harassed by Jubal and his brothers, she doesn’t mention it to her admirer, deputy sheriff Trenton Calder, who’s furious when he hears about it. Meanwhile, Jubal, who loves to collect dirty secrets, spices up a church picnic by quietly accusing Wallace and Randal of being lovers. After Wallace gives Jubal some cash and a new moneymaking idea, he and Randal high-tail it out of town. Then it’s time for a twister to blow through the area, causing
indescribable destruction and killing Jubal and a number of others. Nobody, even his mother, is sorry Jubal’s dead—but when the undertaker says he was probably murdered, Sheriff Calder and Alafair must hunt for his killer anyway. A good mystery with an odd final twist is eclipsed by frighteningly detailed descriptions of the terrors of tornadoes.
THE DETECTIVE & THE PIPE GIRL
Craven, Michael Bourbon Street/HarperCollins (336 pp.) $14.99 paper | May 27, 2014 978-0-06-230559-6 A detective with a philosophical bent won’t give up on a murder case. Famous filmmaker Arthur Vonz wants John Darvelle to find his former girlfriend. Vonz has a beautiful wife and a legendary career making everything from blockbusters to quirky money losers, but Suzanne Neal, a stunningly beautiful part-time actress, is no longer taking his calls. It doesn’t take Darvelle long to find Suzanne. He sees her in the company of a famous movie star and then on the balcony of her expensive condo with an unidentified man. But finding her does her no good, for that very night she’s shot in the head and thrown from that same balcony. Even after Darvelle calls the police anonymously to tell them as much as he knows, the murder continues to haunt him, and he keeps investigating on his own. His area connections help him identify Suzanne as a “Pipe Girl,” one of a group of very special women who provide every conceivable service to the rich and famous and are guaranteed never to tell. That guarantee is apparently kept by killing anyone with loose lips as a warning to others. Darvelle visits Hollywood studios, Beverly Hills mansions and low-end bars looking for answers. He knows he’s getting close when he’s attacked and left for dead. The answers he finds are shocking even to a tough PI who thinks he’s seen it all. Darvelle (Body Copy, 2009) has echoes of notably introspective California sleuths from Phillip Marlowe to Harry Bosch. Extensive descriptions of greater LA provide a suitable backdrop for a complex mystery.
VERTIGO 42
Grimes, Martha Scribner (336 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4767-2402-7 Richard Jury returns to investigate four deaths separated by time and geography. When Scotland Yard Superintendant Richard Jury meets Tom Williamson at Vertigo 42, a bar atop one of London’s financial towers, Williamson asks him to reopen a couple of long-ago deaths. Williamson lost his wife, Tess, 17 years ago, when she apparently suffered |
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an attack of vertigo and fell down the stairs of their Devonshire country house. Five years earlier, she’d given a party there for six children, one of whom died in a draining pool. Tess was acquitted of any wrongdoing, but she never got over the incident. After Jury starts looking into the case, he’s inclined to agree with Williamson that someone with vertigo probably wouldn’t have fallen all the way to the bottom of the stairs, and there were easier, more foolproof means of suicide. Jury’s also invited to investigate the case of a red-gowned woman found dead at the foot of a tower in Northamptonshire, near the home of Melrose Plant. Plant, the former Lord Ardry and Jury’s unofficial sidekick, applies his own investigative style whenever he can be torn away from Soufflé Day and other aspects of the perfect life at his estate. Even with Plant’s help, Jury is hard-pressed to make sense of a lost dog, mysterious changes of outfit, a fourth body, and the prevailing questions of whether and how the four deaths are related. The unseen but deeply felt presence of the generous, warmhearted Tess inspires Jury and his team to persevere in seeking justice for her and peace for her husband in a deftly plotted tale balancing wry humor and poignancy without sentimentality. Though newcomers may find Jury enigmatic without a complete back story (The Black Cat, 2010, etc.), the character sketches Grimes (The Way of All Fish, 2014, etc.) provides are more satisfying than other authors’ full portraits. Longtime fans will find this tale fully worthy of Jury and his regulars.
THE BUDDY SYSTEM
Hebert, Brandon Five Star (304 pp.) $25.95 | May 21, 2014 978-1-4328-2817-2
A pair of New Orleans cops gets the bright idea to lean on some of the bad guys they keep busting for drugs to help them out of a jam. Then the bad guys get the same idea. Three years after Katrina left the Big Easy a basket case, the city is still hurting. Detective Jack Hardy, who once left his bride at the altar, and his African-American partner, Early Moore, are under serious pressure to provide names for the wiretapping unit they’ve been assigned to. It seems only natural for Jack to ask Lamont Brown to help him out. Since he’s already agreed to help Lamont dispose of the proceeds of his latest home invasion, why shouldn’t Lamont return the favor by dropping a few names over the airwaves to make Jack and Early look good? Things go fine for about five minutes. Then rival drug dealer Jamario Neal starts to make noises about moving in on Lamont’s territory; one of Lamont’s foot soldiers who talks to Jamario gets himself ventilated seconds later; and the hapless cops find that they’re among the suspicious parties Lamont has identified on the wire. Meanwhile, Lamont decides that his cousin Jello, an unsuccessful contractor, needs to get a piece of the city’s reconstruction business and demands that 32
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Jack hook him up with the right contact. Deciding optimistically that the right contact is Gayle White, one of the city’s liaisons to the federal agencies funding the work, Jack approaches her, then realizes he has quite another interest in her, one that will put her in serious danger. From that point on, cast members fall like dominoes. Hebert (Odd Man Out, 2013, etc.) keeps the schemes and double crosses coming so relentlessly that he gives this New Orleans take on The Wire a comic edge even though it’s never exactly funny, not even when Lamont tells Jello his steadfast rule: “[D]on’t snitch on nobody unless it pays.”
FINAL CURTAIN
Ifkovic, Ed Poisoned Pen (286 pp.) $24.95 | $14.95 paper | $6.99 e-book $22.95 Lg. Prt. | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4642-0290-2 978-1-4642-0292-6 paper 978-1-4642-0293-3 e-book 978-1-4642-0291-9 Lg. Prt. A fictional episode in the life of novelist/playwright Edna Ferber brings the writer, now a middle-aged spinster, to New Jersey to champion justice and young love. Although Edna enjoyed acclaim as the co-author of The Royal Family, she’s always dreamed of acting in it. Now she has a chance to play the matriarch in a one-week production her co-author, George S. Kaufmann, is directing in a theater in suburban New Jersey. It’s 1940, and the rapidly changing events in Europe seem to have left peaceful Maplewood untouched. As Edna settles in and enjoys lemon phosphate and tuna casserole at the Full Moon Cafe, she meets some of the lesser members of the cast, including Evan Street, a dazzlingly handsome young man who’s understudying one of the leads at the request of his mother, a friend of the producer’s. But as rehearsals begin, Evan makes himself more and more unpopular, especially with stage manager Dakota, whose mother, Clorinda Roberts Tyler, is a successful evangelist in Maplewood. Dak, Clorinda’s designated heir, is engaged to one of his mother’s disciples, although he seems more attached to his stage work and to Nadine Novack, a young actress who knew both him and Evan in Hollywood. The presence of a couple of Nazi sympathizers isn’t the first hint of trouble in Maplewood, but it’s certainly one of the more disturbing elements—especially when one of the cast members is found shot to death. Edna, increasingly convinced that the seeds of the murder were planted years ago in Hollywood, is determined to find the facts, whatever the risk. In Ifkovic’s latest fictionalization of the adventures of Edna Ferber (Downtown Strut, 2013, etc.), the clever plot and colorful original characters are very welcome, though the leisurely pace and the attempts to emulate Kaufmann’s and Ferber’s wit fall flat.
RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT
Ison, Graham Severn House (192 pp.) $27.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-7278-8362-9
DCI Harry Brock (Make Them Pay, 2013, etc.) investigates the murder of an accountant and the disappearance of his wife. Brock wants to make one thing clear: When the folks at Homicide and Serious Crime Command West want him, they’re more likely to find him in the bed of his shapely blonde paramour, chorus dancer Gail Sutton, than in his own. So when Gavin Creasey calls Brock from the incident room at the Met, he’s taken aback to find Harry in his own flat. Despite his unusual starting point, Brock finds his way to West Drayton, where Clifford Gregory lies in his bed with a massive head wound and Gregory’s wife, Sharon, sits shaken and bruised in the spare room. She claims she went downstairs, naked, to confront an intruder, who immediately tied her up and killed her pixilated husband. Brock and his team, DI Kate Ebdon and DS Dave Poole, are skeptical, and forensic evidence increases their doubt. None of the scotch drenching Gregory’s body is found in his stomach, and it turns out he was suffocated, not bludgeoned to death. Further probing reveals that flight attendant Sharon Gregory, bored with her husband’s absorption in reconciling people’s books and building model planes, has acquired a string of lovers stretching from Heathrow to Miami. So when Sharon goes missing, it’s a fairly straightforward matter of interviewing one of her men after another, and pretty soon, Harry’s back under the duvet snuggling with the comely Ms. Sutton. Brock’s not half as smooth as he thinks he is and not nearly witty enough to get this case airborne.
THE WATCHER
Link, Charlotte Pegasus Crime (400 pp.) $25.95 | May 15, 2014 978-1-60598-559-6 Someone is watching Gillian Ward. Actually, several someones, each with a different agenda, some of them creepy, one of them lethal. As befits the object of so much scrutiny, Gillian emerges only gradually to a leading role. She’s first glimpsed as the perfect wife and partner of London tax and business consultant Tom Ward and the mother whose 12-year-old daughter, Becky, is convinced she’s horrible. By the time Gillian surrenders to the amatory overtures of John Burton, a disgraced former Scotland Yard detective who runs a private security firm and coaches Becky’s tennis team, Hackney divorcée Carla Roberts and retired Tunbridge Wells physician Anne Westley have already been killed in strikingly similar ways, bound with duct tape and smothered with
towels shoved down their throats. As Burton’s mortal enemy, DI Peter Fielder, and Fielder’s lust object, DS Christy McMorrow of the Metropolitan Police, labor to unearth a connection between the two women, Link keeps cutting away to Samson Segal, a deliveryman forced by unemployment to share the home of his brother and sister-in-law. Samson’s never had a date, and given the way he treats women, he never will. But he can’t take his eyes off Gillian. He follows her around the neighborhood they share, dreaming of getting her to notice him. Soon after their one run-in turns out disastrously, Tom is shot dead by a gun linked to Anne Westley’s murder. What else can go wrong for Gillian? Quite a bit, it turns out. Link (The Other Child, 2013) switches so deftly among her different characters’ viewpoints that the web she weaves is tinged by an exceptionally powerful sense of miasmal paranoia. Only the hyperextended last act, plunging her damsel into a much more traditional kind of distress, is a letdown.
CIRCLES IN THE SNOW
McManus, Patrick F. Skyhorse Publishing (240 pp.) $24.95 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-62914-170-1
The sheriff of Blight County, Idaho, makes some life-changing decisions while investigating a murder. Middle-aged widower Bo Tully is the closest thing to an honest sheriff the county has ever had, and that includes his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. When local rancher Morgan Fester is found shot dead by an arrow, even Bo’s not eager to investigate the killing of the man everybody hated. It looks as if Fester was out shooting at eagles, a protected species dear to his bird-loving wife, who’s supposed to be in Mexico at their other ranch. Bo brings a decidedly offbeat background to his job. An art major in college, he’s had flings with a sexy FBI agent, the medical examiner, his secretary, Daisy, and many others. But now that he’s just sold a watercolor for $12,000, he’s seriously considering retiring to settle down and paint fulltime. Answering the call of duty instead, he gets his pop, a great tracker, and CSI Byron Proctor to check out the crime scene, which contains a mysterious circle in the snow well away from any footprints. Fester’s widow and his ranch foreman seem like the best suspects, but having such a well-hated victim encourages Bo to leave his options open. While Pop and Byron head to Mexico to talk to the widow, there are plenty of other crimes to look into. Bo handles them the Blight County way, a way that doesn’t always adhere strictly to the letter of the law. While murder and humor don’t always mix (The Tamarack Murders, 2013, etc.), Bo’s charmingly wry take on life makes up this time for whatever’s missing in the way of mystery.
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THE DARK PALACE
Morris, R.N. Creme de la Crime (256 pp.) $28.95 | May 1, 2014 978-1-78029-059-1 An unconventional British inspector tracks a brutal killer who gets his lethal inspirations from movies...or may be documenting his murders on film. A black-hooded figure seems to float unseen through the streets of London in 1914, killing with impunity. He first lands on the radar of DI Silas Quinn (The Mannequin House, 2013, etc.) when he strikes in Leicester Square outside Porrick’s Picture Palace, where the detective is attending the world premiere of the German film The Eyes of the Beholder. The event is of particular interest since local tensions with Germany are building and war is on the horizon. Indeed, the imperious Lord Dunwich, also in attendance at the premiere, is rabidly ferreting out German spies. The film is graphic and horrific, depicting a serial killer and mutilated victims, one a prostitute with her eyes removed. Not far away, the hooded figure, whose creepy chapters counterpoint the main action of Quinn’s investigation, claims a victim using the same modus operandi as the film’s killer. The city is terrorized, and in order to unravel the complex mystery, the iconoclastic Quinn teams up with the bombastic Dunwich, forming a detective duo that poses no competition to Holmes and Watson. A lively cast of supporting characters—including dapper German barber Fritz Dortmunder, crass theater owner Magnus Porrick and starchy doctor Augustus Casaubon—adds Dickensian zest. Quinn’s third case, which anticipates cinéma vérité by nearly a century, benefits greatly from Morris’ colorful period-flavor prose.
ACROSS THE CHEYENNE RIVER
Nesbitt, John D. Five Star (248 pp.) $25.95 | May 21, 2014 978-1-4328-2810-3
A ranch hand looking for work in Wyoming finds employment, true love and murder. Russell Archer and Boot Beckett both arrive at the Bar M Ranch on the same day, and they’re both decent guys, but it doesn’t take long for Archer to distinguish himself. He’s a hard worker and a quick study; apart from a dalliance with a good-time girl, he doesn’t fritter away his leisure hours; he’s a good man in a fight, as a bully who threatens the ranch finds to his sorrow; and he’s devoted to the Bar M and its owner, Lidge Mercer. Even so, Archer is surprised when he’s about to leave at the end of the season and Mercer asks him to stay over the winter and offers him a junior partnership and a 30 percent financial stake in the growing enterprise. By this time, 34
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Archer has started keeping company with Kate Blackwell, who helps out at the local store, so he has good reason to stay. But the best-laid plans go awry. Soon after Mercer tells Archer that Phillip Peavey, the ratlike fellow who’s been hanging around the place dropping hints of trouble, is actually a cousin who’s entangled them both in murder for money, Mercer himself is shot dead. Even worse, Archer learns that Mercer never signed or filed the partnership papers for the Bar M or the will that promised to make Archer his heir. With no legal stake in the ranch, he determines to stay on anyway—putting himself right in the cross hairs of whoever killed his boss. Despite the rising body count, Nesbitt (Dark Prairie, 2013, etc.) keeps it all slow and easy as a gentled horse, making this tale the perfect escape even from other mystery fiction.
THE LATE SCHOLAR
Paton Walsh, Jill Minotaur (352 pp.) $25.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-250-03279-9 978-1-250-03278-2 e-book Intrigue and murder in academe lead to further adventures for aristocratic sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey, the oncecarefree second son now approaching senior citizenship. Ever since a fire killed his older brother and damaged Bredon Hall, the seat of the Duke of Denver, Peter has taken his duties more seriously. Now he’s surprised to find that along with the title comes the office of Visitor to St. Severin’s College at Oxford. Peter took his degree at Oxford, as did his duchess, the former Harriet Vane, and she supports his obligation to the dreaming spires. When they arrive, they find St. Severin’s fellows deadlocked in a vote that only the Visitor can resolve. The wrangle centers on a medieval manuscript; half the fellows want to keep it, and half want to sell in exchange for much-needed land on the edge of town. In the meantime, the warden of the college has left abruptly without so much as a toothbrush, and no one has seen him for three months. Two fellows have suffered incidents that echo Harriet’s detective novels, which she based on her husband’s cases, and another fellow has taken a fatal tumble down stairs. It’s the first in a series of murders or attempted murders connected to an unfavorable anonymous book review, a suicide, a frightened widow and a case of blackmail. Addressing all these issues and saving St. Severin’s takes patience and diligence for Peter and Harriet—and for readers who may fidget over the leisurely pace and the insulated academic setting in post–WWII Britain. Walsh’s (The Attenbury Emeralds, 2011, etc.) respectful attempt to keep the franchise going will invite the scrutiny of Wimsey purists, and newcomers may find the Duke affected. Even so, many fans will eagerly welcome back their beloved sleuth and enjoy seeing Harriet hold her own in a thoughtfully constructed mystery.
RECKLESS DISREGARD
Rotstein, Robert Seventh Street/Prometheus (347 pp.) $15.95 paper | $11.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-61614-881-2 978-1-61614-882-9 e-book Now that he’s survived the dark forces that were arrayed against him in Corrupt Practices (2013), tongue-tied Los Angeles attorney Parker Stern is ready to defend the world’s most elusive client in a libel suit. Like Rupert Murdoch, William H. Bishop, dubbed “the Conqueror” because he’ll do anything to get his own way, owns a chain of newspapers, television stations and media outlets that circle the globe. But he won’t be happy till he crushes Poniard, the pseudonymous video game designer whose latest production, “Abduction!,” recasts the 1987 disappearance of bipolar actress Felicity McGrath as a kidnapping at the hands of the Conqueror’s goons. Even though Parker is now working for Judicial Alternative Dispute Solutions, whose members try to resolve legal disputes through mediation, Poniard is determined to drag him back into the courtroom. And Poniard’s equally determined not to appear there himself. He doesn’t need to answer Bishop’s libel charge in person, Poniard airily assures Parker via email. In fact, Parker doesn’t even need to know his client’s real name or whereabouts. Understandably reluctant to represent such a will-o’-the-wisp, Parker changes his mind when Poniard threatens to make Parker’s past as a child movie star public knowledge and when he sees a chance to go up against his former girlfriend, ex–porn actress Lovely Diamond, in court. Although the suit is a civil action, Poniard’s defense—that “Abduction!” isn’t libelous because Bishop really did have Felicity McGrath killed—opens up a criminal dimension that produces more fresh corpses in the present the harder Parker looks into the past. Endless novelties, endless twists, endless complications, endless surprises in and out of the courtroom. Whatever you read legal drama for, it’s here, along with a whole lot of other stuff you never thought to ask for.
TRAITORS TO ALL
Scerbanenco, Giorgio Translated by Curtis, Howard Melville House (256 pp.) $16.95 paper | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-61219-336-3 After three years in prison for euthanasia, Dr. Duca Lamberti (A Private Venus, 2014) returns to the practice of medicine in an equally unlawful and even more sordid way in this second volume of the noirish Milano Quartet, first published in Italy in 1966.
Lamberti’s medical license has never been restored, but that amounts to a positive recommendation for Silvano Solvere, who’s looking for someone to perform a hymenoplasty on a nice girl who wants her bridegroom to believe that she’s never had sex. The procedure goes smoothly enough, and Giovanna Marelli returns to her fiance, butcher Ulrico Brambilla, a virgin once more. Only two things bother Lamberti: the fact that Solvere invoked the name of attorney Turiddu Sompani as an introduction to Lamberti and the fact that he left behind a suitcase to be kept until called for. Sompani’s Fiat has just gone into a canal, the Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, with the lawyer and his cousin Adele Terrini, aka Adele the whore, inside. And the suitcase turns out to contain a beautifully engineered submachine gun. With the help of his friend Superintendant Luigi Carrua of the Milan Police, Lamberti decides to accompany Margherita, the young lioness sent to pick up the parcel, to her own drop-off. The trail will take them from private to ever-escalating public vice: a ring of drug and arms smugglers, a rash of deaths past and present, and a shameful betrayal reaching back to WWII. Carrua is right on the money when he tells Lamberti, “[y]ou want to eat up the criminals.” This illegal doctor’s righteous fury comes to a head with the most admirable character in the cast facing a long prison term.
COP TOWN
Slaughter, Karin Delacorte (384 pp.) $27.00 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-345-54749-1 A gritty procedural in which the streets of 1970s Atlanta are just as dangerous for cops as for criminals. Being a woman in uniform is hard enough, but thriller-writer Slaughter (Unseen, 2013, etc.) drives the point home like a knife to the eye—she does that, too—with her taut standalone featuring two female cops in a city bubbling over with racial and political unrest. Maggie Lawson bleeds blue—older brother Jimmy is in uniform and uncle Terry is top brass—but she’s not welcome in the male-dominated police world. Besides the racial clashes erupting on the street and within the department, there’s a cop killer on the loose. Known as the Shooter, he ambushes officers and executes them. As a woman whose duties involve writing tickets and generally keeping out of the way—despite the fact she has five years’ experience under her heavy utility belt—Maggie can only stay peripherally involved in the manhunt, even when Jimmy’s partner is killed. Officially, that is. Joined by rookie Kate Murphy, a woman trying to leave everything, from her upper-class upbringing to her dead husband, behind, the pair conducts their own investigation. Slaughter excels at empathetically flawed characters who rise above the violence—her books are not for the squeamish—of their circumstances; Maggie and Kate are on par with series regulars Will Trent and Sara Linton. There’s nothing pretty about this divided cop town, but in exposing its ugliness, Slaughter forces us to question whether times really have changed. (Agent: Victoria Sanders) |
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IDENTITY
Thoft, Ingrid Putnam (320 pp.) $26.95 | Jun. 26, 2014 978-0-399-16213-8 A free-wheeling Boston private eye learns the unintended consequences of charitable donations. Fina Ludlow lives on diet soda and junk, wins no prizes for housekeeping, juggles two part-time lovers, has an iffy relationship with the truth and prefers the streets to the conference room of her family’s prestigious law firm. Her father doesn’t approve of her, but he does find her talents useful, especially when she does some sleuthing for a client who’s suing Heritage Cryobank to learn the identity of her daughter’s sperm donor. Fina spares no effort (not all of it strictly legal) to out the father, Hank Reardon, a high-tech billionaire with a son by his first marriage, a daughter by his second and the offspring of some impulsive contributions to Heritage shortly after his college graduation. Although he offers to do right by his recently discovered issue, someone’s unhappy enough to bludgeon him to death in the parking lot of his company. When Michael Reardon hires Fina to find out who killed his father, she has to determine why two of his cryokids have phony alibis, how angry Hank’s partner was about being left out of a lucrative waterfront deal, why Hank’s former wife and current wife have dueling charities in the Boston area, and why, just before his death, Hank made several phone calls to the director of Heritage. In spite of warnings that grow increasingly physical, Fina won’t give up in a whodunit that maddeningly builds momentum and then jams on the brakes to describe the hair and eye color of even minor characters or Fina’s snack of choice. Thoft (Loyalty, 2013) doesn’t hold back on her gutsy detective’s flaws or on irrelevant side trips. But Fina’s second outing is a mostly enjoyable roller-coaster tour of the rapidly changing world of assisted reproduction.
THE SPLINTERED PADDLE
Troy, Mark Five Star (304 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 18, 2014 978-1-4328-2859-2
A private eye’s past comes back to haunt her. At the tender age of 13, Ava Rome found her life changed abruptly for the worse when her career Army father vanished and was marked a deserter. Then her younger brother’s death in a bullying incident while she was supposed to be watching him left her suffering from guilt and nightmares. As a young MP stationed in California, Ava made an arrest that puts her in mortal danger now that she’s a PI in Hawaii. Norman Traxler, a psychopath who spent 15 years in San Quentin 36
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for assaulting a prostitute, has dreamed every day of killing Ava. Since she’s a sucker for defenseless people, Ava takes on the case of Jenny Mordan, another prostitute who’s being harassed for sex by police officer Ron Nevez, a bad egg who’s involved with illegal drugs and pornography. Ava’s also drawn to Cassie Sands, the teenage daughter of a client who has little time to spend with her. When Cassie takes off, Ava finds her with pot grower Alvie Wong and is forced to hurt him to get Cassie back. Meanwhile, Traxler is slowly stepping up his harassment of Ava. He has no qualms about hurting her friends as a prelude to killing her. Instead of helping Ava, the police assign Nevez to the Traxler case. Neither Jenny nor Cassie is willing to listen to good advice, and they both become targets for Traxler, who really enjoys hurting women. Its graphic sex and violence will keep this sequel to The Rules (2013) off a lot of bookshelves. But it reveals the dark underbelly of Hawaii and builds tension right up to the explosive conclusion.
THE WAYS OF THE DEAD
Tucker, Neely Viking (288 pp.) $27.95 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-670-01658-7 Clinton-era Washington, D.C., provides the squalid, menacing backdrop for this crisp, crafty and sharply observed debut by a seasoned reporter. As the curtain’s about to fall on the 20th century, Sully Carter, a one-time war correspondent weighed down with physical and psychological scars, finds himself working the crime beat in Washington, D.C., at a time when criminal behavior is all but taken for granted at opposite ends of the sociopolitical spectrum. For all of Sully’s battle-hardened professionalism, his bosses don’t think he’s quite stable—or sober—enough to cover the murder of a teenage girl near a convenience store, especially since the victim is the daughter of a high-profile federal judge with whom Sully’s had (let’s say) negative history. Nevertheless, Sully works as if he’s in a war zone and eventually connects this murder with a series of cold cases involving dead and missing young women in the same at-risk neighborhood. Tucker, a 25-year newspaper veteran who’s spent most of his career at the Washington Post, writes with rueful authority and caustic familiarity about the District’s criminal and working classes as well as the dreary anxiety of working for a fin-de-siècle big-city newspaper. Along with an ear for inner-city argot almost as finely tuned as those of Elmore Leonard and fellow D.C. crime writer George Pelacanos, Tucker has a knack for ingenious plotting that jolts his narrative into unexpected directions. The shocks resound with acrid, illuminating insights into the District’s nettlesome intersections of race and class at the hinge of the millennium. Rich yet taut description, edgy storytelling, rock-androlling dialogue, and a deeply flawed but compelling hero add up to a luminous first novel.
FOURTH DOWN AND OUT
science fiction and fantasy
Welsh-Huggins, Andrew Swallow Press/Ohio Univ. (266 pp.) $26.95 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-0-8040-1152-5 A former Ohio State football star tries to make his way in the world as a private investigator. Andy Hayes used to be on top of the world, playing for a Buckeyes team that seemed destined for the playoffs. Now he’s living in German Village, a modest neighborhood in south Columbus, trying to eke out a living tailing unfaithful spouses. Ted Hamilton’s job is about midpoint on Andy’s sleazometer. High schooler Pete Freeley, who has a video of Hamilton necking with underage Jennifer Rawlings, threatens to go public if he doesn’t pay up. Andy punches back with a threat of his own: Give up the video or face extortion charges. When Pete turns over the laptop with the video—which a surprising number of people had access to—all hell breaks loose. Pete’s father, Doug, wants it back because it contains sensitive business files. OSU adjunct instructor Anne Cooper wants it because it holds her private stock of plagiarized English papers. But no one’s gonna get it, because a thug named Danny Reilly clocks Andy with a shotgun and steals it. Then Danny’s body turns up in the local quarry. Between Andy’s search for Danny’s killer, his hunt for the laptop and his repeated confrontations with all the people who want what’s on its hard drive, the story of his betrayal of his football team dribbles out, and you can finally understand why people all over Columbus hate his guts. Another fallen angel seeking salvation through detective work. Legal reporter Welsh-Huggins’ debut won’t bump Sam Spade off any Best Detective lists, but it’s still perfectly respectable.
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EARTH AWAKENS
Card, Orson Scott; Johnston, Aaron Tor (400 pp.) $25.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-7653-2906-6 Series: First Formic War, 3 Third in the Ender’s Game prequel series (Earth Afire, 2013, etc.) featuring the invasion of a wholly unprepared Earth by alien Formics. Former space miner Victor Delgado, assisted by pilot Imala Bootstamp and Lem Jukes (son of the powerful, capable and utterly ruthless industrialist Ukko Jukes), plans to penetrate the orbiting Formic ship and learn, if possible, how to defeat it. In China, meanwhile, heroics by members of Wit O’Toole’s Mobile Operations Police team, Mazer Rackham of New Zealand’s Special Air Services and Lt. Shenzu of the Chinese army, have dealt a setback to the Formic landers—but unless they can find a way to neutralize the Formics’ deadly flesh-dissolving spray, China, and perhaps the world, is doomed. Since there is still little or no cooperation between the various national militaries, such an outcome seems likely. Victor’s ship, disguised as wandering space garbage, stealthily engages with the Formic ship, allowing Victor to slip unnoticed inside. Unknown to Lem, Ukko launches a fleet of drones equipped with gravity lasers at the Formic ship, heedless of the fact that Victor is still inside. Large slabs of narrative detail the rancorous rivalry between Ukko and Lem. The previous book’s most interesting character, 8-year-old Chinese genius Bingwen, who worked with O’Toole and Rackham, finds a new job as a medic but otherwise features far too little. The Formics are big, buglike, ferocious, possibly telepathic among themselves and otherwise uninteresting, with technology that involves the manual rotating of huge wheels to turn things on and off. Still to come is a huge, thrilling and altogether improbable battle. The evidence, then, suggests Johnson did most of the writing, with minimal contributions from Card. The weakest installment so far; still, fans will devour it.
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QUEEN OF THE DARK THINGS
Cargill, C. Robert Harper Voyager (416 pp.) $26.99 | $13.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-0-06-219045-1 978-0-06-219047-5 e-book
Sequel to Dreams and Shadows (2013), an urban fantasy following the career of young Austin, Texas, wizard Colby Stevens. As a young boy, Colby met Yashar the djinni and obtained the usual three wishes; Yashar didn’t tell him that all the wishes he grants come to bad ends due to a curse. Colby asked Yashar to make him a wizard, and now he’s the most powerful wizard in the world, though he earns a scolding from the beautiful Austin, embodiment of the city, for infringing on her prerogatives. Then comes bad news: A dark presence in Australia’s Outback, calling herself the Queen of the Dark Things, has arisen and must be stopped. As we learn in extensive flashbacks, Colby spent time in the Outback learning wizardry from the Clever Man, so has reason to suspect the queen is Kaycee Looes, descendant of mutineers whose evil ghosts tricked her into doing their bidding. And, he discovers, this is all tied up with the Clever Man’s plotting and a small legion of demons so forbidding that even Colby can’t challenge them directly. So Colby must dicker with the five most powerful demons and somehow outwit them, with the price of failure too horrible to contemplate. Once again, the backdrop is exceptionally well-developed, even if early events bear little relation to the developments in Australia. Colby’s exacting bargaining with the demons is by far the high point of a meandering plot that sometimes grips but otherwise tends toward complication as an end in itself. Highly impressive while not always fully engaging, though fans of the first book won’t be disappointed.
THE SEVERED STREETS
Cornell, Paul Tor (416 pp.) $26.99 | $12.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-0-7653-3028-4 978-1-4299-4385-7 e-book The follow-up to London Falling (2013), an odd book that morphed from police procedural into urban-fantasy thriller. In the opener, detectives Tony Costain and Kev Sefton, DI James Quill and police intelligence analyst Lisa Ross acquired supernatural powers when they touched a pile of dirt used by their quarry, evil witch Mora Losley—and in the process discovered the existence of an entire occult London behind and below the mundane city. This time, the city’s swarming with protestors and rioters enraged by austerity-inspired budget cuts; even the Metropolitan Police are planning a strike (which would be illegal). Then a prominent member of Parliament gets carved to ribbons inside a sealed car 38
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by an apparently invisible assailant. When Quill and company examine the car, they see—though nobody else does—splashes of a mercurylike silver substance that seems to be concentrated magic. Other gruesome killings swiftly follow, with only one clue—the perpetrator’s efforts to make them resemble those of the legendary Jack the Ripper. (Really? Isn’t it about time to let Mr. Ripper RIP?) The team focuses on gangster twins Barry and Terry Keel, whose various enterprises are known to cater to an occult clientele. Ross becomes obsessed with locating a magical artifact that might help her free her father from hell. Also in town is author Neil Gaiman (the very same), who chips in some useful information—but can he be trusted? How is ruthless newspaper tycoon Russell Vincent involved? What of the enigmatic occult powers known as John the Rat King and the Smiling Man? With its refreshingly flawed characters, the narrative interweaves its multiple strands mostly successfully, while the tone veers between jocular horror (less) and all-out macabre thrills (more). Stir in a deep political undercurrent that eventually forces its way into the plot’s mainstream. Gripping enough if insufficiently original to be a major standout.
THE OVERSIGHT
Fletcher, Charlie Orbit/Little, Brown (560 pp.) $15.00 paper | May 6, 2014 978-0-316-27951-2 First of a Dickensian supernatural— or, as Fletcher prefers it, “supranatural”— fantasy trilogy, from the screenwriter and author of Stoneheart (2006, etc.). The Oversight, a secret society that patrols the borders between the mundane and the magical, lost most of its membership during the Napoleonic Wars. Now only five remain: Sara Falk, a “Glint” who can view past events by touching objects associated with them; Cook, an ex-pirate; rat-catcher Hodge, who has an affinity for associates Jed the terrier and the ancient Raven; Wayland Smith; and the eerie Mr. Sharp. Also on the premises is Emmet, a golem. If their numbers dip below five (called a Hand), their powers and control dissipate. At the Hand’s London safe house arrives Lucy Harker; she speaks only French, mistrusts them and turns out to be a Glint—and bait for a trap set by mysterious folk-monsters called Sluagh. Also involved are lawyer twins Zebulon and Issachar Templebane and sociopathic wizard-scientist Viscount Mountfellen. The plotters seek the key to controlling the dark side of the universe. Accordingly, Lucy, under a compulsion implanted in her mind by the Sluagh to steal the key, blunders into a magic cabinet of mirrors. In avoiding the cabinet’s guardian cobra, she falls into one of the mirrors and vanishes, shattering the mirror. Sara tries to grab Lucy, but the mirror lops off her hand, which vanishes to wherever Lucy went—though somehow it’s still attached. A remarkable combination of British folklore, brisk pacing and wide-ranging imagination is enhanced by multiple narrative strands, some not yet
“Such is the allure of an extremely talented writer at the height of her powers.” from crown of renewal
CROWN OF RENEWAL
fully revealed, and set forth in evocative prose. Set against all this, unfortunately, are characters imbued with a particular monomania rather than genuine personality and presence. Intriguing and with enough potential bubbling underneath to keep readers agreeably optimistic about future installments.
Moon, Elizabeth Del Rey/Ballantine (528 pp.) $26.00 | May 27, 2014 978-0-345-53309-8 Series: Paladin’s Legacy, 5
Final entry (Limits of Power, 2013, etc.) in the Paladin’s Legacy series. Once again, rather than a monolithic existential threat, multitudinous intrigues and designs move the story forward. Arian, wife of Lyonya’s King Kieri, poisoned by an iynisin (evil elf-mage) blade, languishes, while Kieri, warned by Dragon to release mages trapped in the past, needs to discover his innate Old Human magic. In neighboring Tsaia, iynisin attack and grievously wound King Mikeli’s brother, Camwyn; Dragon is willing to heal Camwyn, but the price is that Mikeli may never see his brother again. Mage powers continue to appear in both nobles and commoners—a development opposed so vehemently by traditionalists that they are prepared to murder children to stamp it out. Jandelir Arcolin finds himself preoccupied with the gnomes who have declared him their prince, their all-encompassing Law and their concern for the Law’s correct application. Mikeli wonders what the iynisin intruders were after and concludes they sought the mysterious sentient regalia that reposes in a box that none save former mercenary Dorrin, Duke Verrakai, may open or even move. The regalia itself orders Dorrin to take the box on a perilous quest to a distant land, a journey that Dorrin herself does not expect to survive. Moon offers convincingly realized characters persuasively shaped by the extraordinary richness, depth and texture of the world they inhabit and the low-key yet knotty problems they must confront. So mesmerizing is the narrative that it’s a sad surprise having to emerge into the mundane world at story’s end. While fully satisfying, this conclusion leaves ample scope for further embellishment or spinoffs: excellent news for all concerned. Such is the allure of an extremely talented writer at the height of her powers.
THE MERCHANT EMPEROR
Haydon, Elizabeth Tor (432 pp.) $25.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-7653-0566-4
After an absence of nearly eight years, the seventh book of The Symphony of Ages series (The Assassin King, 2006, etc.). Former merchant Talquist, Emperor of Sorbold, possesses a huge warriorstatue animated by one and possibly two F’dor demons that he believes are under his control. A smug, lightweight bad hat convinced he’s smarter than everybody else, Talquist has two ambitions: exterminate the Cymrians and their allies; and gain immortality. To accomplish the former, he must outwit and defeat husband-and-wife team Ashe and Rhapsody; and according to an ancient prophecy, he may achieve the latter by eating the living heart of the Child of Time. While the Child’s location remains unknown, his identity is clear: Meridion, the infant son of Ashe and Rhapsody. Ashe fears that the dragon within him is slowly taking command, so it’s probably just as well when Rhapsody announces she must find a secure place to conceal Meridion, whom she knows Talquist seeks. The ancient Lord Marshal Anborn, an ally of Rhapsody, miraculously recovers from his crippling battle wounds and prepares to lead the Cymerian armies. In numerous encounters with dragons, it emerges that they’re mostly ill-tempered and occasionally outright antagonistic; why this should be remains obscure. Events that occurred in previous installments interweave with personal disclosures and confessions, while the remainder builds toward an existential battle—maybe. Bombastic characters jostle with others provided for comic relief, and only in nursing mother Rhapsody can a vital personality of real strength and courage be distinguished. Still, fans blessed with an excellent memory and seven years’ worth of patience will at least want to investigate. A belated continuation that only in the last few chapters manages to strip off the rust. (Agent: Richard Curtis)
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r om a n c e
A REASON TO LOVE
Morgan, Alexis Signet Eclipse/NAL (336 pp.) $7.99 paper | May 6, 2014 978-0-451-41773-2
DREAMWEAVER TRAIL
March, Emily Ballantine (336 pp.) $7.99 paper | May 27, 2014 978-0-345-54230-4
After a professional tragedy, Gabi Romano can’t decide what to do next and escapes winter in Eternity Springs, Colo., for a temporary dogsitting job in the Caribbean. Gabi is drifting. After a justified shooting as a sheriff ’s deputy, she has no desire to return to that life, nor does she want to help out in her mother’s bed-and-breakfast forever. Ready for a change, she winds up watching puppy Bismarck on exclusive Bella Vita Isle. She soon meets Flynn, the hot pool guy next door, and Cicero, the local glass genius. After spending time with Flynn, she realizes he’s more than just a pool guy—and he definitely harbors some secrets—but he’s gentlemanly and easygoing, and she’s far too immersed in her new life studying the craft of glass blowing with Cicero to worry. Feeling as if she’s finally found her purpose, Gabi spends hours a day at the studio, then relaxes in the evenings with her sexy neighbor. Everything comes crashing down on their idyllic existence, however, when they take a sailing excursion and are violently attacked. In the aftermath, Gabi learns the truth about Flynn’s past and rejects him. She returns to Colorado and distances herself emotionally from her time on Bella Vita. However, the following Christmas, she learns that Flynn is in Eternity Springs, in desperate need of healing, and wonders if maybe she’s overlooked an important aspect of her life’s purpose. In the eighth Eternity Springs novel, March continues her best-selling combination of romance and suspense with hints of angelic intervention, and for the most part, everything works, with a few minor misses (e.g. Gabi moves too quickly and glibly away from Flynn, the feel of deus ex machina is occasionally too strong, and sometimes the various tones of the storytelling seem dissonant). Smoothly written, with appealing characters and an engaging storyline, this will surely be a winner with romance fans. (Agent: Christina Hogrebe.)
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Everyone thinks soldier Spencer Lang died in action, so when he comes home the day his best friend is marrying the girl of his dreams, things get complicated. After high school, Spencer joined the Army to escape his brutal uncle and find his way in the world, but he always expected to come back to Snowberry Creek and marry his old friend Callie. All his plans are shot to pieces, though, when he and his unit are attacked in Afghanistan and he’s mistaken for dead. Rescued after his friends were evacuated, none of them got the news that he’s alive, and they’ve been grieving his loss while he’s been recovering. Turns out his Army buddies came to Snowberry Creek to break the news to his loved ones and fell in love with the town—and some of its residents—which makes it even harder for Spencer to settle back in. Support and encouragement comes from Melanie Wolfe, daughter of the family who owns the local factory. Trouble is, the recently deceased Mr. Wolfe practically ran the place into the ground, and Melanie is trying to turn it around. Melanie left town after high school, too, with no plans to ever return, but she always remembered the roguish bad boy who’d never looked twice at her back then, when she was the prim and proper Wolfe daughter. Now she’s back, determined to save the factory and help the boy she used to like, who’s now a man with shadows in his eyes. In the third Snowberry Creek novel, two unlikely hearts wind up on a shared path to healing, and we are charmed by their growing realization that they are just what the other one needs to be happy. Smooth storytelling and engaging secondary characters enhance a satisfying romance. Morgan maintains her winning combination of smalltown tenderness and sexy, wounded heroes.
nonfiction REDEEMER The Life of Jimmy Carter
These titles earned the Kirkus Star:
Balmer, Randall Basic (304 pp.) $27.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0465029587
THE MOST DANGEROUS BOOK by Kevin Birmingham................. 44 A GREAT AND GLORIOUS ADVENTURE by Gordon Corrigan....... 48 THE HISTORIES by Herodotus; translated by Tom Holland...............55 FLASH BOYS by Michael Lewis......................................................... 60 TAKE THIS MAN by Brando Skyhorse................................................. 71 GOTHAM UNBOUND by Ted Steinberg...............................................72 THE BIG FAT SURPRISE by Nina Teicholz......................................... 73 TAKE THIS MAN A Memoir
Skyhorse, Brando Simon & Schuster (256 pp.) $26.00 Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4391-7087-8
The words “progressive” and “evangelical” may no longer be thought of together, yet in combination, they shaped Jimmy Carter as a man and president. So argues academic and Episcopal priest Balmer (Arts and Sciences/Dartmouth Univ.; The Making of Evangelicalism: From Revivalism to Politics and Beyond, 2010, etc.). Carter has never been shy about his beliefs, the author notes, pointing to the way the then-governor of Georgia positioned his campaign for the presidency: “I’m a born-again Christian…and I don’t want anything that’s not God’s will for my life.” Balmer organizes this biography to show that Carter’s religious views were the foundation of his politics and continued to set a standard that guided the way he shaped his life after leaving office. Illustrations drawn from the former president’s life and numerous writings highlight his discordance with the conservative religious fundamentalism allied to the tea party. As a businessman, for example, Carter refused to join the White Citizens’ Council’s opposition to school integration; he stood alone, defying boycott of his business and ostracism. However, he was also a fierce competitor who did what he thought necessary to win, as in the Georgia gubernatorial election in 1970. “You won’t like my campaign…but you will like my administration,” he told Vernon Jordan. Carter’s single-term presidency was characterized, according to Balmer, by the interplay between his ambitious competitiveness and service. Differing from those who attribute Carter’s 1980 defeat by Ronald Reagan to foreign policy or economic issues, the author contends that Carter was undermined and out-organized by former supporters of segregation like Jerry Falwell, who birthed what is now known as the religious right by rallying a defense for the tax breaks of private schools. A sympathetic account of a president too often overlooked, embedded in a rethinking of the rise of the religious right.
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“In this bold and impassioned analysis, Barber insists that chefs have the power to transform American cuisine to achieve a sustainable and nutritious future.” from the third plate
THE THIRD PLATE Field Notes on the Future of Food
PERMISSION TO PARENT How to Raise Your Child with Love and Limits
Barber, Dan Penguin Press (496 pp.) $29.95 | May 20, 2014 978-1-59420-407-4
Berman, Robin Harper Wave/HarperCollins (272 pp.) $26.99 | May 1, 2014 978-0-06-227729-9
A multiple James Beard Award–winning chef proposes a revolutionary change for growing and consuming food. Moving beyond the organic farming and farm-to-table movements, Blue Hill executive chef Barber argues for the importance of the whole farm: an integrated, biodynamic system that sustains the richness and diversity of land and sea. American agriculture—with its large farm holdings, monoculture and unwieldy machinery—often leads to farmers’ lack of intimacy with the land. “It’s that lack of intimacy,” writes the author, “that leads to ignorance, and eventually to loss.” What is lost is taste and nutritional quality. Visiting small American and European farms, Barber learned the importance of nurturing soil that contains “a thriving, complex community of organisms.” A carrot grown in earth that contains diverse phytonutrients tastes entirely different from one subject to insecticides and fungicides. Even farms that do not use chemical controls—the so-called “industrial organic” farms—may grow plants in nutrient-poor sandy soil, enriched by organic fertilizer. Barber interweaves food history, conversations with experts in food preparation, production and nutrition, and colorful anecdotes from his travels to farms, restaurants and markets. He tracked down Spaniard Eduardo Sousa, who raises geese for foie gras by allowing them to graze freely on acorns, getting fatter as they do naturally to prepare for migration. Rather than forcefeeding, giving geese what they want, Sousa believes, results in exceptional foie gras. “When we allow nature to work, which means when we farm in a way that promotes all of its frustrating inefficiencies—when we grow nature,” Barber writes, what we harvest is both abundant and flavorful. The same principles that apply to soil are relevant to the sea, as well; agriculture and aquaculture are not separate entities. Barber’s menu for 2050 features baby oat tea; blue wheat brioche; pigs’ blood sausage; trout in phytoplankton sauce; and beer ice cream. In this bold and impassioned analysis, Barber insists that chefs have the power to transform American cuisine to achieve a sustainable and nutritious future.
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How to set limits for your child in a balanced, supportive way. On one hand, there’s no shortage of books about parenting, and all these guides can lead to confusion. However, it’s also true that different parents learn and benefit from different styles. Berman (Psychiatry/UCLA) finds a nice balance between presenting information from a research-minded orientation—the author is a psychiatrist and a parenting group leader—and from a grounded, of-themoment, culturally current orientation. (She’s also on the advisory board of Matthew and Camila McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin’ foundation.) Berman couches her narrative in mostly current cultural references; before readers are even out of the introduction, the author has referred to Ashton Kutcher and parents “feeling punk’d.” This is both a boon and a weakness throughout the book; some cultural touchstones have longer cache than others, and building too many of them into the structure of a book weakens the integrity of the book as a whole. That’s a minor quibble, though; Berman’s teachings are mostly sensible, easy to understand and backed with common-sense reasoning. She writes about how to maintain balance for families inundated with smartphones, tablets and video games, and she offers advice on being “an emotional grown-up” that should be required reading for all parents. She also provides advice on encouraging self-reliance and self-esteem and how the two are intertwined. Throughout the book, there’s a thread of encouraging parents to reflect, without judging themselves, on how their behaviors do and do not sync up with what they tell their children. While much of what Berman suggests can be found in other similarly intentioned books, the way she phrases her ideas is welcoming to parents and encourages them in all the best ways to grow into that important role.
BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE The End of Juvenile Prison
DISTANT NEIGHBORS The Selected Letters of Wendell Berry and Gary Snyder
Bernstein, Nell New Press (384 pp.) $26.95 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-1-59558-956-9 978-1-59558-966-8 e-book
An investigation of the American juvenile justice system, seen as too fundamentally corrosive to be reformed. “The story of juvenile justice,” writes Bernstein (All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated, 2005), “is often told in terms of pendulum swings between the opposing goals of rehabilitation and punishment.” Today, although cash-strapped states have incentive to modify restrictive facilities, the retributive attitudes formed during the tough-oncrime 1980s and ’90s are more resistant to change. The author argues that even as rates of violent crime committed by juveniles have fallen, an obsession developed for punitive confinement of what she terms “other people’s children,” epitomized in the ’90s by the debunked “super-predator” theory. She notes that over the past several decades, most states have expanded their juvenile detention systems so that they now resemble adult imprisonment. In addition, such confinement is generally reserved for the poor and minority youngsters, whereas white and suburban kids are usually allowed to “grow out” of their juvenile infractions—“for poor kids of color, getting locked up takes appallingly little.” While Bernstein argues the fundamental wrongness of treating children like adult offenders, she is more outraged by the actual conditions that have persisted through sporadic periods of investigation and reform in many state systems. She documents a disturbing litany of violence and endemic sexual abuse, frequently at the hands of guards: “Unprotected, young people learn they are unworthy of protection.” The many former prisoners whose experiences Bernstein documents convince her that the system is beyond repair, even though she encounters compassionate administrators who concur that “understanding the nihilism that can afflict traumatized children opens the door to imagining alternatives” beyond incarceration. The author concludes by asserting that despite massive investments, the current system “[does] not recognize these children’s fundamental humanity.” The combination of muckraking research and absolutism make the book passionate and convincing as advocacy, though conservative readers may be less moved.
Berry, Wendell; Snyder, Gary Wriglesworth, Chad–Ed. Counterpoint (352 pp.) $30.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-61902-305-5
A collection of letters chronicling two writers’ friendship and common interests in nature and faith. Wriglesworth (English/Univ. of Waterloo) has gathered nearly 240 letters between Snyder and Berry, written since 1973, when the two began corresponding, Snyder (Back on the Fire: Essays, 2007, etc.) writing from his home in Nevada City, Calif., and Berry from Port Royal, Ky. Recurring themes include environmentalism, reflections on spirituality and the authors’ efforts to effect social change: “[L]iving at peace is a difficult, deceptive concept,” Berry wrote to
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“Superb cultural history, pulling together many strands of literary, judicial and societal developments into a smoothly woven narrative fabric.” from the most dangerous book
Snyder in 1978. “Same for resisting evil. You can struggle, embattle yourself, resist evil until you become evil….And I see with considerable sorrow that I am not going to get done fighting and live at peace in anything like the simple way I thought I would.” Snyder saw the battle not against evil, but rather “ignorance, stupidity, narrow views [and] simple-minded egotism” and urged Berry not to fear “becoming tainted by ‘evil’ because that’s not really what you’re up against.” While Snyder practices Zen Buddhism, Berry calls himself a “forest Christian”; both are concerned with the “connection between enlightenment and householding.” Although Berry admitted “joyful relief” in their convergence of ideas about ecology, at times they differed. For example, when Snyder wrote enthusiastically about biologists’ work “to make cereals capable of fixing nitrogen like legumes do, saving 17 billion dollars a year in fertilizer worldwide,” Berry responded with alarm about “the science of genetic manipulation.” It may be good for farming, he conceded, but he worried that it would intensify agribusiness. The two writers have been attentive readers of each other’s work, and those critiques and the writer’s responses are among the most interesting letters. Wriglesworth provides helpful information where needed, but annotations, relegated to endnotes, would be more useful as footnotes to each letter. Candid, introspective and often deeply philosophical, these letters offer intimate glimpses into the lives and minds of two influential contemporary writers.
THE MOST DANGEROUS BOOK The Battle for James Joyce’s Ulysses Birmingham, Kevin Penguin Press (432 pp.) $29.95 | Jun. 16, 2014 978-1-59420-336-7
Modernism’s “battle against an obsolete civilization,” encapsulated in the struggle to publish one taboo-shattering masterpiece. In his sharp, well-written debut, Birmingham (History and Literature/Harvard Univ.) reminds us that the artistic experiments of James Joyce (1882-1941) were part of a larger movement to throw off Victorian social, sexual and political shackles. Indeed, authorities in England, Ireland and America were quite sure that Joyce’s shocking fiction was, like the feminists, anarchists, socialists and other reprobates who presumably read it, an attempt to undermine the moral foundations of Western society. Guilty as charged, replied the diverse group that supported the impoverished Joyce as he struggled to write Ulysses while wandering across Europe during and after World War I, plagued by increasingly grim eye problems (described here in gruesome detail). Ezra Pound advocated for Joyce with his literary contacts on both sides of the Atlantic, and Dora Marsden and Harriet Weaver gave him his first break in the English avant-garde magazine The Egoist. American iconoclasts Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap risked punitive fines and jail terms to publish chapters of Ulysses in The Little Review, adopting a defiant stance that dismayed lawyer John Quinn, who had 44
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scant sympathy for radicals but thought Joyce was a genius and that his book must be defended. The clandestine edition of Ulysses published in Paris by Sylvia Beach of Shakespeare and Company in 1922 became the identifying badge of cultural insurgents everywhere and the target of confiscation and burnings by censors until Judge John Woolsey’s landmark 1933 decision permitted the novel to be sold in the U.S. and dramatically revised the legal concept of obscenity. Birmingham makes palpable the courage and commitment of the rebels who championed Joyce, but he grants the censors their points of view as well in this absorbing chronicle of a tumultuous time. Superb cultural history, pulling together many strands of literary, judicial and societal developments into a smoothly woven narrative fabric.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BOB The Further Adventures of One Man and His StreetWise Cat Bowen, James Dunne/St. Martin’s (304 pp.) $24.99 | May 27, 2014 978-1-250-04632-1
The continuing story of a London busker and his feline friend, Bob. For those who read A Street Cat Named Bob (2013) and wondered what happened to the dynamic duo of James, a former drug addict and vendor for the street newspaper The Big Issue, and his cat companion, Bob, look no further. Bowen expands on the story of his former life as a drug addict and the many ways Bob continues to be his faithful friend. “I always said that we were partners, that we needed each other equally,” he writes. “Deep down I believed that wasn’t really true. I felt like I needed him more.” When Bowen was struck by an unrelenting pain in his leg, making it impossible to stand or walk, Bob was there to help him through it. When the author had a severe chest cold, once again, Bob indicated through his small gestures, like resting his head on Bowen’s chest, that he understood Bowen was ill and empathized with him. Seeing a stranger overdose in his own apartment stairwell jolted Bowen to fight his own cravings. “An addict is always living on a knife’s edge… all [the destructive behavior] needed was one moment of weakness and I could be on the way down again,” he writes. While Bowen steadily worked his way out of addiction, silly cat moments, such as Bob’s fascination with packaging, especially bubble wrap and boxes, kept him amused and happy. But he still had self-doubts about his life. Nosy strangers insisted Bob was being maltreated, and other vendors accused Bowen of breaking vending rules, which caused his license to be suspended. Then, everything changed with the unexpected success of his first book, which Bowen acknowledges is entirely due to his best friend, Bob. A simple, heartwarming story of continued companionship and mutual trust and respect. Though the book is averagely written, it is sure to be another best-seller.
DRUNK MOM A Memoir
language.” Although she was elated by her child’s birth, wanted desperately to be a responsible mother, and feared that her son would be taken from her if she kept drinking, she simply could not stop. Drinking was not only a desire, but also “a need that’s psychological—sustenance necessary to keep troubling thoughts away. The thoughts of guilt and worry.” Those obsessive thoughts were “never easily distracted,” making her addiction feel like “a body part. I can’t get rid of it any easier than I can cut off my own arm or poke my eye out.” Being an alcoholic also required considerable stealth: drinking where her boyfriend would not see her, staggering purchases at different liquor stores to deflect notice, and always keeping a supply of mints or juice to mask traces of alcohol on her breath. Finally, she agreed to go into rehab when her blackouts put her child in danger. But after rehab, she drank again. Rehab failed her, Bydlowska writes, because she was not desperate enough to want sobriety. Now she is sober at last, with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous. “Do I stay sober?” she asks at the end of this painfully honest, insightful memoir; “I’m still here. But how can I be sure of anything else?” Addiction, she knows, is forever.
Bydlowska, Jowita Penguin (320 pp.) $16.00 paper | Jun. 1, 2014 978-0-14-312650-8
A new mother recounts her struggle with alcoholism. After three and a half years sober, Bydlowska celebrated the birth of her son with a glass of champagne—and then another and another. That party began her relapse into alcoholism: drinking, lying to her loving and patient boyfriend, hiding vodka bottles in her baby’s diaper bag and sock drawer, dropping concerned friends, and blacking out again and again. “I prefer drinking to anything in the world,” she admits, “sex, food, sleep. My child, my lover, anything.” But alcoholism, she writes, “is not drinking, just like hemophilia is not bleeding. You can’t slow down, cut down on your alcoholism. You can’t unlearn its
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PRESIDENT ME The America that’s in My Head
UNDOCUMENTED How Immigration Became Illegal
Carolla, Adam It Books/HarperCollins (288 pp.) $26.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-06-232040-7
Outspoken comedian, podcaster and TV host Carolla (Not Taco Bell Material, 2012) presents a mock presidential bid to “make this country better.” Hypothesizing a run for the Oval Office as an anti–biggovernment candidate with a “common-man touch,” Carolla offers a satirical, potty-mouthed blueprint on how contemporary America—a country he feels is being destroyed by overcaffeinated “pervasive narcissism”—could run more efficiently. Categorized by departments of the federal government, his pragmatically imagined “Carolla administration” would naturally solve a cavalcade of vexing predicaments by axing the bumbling office of vice president, repairing the economy by defusing overregulation—he uses the limited distribution of his own “Mangria” wine product as an example—and courtesypolicing lawless air travel (“we’re getting fatter by the day…and ruder. This is a terrible combination, especially in a flying tin can”). With equal ire, the author gets fired up over vanity plates, NASA, and the mannerless, inappropriate morons hijacking the general population. A spoofed address to the United Nations General Assembly attacks a ministry of global leaders on their crappy performance records (“get your shit together”). But Carolla is an equal opportunity offender who throws the gauntlet down where he sees fit, regardless of affronting the audience. His rants and solutions may be cutthroat and often sophomoric, but they’re also relatable and sure to echo the sentiments of many Americans—hence, his popularity as a social commentator. A modern-day Andy Rooney, Carolla, informed by pre-fame years working at McDonald’s and odd construction jobs, skewers the American way of life while pitching bitchy asides at every turn. Carolla’s sharp-edged and occasionally curmudgeonly observations will be an acquired taste for many, but initiated fans will endorse his amusing candidacy.
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Chomsky, Aviva Beacon (264 pp.) $16.00 paper | $16.00 e-book May 13, 2014 978-0-8070-0167-7 978-0-8070-0168-4 e-book
As deportations briskly continue, an impassioned analyst explains how so many workers essential to the economy become illegal and are turned away from our nation’s southern border by the busload. “Where are your papers?” is not a traditional American question. As Chomsky (History and Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies/Salem State Univ.; “They Take Our Jobs!”: And 20 Other Myths about Immigration, 2007, etc.) demonstrates, the concept of illegality is tenuous and a relatively recent social construct too often based on politics and prejudice. For citizens of developed countries, it yields unequal privilege. However, those in underdeveloped countries become marginalized. In the United States, half of the undocumented Mexicans are seasonal farm workers. Illegal Guatemalans are needed for meat processing, and other Central Americans labor in construction, cleaning and food services. Demonstrably, illegals do not take jobs from citizens; they take jobs citizens won’t do. It is not legal for them to cross the border without inspection or permission to stay where they toil. Yet, subject to fraud, crime and discrimination, in danger of kidnapping for ransom, death in the desert and fraud at the hands of “coyote” smugglers, they come seeking a place where their children may thrive. Chomsky clearly documents the plight of all the criminalized nannies, maintenance workers, lawn cutters, cleaners and cooks. She challenges the common understanding of our shifting national immigration policies, which, nourished by lobbyists, political consultants and much of the media, run on low wages for immigrants. Supported by a careful survey of legal history, the author presents the case (one that usually receives scant attention) that immigration should not be characterized as illegal. An urgent, earnest report, albeit one not likely to receive quick legislative repair, on the fraught national immigration policy.
INNOVATIVE STATE How New Technologies Can Transform Government
THE DOCTOR CRISIS How Physicians Can, and Must, Lead the Way to Better Health Care
Chopra, Aneesh Atlantic Monthly (288 pp.) $26.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-8021-2133-2
Cochran, Jack; Kenney, Charles PublicAffairs (240 pp.) $23.99 | May 6, 2014 978-1-61039-443-7
The nation’s first chief technology officer describes efforts to modernize the federal government. A leading figure in governmental open innovation, Chopra served from 2009 to 2012 as President Barack Obama’s technology honcho, charged with bringing the latest high-tech tools and techniques into the business of an outdated, low-tech federal bureaucracy. The author traces his own education (in the pre-Internet days) at Johns Hopkins, his growing familiarity with the IT revolution in jobs at Morgan Stanley and elsewhere, and his work as Virginia’s secretary of technology, where he began initiatives making it easier for citizens to access government information online. Building on the latter experience, he joined the early Obama administration to help close the serious technology gap between the federal government and the private sector. His key goals were to spur long-term job growth and to increase private sector participation in solving public problems. In these pages, he recounts the open innovation principles he used to foster technological innovation across federal agencies. The principles, which he outlined in an “Open Innovator’s Toolkit,” rely on open data (computer-friendly and easily understandable), challenges and prizes (to find solutions), and the attraction of talented innovators. Chopra offers many examples of initiatives based on such tools, from the creation of a Veterans Job Bank search engine at the end of the first Iraq war to efforts to work with the private sector to modernize the country’s electrical grid to a notable success in making critically needed government information on situations in local neighborhoods available online to residents in post-Katrina New Orleans. Open innovation, he writes, can help solve problems “by tapping into widespread talent and the latest technology, while always putting a premium on pragmatism and collaboration.” Valuable for policymakers. Although not involved in the recent troubled launch of healthcare.gov, Chopra suspects outdated IT procurement rules and political interference were the culprits.
The executive director of the Permanente Foundation argues that physicians are the key to creating a health care system that is patient-centered, safe, equitable, accessible and affordable. With the assistance of former Boston Globe journalist Kenney (Transforming Health Care: Virginia Mason Medical Center’s Pursuit of the Perfect Patient Experience, 2010), Cochran draws on his years as president and chairman of the board of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Colorado, where he developed and tested many of the ideas presented here. When he took over, the morale among physicians was low, and turnover was
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“Bloodshed makes for entertaining history, and military historian Corrigan takes full advantage.” from a great and glorious adventure
high; the group was losing members. Working with a team—he had not been a manager before and was learning on the job— Cochran set specific priorities for the group: preserving and enhancing physicians’ careers, optimizing the patient care experience and streamlining the care process. In detailing the obstacles and solutions, he makes clear that building a culture of collegiality and teamwork was essential. Nurses and clinical pharmacists were brought into partnerships with physicians, giving them greater responsibilities and career opportunities and freeing physicians to do the kind of work that only they could do. The author is especially proud of the methods he developed to rapidly set up a massive electronic health record system that increased the efficiency of patient care. Cochran calls on doctors, who have been trained to be healers, to expand their mission and take on a combination role of healer/leader/ partner, and he insists that health care be a “learning industry.” Talented people from all disciplines—clinicians, researchers, the pharmaceutical industry, etc.—must work together and learn from each other to seek out the best practices and apply them to provide the best patient care. While the book gives outsiders a peek into the inner workings of a large medical group, its message is directed primarily at members of the medical profession, more specifically, to those in management positions.
MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD REMEMBERED A Memoir Corman, Avery Barricade (192 pp.) $19.95 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-56980-518-3
Corman (The Boyfriend from Hell, 2006, etc.) returns to the place he fictionalized in The Old Neighborhood (1980) in this affectionate recollection of his youth. In the 1940s and ’50s, the Bronx was a safe, diverse and vibrant community. In short chapters, each just a few pages long, the author reminiscences about playing stickball and basketball, rooting for baseball teams, spending long afternoons at one of the neighborhood’s many movie houses, reading comic books in the local candy store, visiting the zoo, trying to learn to ice skate with a friend who wanted to impress a girl, and going to school. Corman was a middling student, good in English and history, struggling in math and science. He recalls with resentment the heartlessness of a few teachers. Although there is a generic quality to many of his recollections, his family life was far from ordinary: His father had abandoned him, his mother and sister when Corman was 5, and he was told while growing up that he was dead. Much later, his mother confessed the truth— that his father had failed financially, run off in shame and even pleaded with his mother to join him when he landed a job in the South. But she refused, and the couple divorced. Corman and his family lived with his aunt and uncle, who were deaf mutes. With no special interests or talents, the author decided to get a 48
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business degree with the goal of working in advertising. When he realized that the advertising industry would not hire a Jew from the Bronx, he turned to business writing and then to writing scripts for an educational film company. With the encouragement of a friend, he also worked on his first novel, Oh God!, which he published in 1971. In 1988, Corman contributed an essay to the New York Times Magazine on his Bronx neighborhood, which he reprints here. Lively and concise, it contrasts with the bland and fragmented quality of the rest of the memoir.
A GREAT AND GLORIOUS ADVENTURE A History of the Hundred Years War and the Birth of Renaissance England Corrigan, Gordon Pegasus (320 pp.) $27.95 | Jul. 15, 2014 978-1-60598-579-4
Bloodshed makes for entertaining history, and military historian Corrigan (The Second World War: A Military History, 2009, etc.) takes full advantage. Charles IV of France died in 1328, leaving no children but a sister, Isabella. No law forbade her succession, but French leaders mostly opposed her, especially since she was married to the king of England, Edward II. Britons were not inclined to fight for a foreign queen but changed their minds when Edward and Isabella’s pugnacious son, Edward III (1312-1377), declared himself France’s rightful ruler in 1337. That year launched the Hundred Years’ War, brilliantly recounted here by Corrigan. A series of painful experiences in Scotland and Ireland taught that charges by armored knights, the usual medieval tactic for battle, didn’t work unless the enemy did the same, so England’s increasingly professional (i.e., paid) soldiers fought on foot, men at arms in the center flanked by archers wielding the famous longbow, the arrows of which could penetrate armor. The result were smashing victories at Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt (1415), but superior power has its limits—a lesson that is still applicable today. The tide turned after the battle at Agincourt. Joan of Arc deserves some credit, but France’s weak feudal monarchy finally transformed into a centralized state with a professional army that adopted new technology, especially the use of the cannon. When fighting ended in 1453, only the city of Calais remained in British hands. Good things followed—e.g., the Renaissance, a united France—but these hardly required vicious, exhausting campaigns over a dismal century during which the bubonic plague also figured prominently. Corrigan matches fascinating battle descriptions with accounts of how wars were financed and fought, as well as the Byzantine politics and mostly unpleasant personalities that conducted them. (16 pages of b/w illustrations and maps)
THE GESTAPO Power and Terror in the Third Reich
QUEEN VICTORIA A Life of Contradictions Dennison, Matthew St. Martin’s (208 pp.) $25.99 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-250-04889-9 978-1-4668-5001-9 e-book
Dams, Carsten; Stolle, Michael Translated by Ryland, Charlotte Oxford Univ. (256 pp.) $27.95 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-0-19-966921-9
A judicious but lively biography of the highly un-Victorian Queen Victoria (1819-1901), from journalist and historian Dennison (The Twelve Caesars: The Dramatic Lives of the Emperors of Rome, 2013, etc.). “Stubborn, hotblooded, and autocratic” is a solid description. Early-19th-century education emphasized the importance of “regulating the passions, securing morality, and establishing a sound religion.” This, not the queen’s temperament, defined the Victorian era. “As it happened, only Albert ever persuaded Victoria to regulate her passionate temper, in lessons that were painful to teacher and student,” writes the author. “After his death, there would be signs of backsliding.” Taking the throne at the age of 18, she dismissed her domineering mother (her father was long dead); however, she was certainly not a feminist and remained highly susceptible to the men in her life. Britain’s constitutional monarch was supposed to be above politics, but Victoria made no secret of her affection for some leaders (Melbourne, Disraeli) and dislike of others (Peel, Gladstone). Above all, she cherished her husband, Albert, a minor German prince whom she loved at first sight and to whom she happily submitted. As a foreigner, Albert was never admired in Britain, but unlike the case with Victoria, his approval among historians has risen steadily, and Dennison concurs. His death in 1861 devastated the queen. Mourning obsessively, she went into seclusion for a decade, which greatly diminished her popularity. Although she lacked charisma and disliked public appearances, sheer longevity converted her final decades into an apotheosis of Britain’s glory. At her death after a 63-year reign, everyone understood that a significant era had passed. Although Dennison often relies on secondary sources and rocks few boats, this is an insightful, short look at the life of an immortal if only sometimes-admirable queen.
A measured yet chilling overview of the organization and politics of Nazi Germany’s notorious core. Dams (Police Sciences/North-Rhine Westphalia School of Public Management) and Stolle (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) offer a rigorously researched account that’s familiar in its broad strokes, but their focus on the words and career arcs of key perpetrators, and the Gestapo’s paper trail, illuminates disturbing new facets. The Gestapo (from Geheime Staatspolizei, or “Secret State Police”) was essentially created by Heinrich Himmler (who would commit suicide in Allied custody) and his ruthless deputy Reinhard Heydrich (assassinated by partisans in 1942), and its aggression was forged by competition for influence with other factions like the army: “The first Gestapo Law… meant that the Gestapo was largely detached from the interior administration.” Prior to World War II, Himmler focused on restructuring domestic policing “according to National Socialist principles,” persecuting Jews, homosexuals, the “work-shy” and other enemies of the state. After 1939, Gestapo units generally followed the army’s movement into Europe. The authors emphasize how bureaucratic complexity was promulgated at every level of the Gestapo’s operation. Somehow, this eased the transition from domestic spying to active participation in genocide, initially in Eastern Europe, where they oversaw the infamous mobile killing squads. This transition from abstract clerical management “turned the officers into active enforcers of the National Socialist war of extermination…[which] then became perceptible in their service on the ‘home front.’ ” Dams and Stolle are restrained in their detailing of the accelerating narrative of mass murder and cruelty, but their emphasis on Nazi philosophy and ambition remains disturbing, as is their conclusion, where they document how initial efforts to hold Gestapo members accountable tapered off by the early 1950s—“heavily incriminated war criminals found jobs” in intelligence and other fields. An engrossing academic taxonomy of evil.
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PRECIOUS CARGO How Foods from the Americas Changed the World
JERUSALEM UNBOUND Geography, History, and the Future of the Holy City
DeWitt, David Counterpoint (256 pp.) $28.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-61902-309-3
New Mexico–based food researcher and author DeWitt (The Essential Hot Spice Guide, 2013, etc.) traces the Earthchanging ramifications of the “Columbian Exchange,” which brought indigenous American foods like chili peppers, maize and turkey back to the Old World and transformed the world’s diet. The author happily admits that he is a chili fanatic, so it is with chili peppers that he is most sympathetic and interesting. He begins the journey from the prehistoric Mayan village of Cerén, now in El Salvador, which was buried in a volcanic eruption in A.D. 590 and which revealed the oldest evidence of chiligrowing and -eating outside of Mexico. Christopher Columbus remarked on many of the unfamiliar foods he observed the natives of Puerto Rico consuming with gusto—e.g., chilis, maize, sweet potatoes, pineapple and cacao bean (chocolate). He brought many of these foods back to show the astonished Spaniards. On his second voyage, he deposited many Old World foods in America that would similarly enrich (or change adversely) the American diet and enterprise, such as sugar cane, wheat, melons, fruit trees, and livestock like pigs, cattle and sheep. Both turkey and pineapple became great favorites at European courts, while the potato was scorned as “pig food,” and the tomato was suspected of being poisonous and had to wait much longer to truly be appreciated. The author doggedly pursues how Hungarian paprika was born, thanks to the Turkish traders and occupiers, and he also examines Indian curry, as chilis mixed marvelously with the ancient spices of that land. Felicitous matches occurred with the New World pairing of cacao bean and vanilla with Old World sugar and coffee, while American foods like peanuts, sweet potatoes and avocados became valuable staples in African cuisine. An amazing journey, though the organization is meandering and digressive—frequently scattershot but ultimately satisfying.
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Dumper, Michael Columbia Univ. (336 pp.) $35.00 | $34.99 e-book | May 27, 2014 978-0-231-16196-1 978-0-231-53735-3 e-book
After almost 25 years of studying Jerusalem, Dumper (Middle East Politics/Univ. of Exeter; The Future for Palestinian Refugees, 2007, etc.) lays out a clear picture, with plenty of maps, showing the rat’s maze of boundaries in the holy city. These borders include not just the Green Line of the 1949 Armistice, the post–Six Day War border, the municipal boundary or the 2003 barrier erected by the Israeli government. There are also unseen borders in the education and electoral policies. The strongest barrier is the classification of Palestinians as either “citizens,” with a right to vote, or “permanent residents,” who are effectively treated as immigrants in their own land. All live under policies that exclude them from certain employment and residential zones and subject them to confiscation of land and property. In addition, their infrastructure and public services are inferior while police surveillance is increased. The author tries to explain both sides of the conflict in deciding whether to separate the city or find a way to share its administration. As part of the project Conflict in Cities and the Contested States, Dumper has seen solutions in divided cities that could lead to some degree of success in this seemingly intractable situation. There is no doubt that the key to peace is Jerusalem, and the author points out the most contentious issues—among, them, Israeli security concerns, the question of the sites holy to three different religions and Palestinian sovereignty east of the 1949 line. The many borders are all fluid; they are not irreversible, and when there is an incentive for the Israeli government to concede territory, there may be peace—though the author realistically states that it won’t be soon. Dumper’s partiality toward the Palestinians is obvious, and this book provides a solid counterpoint to Caroline Glick’s recent manifesto, The Israeli Solution. (12 b/w photos; 15 maps; 10 graphs)
ANOTHER GREAT DAY AT SEA Life Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush
U.S. MARSHALS Inside America’s Most Storied Law Enforcement Service
Dyer, Geoff Pantheon (208 pp.) $24.95 | May 20, 2014 978-0-307-91158-2 978-0-307-91159-9 e-book
Novelist and nonfiction author Dyer (Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room, 2012, etc.) goes to sea for an immersive, sometimes-sobering ride aboard an American aircraft carrier. Why’s a fussy eater who’s averse to sharing a room, too tall for cramped corridors and who bears an abhorrence for anything to do with engines or oil aboard the USS George H.W. Bush? From the moment he arrived on the flight deck, there was never a dull moment, which also meant there was never a moment’s peace. But the crash and thunder of jets taking off competed with a stultifying muddle of military acronyms, which Dyer tried futilely to comprehend. Of course, this British writer noted for subverting genres is much more interested in the people. He describes a Whitman-esque quality of a “fulfilled and industrious America, each person indispensable to the workings of the larger enterprise,” finding himself happily “surrounded by American voices, American friendliness, American politeness.” Dyer also locates an unexpected poetics of carrier life, the terrible beauty and lyrical maneuvers of a machine of war (and the self-perpetuating requirement of oil to make the machine go). The author rejects the microminutiae beloved of many reporters, instead capturing a broader canvas with painterly precision. Though he explodes a few persistent myths, more than once, Dyer was moved by a promotion ceremony, an act of consideration, honor or devotion to duty. Ultimately, even as mere observer, he felt privileged to be there yet just as eager to resume his normal life back on “the beach.” Though respectful, generally admiring, of those in military service, Dyer remained ambivalent; he fires broadsides against numbing (if necessary) routine, the simplistic thinking of religious conservatism prevalent on board and the inherent contradictions of having a military presence off the coasts of other lands in a way that would never be countenanced near American shores. As usual for Dyer, eccentrically intriguing, occasionally dipping into boyish wonder and spasms of sentiment. (8 pages of color photos)
Earp, Mike; Fisher, David Morrow/HarperCollins (384 pp.) $26.99 | $26.99 Lg. Prt. $24.99 Audiobook | May 13, 2014 978-0-06-222723-2 978-0-06-222726-3 e-book 978-0-06-229864-5 Lg. Prt. 978-0-06-230902-0 Audiobook
The story behind the country’s oldest law enforcement agency, the U.S. Marshals service, as told by its former associate director for operations Earp, with veteran co-author Fisher (co-author, with Tom Coughlin: Earn the Right to Win, 2013, etc.). In this real-life version of the TV series America’s Most Wanted, Earp explores the service known around the world for heroes like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson and significant events like the Shootout at the O.K. Corral and its development over the years since its formation in 1789. Established during the administration of George Washington as the police force of the federal court system, the service has a unique function in American law enforcement, and this function has been transformed— especially since the Reagan administration—as tough-on-crime policies have increased demands on law enforcement agencies. The marshals’ mandate extends across the whole republic. They are empowered to deputize agencies of federal and local government—e.g., the U.S. Forest Service, parole officers and others— to aid their operations. Anyone who has run out on a warrant for arrest, skipped court appointments, broken parole or workrelease agreements, broken out of jail or comes under one of their prioritized categories of criminal can find themselves the target of pursuit. Earp recounts how such infamous figures as Panama’s Gen. Manuel Noriega and Puerto Rican terrorist William Morales were brought to justice. The author describes their investigative methods, especially their mastery of modern technology to identify, locate and track down their targets. Each aspect of the narrative is introduced through its own kind of action story and brings to life the dangers and rewards of a deputy’s life. Earp’s tales are educational, and he highlights the ingenuity and training required to become a U.S. Marshal. A swift-moving history of and tribute to officers who are “out there at all hours of the day and night, kicking down doors, stopping vehicles, and arresting heinous fugitives.”
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“Insightful, exhaustive and engrossing—a definitive portrait of the man and the legend.” from john wayne
HOW NOT TO BE WRONG The Power of Mathematical Thinking
JOHN WAYNE The Life and Legend Eyman, Scott Simon & Schuster (512 pp.) $32.50 | Apr. 1, 2014 978-1-4391-9958-9
Ellenberg, Jordan Penguin Press (480 pp.) $27.95 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-59420-522-4
It’s time to drop the idea that mathematics is an esoteric field best left to a few academics. In fact, writes Ellenberg (Mathematics/Univ. of Wisconsin), the truth is better: Math is everywhere, and the knowledge it yields can benefit everyone. The structure of the world around us—everything from the genetics that determine height to intricacies of electoral politics—is infused with the principles of mathematics. Ellenberg, author of the “Do the Math” column at Slate, argues that math is not relegated to the set of hard and fast rules taught in classrooms. Instead, the field is an extension of common sense that has the potential for sophisticated and deeply insightful applications that produce better results than common sense alone. The author avoids heavy jargon and relies on real-world anecdotes and basic equations and illustrations to communicate how even simple math is a powerful tool. In addition to grand applications like those used in calculus or physics, mathematical principles can be wielded pragmatically to improve decisionmaking and better parse splashy claims made about the stock market or lottery—or, more humorously, claims that hidden codes embedded in the Bible can predict the future. Importantly, Ellenberg insists that improbable things happen all the time, and they can’t be taken at face value; there is frequently more information available that will improve a calculation’s result and eliminate statistical anomalies, however tempting those are to believe. The author writes that, at its core, math is a special thing and produces a feeling of understanding unattainable elsewhere: “You feel you’ve reached into the universe’s guts and put your hand on the wire.” Math is profound, and profoundly awesome, so we should use it well—or risk being wrong. Witty and expansive, Ellenberg’s math will leave readers informed, intrigued and armed with plenty of impressive conversation starters.
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A comprehensive and compelling examination of The Duke. Hollywood biographer Eyman (Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille, 2010, etc.) goes beyond a mere cataloging of film credits and biographical highlights to illuminate the process that transformed Marion Morrison (1907-1979) into cinema’s most enduring symbol of masculinity, John Wayne. The poor son of a diffident man and a difficult mother, Wayne enjoyed social success in his school career due to his good looks, winning manner and athletic prowess. However, after an injury ended his football scholarship at the University of Southern California, he angled his way into a job as a prop boy at various movie studios. His commanding height, strength and graceful bearing were noted by director Raoul Walsh, who cast him in a small role, which led to a mostly undistinguished career cranking out generic, low-budget Westerns for Poverty Row studios such as Monogram and Republic. Eyman vividly evokes the humiliation and difficulty of those years in the trenches, where the canny Wayne devoted himself to learning every aspect of moviemaking and performing effectively for the camera. When John Ford gave Wayne his big break in Stagecoach (1939), the actor was ready. Eyman devotes much attention to the complicated but rewarding relationship between Wayne and Ford— the two would partner on an astonishing number of classic films—which would cement Wayne’s image in the public mind as film’s pre-eminent avatar of American manhood. Wayne’s personal life was as full of incident as his roles, including a tempestuous series of marriages, a long-term affair with screen siren Marlene Dietrich and controversy surrounding his conservative political views. Throughout, Eyman portrays Wayne as a man of hidden dimensions: a regular guy who liked to smoke and drink with his buddies and who was also a formidable chess player; a controlling figure on the set also capable of tremendous kindness and generosity; and an untrained actor who mastered the art of film performance. Insightful, exhaustive and engrossing—a definitive portrait of the man and the legend. (24-page b/w insert)
NORTH KOREA State of Paranoia: A Modern History
PAPYRUS The Plant that Changed the World: From Ancient Egypt to Today’s Water Wars
French, Paul Zed Books (480 pp.) $19.95 paper | May 27, 2014 978-1-78032-947-5
A thorough probing of the ongoing causes behind North Korea’s “march of misery.” There is no shortage of recent works by Westerners attempting to crack the deeply insulated pariah state of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, most notably Andrei Lankov’s The Real North Korea and Victor Cha’s The Impossible State. Yet Shanghai-based Asia commentator French (Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China, 2012, etc.) offers excellent insight into the economic machinations that have kept the Kim dynasty afloat since 1948 despite catastrophic cycles of industrial collapse, famine, nuclear brinkmanship and military oppression. One of the last Cold War holdouts, the DPRK, unlike China, is so entrenched in its guiding philosophy of Juche, or self-sufficiency, that it has been unable to instigate the same kinds of economic reforms as China. Not without trying: French carefully looks at the North Korean attempts, under Kim Jongil and the watchful eyes of the Chinese, to instigate some muchneeded reforms in 2002—e.g., price reforms and the ending of the public distribution system, along with the implementation of a special economic zone, Sinuiju, which failed largely due to the lack of any infrastructure in the area. The wasteful and absurd policies of the rigid command economy mean there is no room for the development of private enterprise. Coupled with the discouragement of foreign investment, outmoded industry, unwise agricultural systems and underutilized natural resources, French sees the recipe for repeated economic stagnation and decline, forcing the DPRK to rely on subsidies from the Soviet Union (while they lasted) and China. As long as the Kim leadership pursues its “military first” campaign, thereby spending its precious resources on a huge standing army rather than feeding its own people or engaging diplomatically, the “drip-feeding” by the West will be its only sustaining option. An astute work that examines all facets of this Orwellian state.
Gaudet, John Pegasus (272 pp.) $28.95 | Jun. 15, 2014 978-1-60598-566-4
The hardy reed that stood at the center of ancient Egyptian civilization can foster sustainable growth in the 21st century, asserts ecologist Gaudet (Island of Pigs, 2011, etc.). The papyrus serves as a focus for the author’s broad exploration of the vital role that wetlands (including papyrus swamps) play in preserving and replenishing the global environment. Indeed, the plant’s history is not especially well-conveyed in the book’s scattershot opening chapters, which confusingly mix a history of papyrus use and mythology in ancient Egypt with tales of 19th- and 20th-century European explorers in Africa, plus such present-day swamp-dwellers as Louisiana’s Cajuns. None of it serves any clear purpose, but in the much better chapters that follow, Gaudet hits his stride, chronicling decades of misguided dam-building and swamp-draining that, combined with accelerating urbanization, have created horrific pollution problems and water shortages across Africa and the Middle East. Gaudet is not a doomsayer, however; he points to such hopeful signs for the future as Israel’s Huleh Nature Reserve, which partially restored a wetland area shortsightedly drained in the 1950s, bringing many wild birds (and tourists) back to the area. Other positive developments include regional cooperation on the Transaqua Project, intended to revive the dying wetlands of Lake Chad, and the Nile Basin Initiative, to protect the water resources of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Papyrus plays an important role since papyrus swamps can inexpensively filter polluted water and slow water loss from evaporation. Yet many obstacles remain—e.g., witness the 22-year civil war that erupted in part over a bypass canal that would have drained the Sudd, a vast complex of wetlands that nourishes rural South Sudan, to line the pockets of North Sudanese businessmen and provide more water for urbanized Egypt, which killed off its own papyrus swamps a millennium ago. The challenges are daunting, but Gaudet’s detailed, undogmatic account of multiple attempts to counter overdevelopment with better practices inspires cautious optimism. (8 pages of color images; b/w maps and illustrations throughout)
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KIDDING OURSELVES The Hidden Power of SelfDeception Hallinan, Joseph T. Crown (304 pp.) $25.00 | May 20, 2014 978-0-385-34868-3
A breezy, anecdotal survey of selfdeception and how it is not merely inevitable, but helpful and even essential. Former Wall Street Journal writer Hallinan (Why We Make Mistakes, 2009) works in territory similar to Malcolm Gladwell’s: giving fresh twists to familiar assumptions, showing that conventional wisdom can be more conventional than wise. Journalists call this a “conceptual scoop,” when a writer isn’t the first to report facts but the first to provide (or popularize) a different framing or interpretation that challenges what most people think they know. In this case, the author begins with the inarguable premise that what we believe, experience and anticipate is dependent upon how we perceive things and that we often perceive things less the way they are than how we want them to be. However, plenty of good can result from our penchant for deluding ourselves, feeling more optimistic than the situation warrants and believing we have more control than in fact we do. “Seeing things accurately, by which we mean seeing things ‘as they are,’ is not always a plus,” writes Hallinan. “Sometimes it’s a hindrance, and this is especially true when things are really bleak. There is, for instance, a strong connection between depression and realism. Decades of research suggest that if you want a realistic assessment of things, ask someone who is depressed.” Looking on the bright side not only makes us happier (if deluded), but also more productive, and it can even have predictive effects on outcome (the selffulfilling prophecy). Hallinan’s survey ranges all over the map, rarely stopping anywhere for more than a couple of paragraphs or pages, as he fits nearly everything under a big umbrella, from a variety of urban myths (and mass delusions) to the effectiveness of placebos to the refusal of some conservatives to admit that Barack Obama is not a foreign-born Muslim. A genial, occasionally glib guide to both the positive and negative effects of self-delusion.
A DIFFICULT PAR Robert Trent Jones Sr. and the Making of Modern Golf
Hansen, James R. Gotham Books (512 pp.) $32.50 | May 8, 2014 978-1-59240-823-8
Hansen (First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, 2005, etc.) returns with the complicated story of the celebrated golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1906-2000). 54
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The author has clearly inhaled the extensive Jones archive at Cornell (which he attended and where he designed nine holes of the university course) and delivers a narrative rich in detail (sometimes over-rich) about a transformational figure in the history of golf. There are really several stories here. Hansen relates the biography of Jones (no relation to golfing legend Bobby Jones, though the two were friends and sometimes worked together), the cultural and social histories of golf in the United States and beyond, the processes of designing and building a golf course and, sadly, the internecine warfare that erupted between his two sons, Bobby and Rees, both of whom entered the business, as well. Young Jones’ interest in golf began in mercenary fashion (he was caddying for cash); then he discovered he could play well but not well enough to prosper. He got interested in design, went to Cornell for some courses in landscape architecture and then embarked on a career in golf course design and construction. He made and lost fortunes but by the 1960s was generally acknowledged as the best in the world. Players weren’t always happy, however, since his courses were/ are demanding. Hansen tells us about the construction of some of his great courses—and redesigns—including Baltusrol, Oak Hill, Firestone and myriads of others. (The author appends a list of them all.) Golf aficionados will appreciate the detail about the courses and about some of the key matches he recounts. Those interested in the business aspects of Jones’ enterprises will sigh about his questionable judgment at key points in his career, and those interested in family dynamics will find much to ponder—e.g., a bitter filial rivalry and an embittered mother whose will caused problems for everyone. Hansen ably shows us a life filled with unrivaled success and deep end-of-life disappointment.
UNTAMED The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island Harlan, Will Grove (320 pp.) $26.00 | May 6, 2014 978-0-8021-2258-2
Blue Ridge Outdoors editor in chief Harlan intimately and expansively profiles a fearless Southern island dweller. A small, bridgeless barrier island off the Georgia coast, Cumberland is home to countless endangered species and three major ecosystem regions. It is also home to Carol Ruckdeschel, a self-taught biologist who has integrated herself into the lush landscape and lived off the land for much of her adult life. Harlan met this intrepid “Jane Goodall of sea turtles” while he was a park ranger and shadowed her for two decades, impeccably documenting in field notes and journals her ramshackle cabin life of “packrat practicality.” Ruckdeschel was a rowdy only child born during the early stages of World War II, a solitary, curious tomboy who skipped church to commune with feral cats and turtles while her father taught her to shoot rifles and appreciate liquor.
“A delightful new translation of what is widely considered the first work of history and nonfiction.” from the histories
Her interest in the biological world bled into young adulthood; she was obsessed with dissecting animal carcasses as she taught herself outdoor skills and drank, which caused her expulsion from college. Undeterred, Ruckdeschel immersed herself in natural history studies and married the first of her three husbands, all of whom she would divorce. Perhaps to soothe a broken heart, Harlan presumes, she retreated for the marshes and mountains of Cumberland, where she has resided as an increasingly feral inhabitant ever since. Her grass-roots activism has kept her spirited love of the island and its wild inhabitants sustained as she forcefully combats developers thirsty to capitalize on the land’s natural resources and sweeping vistas. Harlan’s painstaking detailing of the island’s history includes the legacy of the Carnegie family and the ruins of their antebellum plantation houses and mansions. Ruckdeschel’s extremist legacy and tireless wilderness preservation campaigns are sweepingly recorded here in arresting detail. A moving homage and an adventure story that artfully articulates the ferocities of nature and humanity.
and then waiting to vote again when sober. The gifts Herodotus gave history are the importance of identifying multiple sources and examining differing views. A feast for students of ancient history and budding historians of any period.
CHURCHILL AND EMPIRE A Portrait of an Imperialist James, Lawrence Pegasus (460 pp.) $28.95 | Jun. 15, 2014 978-1-60598-569-5
An intriguing new look into both imperialism and a fascinating historical figure. Prolific historian James (Aristocrats: Power, Grace and Decadence—Britain’s Great Ruling Classes from 1066 to the Present, 2009, etc.) homes in on the tumultuous years between 1898 and 1955—the span of time in which Winston Churchill (18741965) started as a staff officer and finished his last day of his second term on Downing Street. The author filters a vast amount of information into a brisk narrative of volatile geopolitics, and he punctuates it with anecdotes and personal moments from Churchill’s life. While examining the Dardanelles campaign, James pauses to consider Churchill’s nightly routine, “during which, fuelled by champagne and brandy, he expounded his views on the war and his vital part in its direction.” Just as the histories of the colonies are enlivened by Churchill’s quick wit and powerful persona, the motivations behind his political agendas and battle strategies take on interesting new dimensions through this colonial lens. James eschews a traditional biography, referencing Churchill’s upbringing and past only when necessary. What he does highlight is the man’s antiquated belief in “empires as the engines of progress that were adding to the sum of human happiness.” James deftly sprints through the long list of battles during Churchill’s career, focusing particularly on his struggles in Palestine and India and the complex aftermath of both world wars, when he found himself “trapped between his instinctive urge to hammer the enemies of the Empire into submission and the need to uphold its moral character.” This results in a book that is more analytic than informative, more likely to question grand notions of liberty and duty than to inform readers on the basics of the two historical forces in its title. Exciting but very specific, this work will appeal most to those already knowledgeable about the subjects and looking for fresh insights.
THE HISTORIES
Herodotus Translated by Holland, Tom Viking (840 pp.) $40.00 | May 19, 2014 978-0-670-02489-6 A delightful new translation of what is widely considered the first work of history and nonfiction. Herodotus has a wonderful, gossipy style that makes reading these histories more fun than studying the rise of the Persian Empire and its clash with Greece—however, that’s exactly what readers will do in this engaging history, which is full of interesting digressions and asides. Holland (In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire, 2012, etc.), whose lifelong devotion to Herodotus, Thucydides and other classical writers is unquestionable, provides an engaging modern translation. As Holland writes, Herodotus’ “great work is many things—the first example of nonfiction, the text that underlies the entire discipline of history, the most important source of information we have for a vital episode in human affairs—but it is above all a treasure-trove of wonders.” Those just being introduced to the Father of History will agree with the translator’s note that this is “the greatest shaggy-dog story ever written.” Herodotus set out to explore the causes of the Greco-Persian Wars and to explore the inability of East and West to live together. This is as much a world geography and ethnic history as anything else, and Herodotus enumerates social, religious and cultural habits of the vast (known) world, right down to the three mummification options available to Egyptians. This ancient Greek historian could easily be called the father of humor, as well; he irreverently describes events, players and their countless harebrained schemes. Especially enjoyable are his descriptions of the Persians making significant decisions under the influence |
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Lewis Dartnell
In The Knowledge, a Popular Science Writer Imagines a Reboot of Civilization By Gregory McNamee ily due to an apocalypse as such, but perhaps just because we’ve run out of smarts, ideas and will. Or dollars. Or electricity. In a scenario of ruin and collapse, you’ll want to be among the few survivors who have mad skills for rebooting civilization. Your first task won’t be rebuilding the library or getting public TV back on the air but instead, as Dartnell says, taking care of the basics: “to ensure you can scavenge adequate food and clean water for yourself, and without a healthcare system, to try and avoid injury or infections as best as possible.” Scavenging food and clean water will be no easy matter when purification systems and refrigeration fail, of course, and avoiding injury may require practice in evasive action, given the likelihood of roving gangs of competitors and the need to do some exploring in dark places, inasmuch as the lights have gone off all over the world. The next job, then, is to get the lights burning again—and there’s the rub, for who among us knows how to run a power plant? “Over the years,” says Dartnell, “as remnant resources inevitably begin to run out or deteriorate, you’ll need to relearn how to grow your own food, produce your own clothes from natural materials, and begin rebuilding civilization from scratch.” All that requires a knowledge of basic science, to say nothing of a green thumb and the ability to drive a nail—all things that The Knowledge covers by way of a syllabus and all things that adherents to the prepper way of life might want to be working on, even as they keep their guns oiled and their bags packed. The world of the future may well look like something out of Thunderdome—or even Blade Runner or Elysium, if the 1 percent manages to get offworld before the hard rain starts to fall. On that score, Dart-
Maybe the world ends with a mushroom cloud or a liquid cough or even a zombie apocalypse. Whatever the case, to judge by the reports that are filtering out of august places such as the United Nations and NASA, we humans, having befouled our nests for far too long, have just about played out our time as the lords of all we survey. Think end of the world as we know it. Think extremely bad vibes. Think, as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome instructs us, of a dying time that’s well and truly here. In his new book The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch, a title that wouldn’t be at all out of place in Bartertown’s public library, British scientist and science writer Lewis Dartnell imagines that civilization has come grinding to a halt—not necessar56
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nell, who lives near London, just happens to be a research fellow at the U.K. Space Agency. Asked whether he took the job in order to secure a bunk on a skedaddling space shuttle, Dartnell says it’s a happy accident. “My research is in a field of science called astrobiology,” he notes. “I focus on the possibility of microbial life on Mars and how best to search for signs of it. Astrobiology is all about the planetary conditions required by life, and I’ve also been thinking a lot about what fundamentals are required for supporting civilization.” Those fundamentals are as simple as keeping your supply of drinking water fresh and clean and as complex as performing surgery—again, all points covered in The Knowledge but demanding preparation and forethought and demanding that we think about things that must of us would rather not contemplate. On that score, Dartnell assures Kirkus that his aim isn’t really to scare us into changing course to avoid apocalypse, although he allows that it might be nice if we could all forestall catastrophe for at least a little while longer. Instead, The Knowledge is akin to the “way things work” books of the artist-writer David Macauley, showing how complex the makings of civilization—the engines, the infrastructure, all the things we take for granted—really are. Given the choice, and given the monumental hassle involved, none of us should really clamor for the chance to rebuild civilization from scratch, as Dartnell puts it. But in the end, we may not have a choice, in which case The Knowledge will prove a valuable owner’s guide for a difficult but not impossible future.
After the Apocalypse, the Finer Pursuits To rebuild civilization, you’ve got to know how to cook up a lathe, sew up a wound and patch a pothole. After mastering those skills, you can move on to finer pursuits. As shown here, Lewis Dartnell took a self-portrait with a handmade camera and developed it using simple silver chemistry—for, as he notes in The Knowledge, photography isn’t just a medium for art, but also a “key enabling technology across numerous fields of science.” Fortunately for survivors of the apocalypse, the chemistry is simple, requiring soluble silver converted into an insoluble salt. You’ll need some silver and some nitric acid. Coat a sheet of paper with egg whites and dissolved table salt—you’ve been raising chickens and mining salt, haven’t you?—and allow it to dry. Dissolve the silver in the nitric acid, which creates silver nitrate. Spread it over the paper to create silver chloride. When light rays reach this paper, it will record an image. Now all you need to do is invent a camera, for which Dartnell provides instructions. Getting the silver, though, is easy—as Dartnell notes, “a single silverware teaspoon contains enough of the pure element to produce over 1,500 photographic prints.” —G.M.
Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor at Kirkus Reviews.
The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World From Scratch Dartnell, Lewis Morrow/HarperCollins Penguin Press (336 pp.) $27.95 | Apr. 21, 2014 978-1-59420-523-1
The Knowledge was reviewed in the Apr. 1, 2014, issue of Kirkus Reviews.
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“British biologist Jones has fun examining miraculous biblical tales with the gimlet eye of science.” from the serpent’s promise
THE SERPENT’S PROMISE The Retelling of the Bible Through the Eyes of Modern Science
THE FIXER The Notorious Life of a FrontPage Bail Bondsman Judelson, Ira with Daniel Paisner Touchstone/Simon & Schuster (320 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4516-9933-3
Jones, Steve Pegasus (448 pp.) $27.95 | Jun. 15, 2014 978-1-60598-542-8
British biologist Jones (Darwin’s Island, 2009, etc.) has fun examining miraculous biblical tales with the gimlet eye of science. The author doesn’t go in for hard-boiled trashing of the Bible but rather stands back, takes a fresh look, and discovers where adherents and scientists part company. Sometimes the divide is fairly clear-cut: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth—or there was a “closed spherical space-time of zero radius.” But sometimes faith and science can coexist. Pituitary tumors could account for giants. Money may well be the root of all evil, although as Jones wisely points out, human beings (gender: male) come a close second or perhaps trump money, since it’s their creation. Celibacy? Like everything, there are pros and cons, though the pros are devilishly beguiling. After all, as Jones writes with his characteristic bright sense of humor, “[t]he cost of sex involves much more than the effort and annoyance associated with the act itself and the genetic events behind it. Liaisons with males force females to squander their energies in copying the genes of another individual, and to dilute their own investment with progeny who carry his DNA.” The author has some rough things to say about those who downplay or ignore the miraculous and the magical, which certainly can provide a spiritual lift. Still, in the end, Jones comes down on the side of rationalism: “From the cosmos to the continents and from primeval slime to philosophy, everything evolves. Science is an attempt to recover the process.” A central problem of faith is that quarrels frequently lead to disaster, and the more extensive the membership, the more the conflicts. What does God want? With enough believers, anything. Fair but uncompromising, counseling us to slough what William Blake called the “ ‘mind-forg’d manacles’ of organized religion” and practice something universal: science.
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Acidic account of the little-understood profession of bail bondsman. “You don’t want to need to call me— but I’m a good guy to have on your side if you do,” writes Judelson, who is unapologetic about the strange inverse morality of being determined to provide for his clients’ well-being despite, in many cases, their involvement in serious crime: “I don’t give a shit if you’re innocent. That’s not my problem.” Furthermore, each bond Judelson writes represents major financial risk; as depicted in movies, clients do sometimes flee, requiring pursuit by bounty hunters. With Paisner (co-author: Qaddafi’s Point Guard: The Incredible Story of a Professional Basketball Player Trapped in Libya’s Civil War, 2013, etc.), Judelson explains all this, and tells his life story, in a street-wise patois fortunately leavened by self-depreciation, as regarding his misspent youth: “I had a criminal history....Like an idiot, I didn’t think [the state would] run my fingerprints.” The author eventually discovered that a distant relative, “Uncle Phil” Konvitz, was “the go-to guy for bonds in the whole metropolitan area,” and he was able to ease his entry into this generally closed-off profession. Much of the narrative is a colloquial overview of Judelson’s success since then, which he modeled on Konvitz’s discreet power-broker style of networking on both sides of the law. The ambitious author first pursued business with prominent defense attorneys, who connected him with high-level organized crime clients. They are prudently left unnamed, but Judelson claims these “made men” hold him in the highest esteem. He is equally proud of his relationships with famous rappers and athletes who’ve dallied with guns and drugs (DMX, Plaxico Burress) and with some notorious upper-crust transgressors, like former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Khan: “No one had ever written a $5 million bail before.” The author intersperses these anecdotes with discussions of his long-suffering family and the intricate calculations involved in developing bond packages, resulting in a flavorful if disorganized exposé of this gritty corner of the underground. Will appeal to readers of true crime and law enforcement narratives.
PILGRIM Risking the Life I Have to Find the Faith I Seek
he’s read many, for pleasure at least. On his honeymoon, someone offered him a James Patterson novel, but he didn’t see how that could add to the fun of the beach and the booze. (The opening line of the book is, “Bong hits are like strippers: they’re best shared with a group of friends.”) Some books within the expanding genre of comedian memoir help aspiring readers learn how to emulate the career progression or at least illuminate what sort of character traits are likely to lead to success. Kreischer’s path was singular—while still in college (six years without graduating), he received a cold call from a Rolling Stone reporter who wanted a tour guide to partying on campus, which turned into an extended feature in the magazine on the premier party animal, which inspired the movie National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, which led to comedy clubs and TV programs. Many of his stories are like many other people’s stories—fumbling adolescent sex, frat hazing, drugs and drinking—balanced by what appears to be surprising maturity as a husband and father, though he’s not above using his daughters for jokes that might make other fathers cringe: “I hope [they] will take advantage of all that college has to offer (except, obviously, for the designer drugs and virginity-saving anal sex).” The market for this sophomoric book likely consists of men who don’t read many others.
Kravitz, Lee Hudson Street/Penguin (304 pp.) $25.95 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-1-59463-125-2
A New Yorker’s wandering spiritual memoir. In his late 50s, former Parade editor in chief Kravitz (Unfinished Business: One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to Do the Right Things, 2010) decided that he needed to find a spiritual dimension to his life. Raised as a Jew, he rejected the religion of his family out of hand due to a distaste for the services of his youth. As a young man, Kravitz dabbled in Christianity but then spent nearly four decades suppressing or ignoring any spiritual desires and instincts. This was largely due to the fact that his wife (also born Jewish) was steadfastly atheist. Though Kravitz paints his wife’s atheism as a source of tension, readers find her to be a tolerant, even supportive, partner in the midst of his quest for meaning. Given the book’s subtitle, readers await a climactic moment of conflict, yet nothing of the sort arises. Kravitz seems to be risking little for his faith, and his struggle seems especially insignificant in the shadow of his immigrant ancestors’ memories. The author’s two-year journey of faith traditions was one that could only exist in a place like New York. He sat in on Quaker meetings and was drawn into transcendental meditation. He explored chanting and Buddhism and even consulted with an astrologer. In the end, he settled on Jewish Renewal, in which mysticism and Eastern religions inform ancient Jewish ritual, and he joined a Renewal synagogue near his home. Readers may be convinced that this might simply be a pit stop, not an ending point, for the author. Kravitz is unclear on whether he believes in an actual, supernatural God, though he makes it clear that he is unconcerned what path his children take, “[a]s long as they lead empathic, meaning-filled lives.” An unsatisfying memoir of the search for meaning.
WAR AND GOLD A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures, and Debt Kwarteng, Kwasi PublicAffairs (432 pp.) $28.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-58648-768-3
In Ghosts of Empire: Britain’s Legacies in the Modern World (2012), conservative Parliament member Kwarteng delivered an impressive chronicle of the long-term effects of British colonial rule. This book, about the economics of war and the use and abuse of the gold standard, is a bit less readable, but still informative, for those not well-versed in economic theory. The author easily explains Robert Peel’s theory of balanced budget and sound currency and follows up with Keynes’ theory of borrowing and stimulating the economy. With the advent of 20th-century economics, the picture became more convoluted. The theory that war is the greatest influence on fiscal policy was illustrated beginning with the 17th century and the Habsburg’s perpetual need to fund their imperialism. While vast, the amount of gold and silver coming from their New World holdings was still not enough, so they had to borrow. Gold is the real story here, as Kwarteng traces the gold supply and who has held it, as well as the development of central banks as lenders of last resort. Funding for wars usually came from increased taxes and customs duties, but borrowing was inevitably the major source of capital. Usually, it came down to the country holding the biggest gold reserves. The British dropped the gold standard with the beginning of World War I in 1914, and gold was pegged to
LIFE OF THE PARTY Stories of a Perpetual Man-Child
Kreischer, Bert St. Martin’s (256 pp.) $25.99 | May 27, 2014 978-1-250-03025-2
Another comedian extends his brand to the printed page. Though stand-up comics once shared their material primarily in clubs, onstage, the career has gone multiplatform: social media, viral video, TV development deals, film projects and, once sufficient name recognition has been achieved, a book deal. Kreischer doesn’t really have a book in him, and by his account, it’s unlikely that |
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“In trademark Lewis fashion, a data-rich but all-too-human tale of ‘heuristic data bullshit and other mumbo jumbo’ in the service of gaming the financial system, courtesy of—yes, Goldman Sachs and company.” from flash boys
the U.S. dollar at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference. That made the dollar convertible to gold, a dangerous situation that forced President Richard Nixon to close the “gold window” in 1971. Should we return to the gold standard? Has oil taken the place of gold on the world economic stage? Who will be the next big power? Kwarteng does not provide all the answers, but he does give a solid overview of the possibilities.
ZERO SIX BRAVO The Explosive True Story of How 60 Special Forces Survived Against an Iraqi Army of 100,000 Lewis, Damien Quercus (324 pp.) $26.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-62365-137-4
Journalist Lewis (co-author: Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog, 2011, etc.) highlights the soldier’s point of view in a tale from the front lines in Iraq. In the spring of 2003, 60 soldiers were given orders to infiltrate Iraq from the northern border and negotiate the surrender of Iraqi forces, numbering nearly 100,000 in the area. Mostly British special services, with a few American and Australian soldiers in the mix, the men underwent three weeks of special desert training. While some of the older and/or more senior men had fought in the first Iraq war, most of the soldiers were completely new to both desert combat and working from vehicles. Lewis tells the story of the operation from the point of view of an older soldier, Steve Grayling, though he acknowledges in the introduction that many names have been changed. Grayling was one of the few soldiers who had fought in Iraq before the Zero Six Bravo mission, and his narrative voice lends experience, gravitas and an appropriate amount of humor to the story. From the beginning, the operation was plagued with seemingly insurmountable problems. In addition to a serious training deficit, they were also dealing with lack of intel, little to no backup, a serious sleep deficit and supply constraints. Lewis does an excellent job of maintaining tension despite readers’ knowledge that the men survive. He vividly recounts the soldiers’ fatigue, stress and fear, arguing that many of the media reports, which often claimed desertion and cowardice, were simply wrong. Though acronyms and technical terms abound, they rarely interrupt the flow of the narrative, and Lewis includes a glossary to ease confusion. While the book will appeal mostly to military history and combat tale buffs, the story is suspenseful and wellwritten enough for a wider audience to enjoy.
FLASH BOYS A Wall Street Revolt Lewis, Michael Norton (288 pp.) $27.95 | Mar. 31, 2014 978-0-393-24466-3
In trademark Lewis (Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, 2011, etc.) fashion, a data-rich but all-too-human tale of “heuristic data bullshit and other mumbo jumbo” in the service of gaming the financial system, courtesy of—yes, Goldman Sachs and company. That stuff you see on TV about dinging bells and ulcerstricken traders pacing the floor of the New York Stock Exchange? It’s theater. The real speculative economy lives invisibly in little wires that go to nodes in out-of-the-way places, monitored by computer, shares bought and sold by algorithm. If you send a sell order, it might get intercepted for a fraction of a second by an intermediary that can manipulate the order to squeeze off one one-hundredth of a penny in profit—small on the individual level but big when you consider the millions of trades made every day. Both the system and that process are considerably more complex than that, but this fact remains: It dawned on someone that a person could grow rich laying ever faster optic cables to selected clients, cutting deals with the governments of towns and counties “in order to be able to tunnel through them,” all perfectly legal if not exactly in the spirit of the market. Lewis follows his tried-and-true methods of taking a big story of this sort and deconstructing it to key players, some on the inside, some on the outside, at least one an unlikely hero. In this case, that unlikely hero is an exceedingly mildmannered Japanese-Canadian banker who assembled a team of techies and numbers nerds to track the nefarious ways of the HFT world—that is, the high-frequency traders and the firms that engaged in “dark pool arbitrage” as just another asset in their portfolios of corruption. If you’ve ever had the feeling that the system is out for itself at your expense, well, look no further. A riveting, maddening yarn that is causing quite a stir already, including calls for regulatory reform.
TOXIN TOXOUT Getting Harmful Chemicals Out of Our Bodies and Our World
Lourie, Bruce; Smith, Rick St. Martin’s (336 pp.) $25.99 | May 6, 2014 978-1-250-05133-2 978-1-4668-5586-1 e-book
Canadian environmentalists Smith and Lourie collaborate again in a followup to Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Effects Our Health (2010). 60
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As in their previous book, the authors offer themselves as guinea pigs. This time, they focus on “the multibillion-dollar detox industry.” In response to the intense interest” awakened by their previous investigation, they examine how the body can eliminate harmful toxins. Though Smith and Lourie welcome a long-term trend to reduce the pollutants in our environment, they respect their readers’ immediate concerns about health and vitality. To what extent can the body rid itself of the contaminants released by common household items, from pesticides to plastic containers, as well as preservatives in cosmetics and processed food? With a group of collaborators, they first compared ordinary cosmetic products to their green counterparts, using a multipart urine analysis. On the first day, in order to establish a base line, participants went cold turkey on cosmetics. On the second day, they used conventional products provided by the authors, followed by another cosmetic-free day and then a day using only green personal care items. The green products were clear winners, but as Lourie notes, despite our best efforts, we are “exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of potentially harmful chemicals.” Then the authors investigated the effectiveness of a variety of alleged detox mechanisms—e.g., fasting, chelation therapy, ionic footbaths, sauna therapy and more. Although ingesting chelating agents is a proven remedy for serious cases of heavy metal poisoning, the agents also remove important minerals from the body. Judging by the analysis of their own urine before and after, the authors found insignificant improvement in most cases, and they often experienced significant discomfort. A useful warning against embarking on detoxification without medical supervision.
MY TWO ITALIES
Luzzi, Joseph Farrar, Straus and Giroux (224 pp.) $22.00 | Jul. 15, 2014 978-0-374-29869-2 Memoir from Luzzi (Italian/Bard Coll.; Romantic Europe and the Ghost of Italy, 2008, etc.), who, as the first American-born child of Italian immigrants, felt alienated from his parents’ roots. Raised in suburban Rhode Island, educated at Tufts University and Yale, he felt closer to the aesthetically rarefied Italy of Dante and Michelangelo than to the poverty and superstition of his family’s native Calabria. There were two Italies, the poet Shelley had taught him, “one sublime and the other odious.” Popular media further fueled his “cultural schizophrenia,” with Italian-Americans portrayed as thugs in The Sopranos and The Godfather. Italian-American identity remains enigmatic, Luzzi believes, since “our pride in our ancestors grows with the distance we set between them and ourselves.” Attempting to bridge that distance, Luzzi embarked on a journey of discovery, examining the social, political and cultural differences between the wealthy, Europeanized north and the “carnal violence” of the south, his parents’ background, and his own fraught relationship with Florence, where he has
lived. Family, he discovered, is central to Italian life. Mothers, for example, selflessly fulfill the needs of their sons well into adulthood. “In Italy,” Luzzi found, “unmarried men don’t cut the umbilical cord and apron strings; they stretch them out.” Family loyalty, though, prevents the formation of “informal civic traditions” that foster a sense of “national community.” Cynicism, coupled with a celebration of “the art of living rather than…the ties that bind” has resulted, Luzzi concludes, in “an unhealthy Italian body politic.” Italy today, writes the author, is mired in crisis: an aging population, deadening bureaucracy, rising unemployment and endless corruption. Luzzi’s evocative personal history and incisive cultural critique illuminate the complex forces that have shaped his own identity. Being Italian and American, he comes to realize, has been both a bountiful gift and “an ethnic cross I had to bear.” (17 b/w illustrations)
D-DAY Minute by Minute
Mayo, Jonathan Marble Arch/Simon & Schuster (288 pp.) $25.00 | $12.99 e-book | May 20, 2014 978-1-4767-7294-3 978-1-4767-7295-0 e-book An engrossing work that cuts and pastes chaotic events for order and sense in a manner very much like fiction. Mayo, who previously tackled The Assassination of JFK: Minute by Minute, has found through the use of montage an effective way to tell the history of these momentous events fed by thousands of smaller stories that make up the whole. Indeed, there are so many parts to the Allied invasion that the only way to tell it comprehensively is by picking and choosing and editing in the present tense, from the actions of the humble American GI, quaking with fear at the tumult coming, to the inner workings of the Map Room of Southwick House, London, where Cmdr. Dwight Eisenhower nervously awaited the weather report for June 6. All the world knew the invasion was coming, even the Germans, but the exact moment was an amazingly well-kept secret. Even when the action started, with the BBC’s reading of a Verlaine poem that acted as a coded message to the French Resistance, German intelligence and field marshals Gerd von Rundstedt and Erwin Rommel, lulled by the bad weather and the effectiveness of the deceptive Allied Operation Fortitude, did not believe it was the real thing. Gradually, Mayo puts the pieces together, chronologically, aided by different fonts and typefaces, from extracts of conversations and diaries—e.g., that of Joseph Goebbels, commenting on the Fuhrer’s good mood, and Anne Frank, whose attic-bound family eagerly anticipated the invasion—to the troops’ horrifically nauseous crossing of the English Channel, the enormous strains on airborne and infantry divisions under fire on Omaha Beach, and the work of Life photographer Robert Capa. An accessible history that conveys the havoc and vast international spread of D-Day. |
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“McCalman selects his subjects judiciously and writes with flair, creating a multifaceted portrait of one of the world’s great wonders.” from the reef
THE REEF A Passionate History: The Great Barrier Reef from Captain Cook to Climate Change
THE CULTURE MAP Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
Meyer, Erin PublicAffairs (288 pp.) $26.99 | May 27, 2014 978-1-61039-250-1
McCalman, Iain Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (352 pp.) $26.00 | May 20, 2014 978-0-374-24819-2
The history of the Great Barrier Reef told through the stories of men and women who have loved or hated it, lived there, studied it, exploited it or tried to save it. McCalman (History/Univ. of Sydney; Darwin’s Armada: Four Voyages and the Battle for the Theory of Evolution, 2009, etc.) loves the reef and fears for its future. His account begins with Capt. James Cook, whose ship Endeavor ran aground there in 1770 and who feared being trapped and destroyed in the labyrinth of coral reefs. Some three decades later, while exploring the reef, Royal Navy officer Matthew grasped its immensity and named it the “Great Barrier Reefs.” In the 1840s, the naturalist and geologist Joseph Jukes wrote glowingly of the area’s beauty and accurately of the culture of the indigenous people living there, contrary to fictitious accounts of cannibalistic savages. In one fascinating chapter, McCalman recounts the tale of a young Scottish woman who survived a shipwreck and was taken in by Aborigines. In the 1890s, the British scientist-artist-photographer William Saville-Kent studied the reef intensely for four years, producing a masterpiece that showed the world the wonders of its underwater world. In 1908, Australian E.J. Banfield’s The Confessions of a Beachcomber presented it as multiple island paradises, and the 20th-century attempts of America zoologist Alexander Agassiz to disprove Darwin’s theory of the origin of coral reefs made it the center of scientific interest. McCalman then focuses on two Cambridge scientists whose publications in the 1930s ignited the interest of tourists and inspired the actions of men and women determined to save the islands from exploitation. McCalman’s final chapter, sadly titled “Extinction,” introduces Charlie Veron, an authority on coral reefs, whose message is that forces already underway are destroying the Great Barrier Reef, a message that the author bravely, hopefully attempts to counter in the epilogue. McCalman selects his subjects judiciously and writes with flair, creating a multifaceted portrait of one of the world’s great wonders.
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A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures. “The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange. These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.
THE FOURTH REVOLUTION The Global Race to Reinvent the State
Independent journalist Miller takes a critical look at the U.S. Border Patrol from several angles, looking at the agency’s operations near Tucson (where he currently lives) and Niagara Falls, N.Y. (where he grew up), as well as El Paso, Detroit, Tampa, New Mexico and even South Carolina. When most Americans think of borders that need sealing, they tend to think of the southern one. Since its formation in 1924, however, the Patrol has had its eyes on the northern one as well. It was through Canada that many Chinese immigrants evaded the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. But since the apprehension of Ahmed Ressam, the would-be “Millennium Bomber,” in 1999, and especially since 9/11, the Patrol, its funders in Congress and others in the security-industrial complex are focused warily on the north. As one specialist put it, of the 4,000-mile border Canada and the U.S. share, “only 32 of those miles are categorized as what we say are acceptable levels.” The war on terror has brought about a boom in the security industry as the government has poured billions of dollars into Homeland Security, and the resultant expansion of the department’s power has had an effect on the older, equally fraught politics inspired by the southern border. Miller sensitively explores the effect of border insecurity on Mexican-Americans, including one unfortunate member of the patrol whose mixed sympathies cost him a promising career, and of the agency’s brutal subjugation of the ancient Tohono O’odam people, whose nation has been forcibly divided to keep those on the Mexican side of the border out of the Arizona side. An unsettling but important read.
Micklethwait, John; Wooldridge, Adrian Penguin Press (320 pp.) $27.95 | May 19, 2014 978-1-59420-539-2
Micklethwait and Wooldridge (coauthors: God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World, 2009, etc.), editor in chief and management editor, respectively, of the Economist, anticipate a coming revolution in methods of government on par with the emergence of the welfare state after World War II. The authors represent the British brand of liberalism, which is actually closer to what many Americans call conservatism, on such issues as social welfare, government finance and debt. They offer a broad review of the evolution of governments over the last three or four centuries as a backdrop to their envisioned future state, which includes elements now emerging in Singapore, China and India, as well as Denmark and Sweden. Initially, the authors focus on the education of future government elites in the technical management skills required to address the increasing challenges of globalization. The Chinese program “is about delivering efficient government in the here and now, about providing cheap health care and disciplined schools.” Examples from Denmark and Sweden show how the “onesize- fits-all offerings” of the social-democratic welfare state are being transformed by incorporating autonomy and initiative modeled from the private sector and opening up state-operated services like health care. India’s plentiful and cheap labor force provides a platform for a new phase of globalization. The United States and European Union figure in this model more as problems than participants. The American “mess” is “becoming increasingly costly,” write the authors, “taking a toll on America’s image—and, by extension, democracy’s image—abroad.” Micklethwait and Wooldridge stress that China now believes there is less to be gained from studying the West but much for the West to fear as China sets out to transform government as it did capitalism a few decades ago. A different, provocative view of the challenge emerging in Asia.
STUFF MATTERS Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World
Miodownik, Mark Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (272 pp.) $26.00 | May 27, 2014 978-0-544-23604-2 A compact, intense guided tour through a handful of physical materials, from concrete to chocolate, revealing what makes them profoundly affect our lives. Materials make up everything, including us, writes Miodownik (Materials and Society/Univ. Coll. London), and knowing something of their history, cultural influence and psychophysics (the science of our sensual interaction with them) is a gateway to understanding the world’s inner and outer complexities. The author writes with enthusiasm, empathy and gratitude, making us care for concrete or foam as much as for Mr. Darcy or the Artful Dodger. He begins with the story of his stabbing by a panhandler with a razor knife. Being a schoolboy at the time, Miodownik was less concerned with his survival than he was fascinated by the razor. What a remarkable thing, to cut through all that winter clothing and still deliver a deep wound, he thought. What is steel, anyway? From there, he takes us through the miracle of alloys: why hammering a metal makes it stronger, why we likely wouldn’t have the pyramids without
BORDER PATROL NATION Dispatches from the Front Lines of Homeland Security
Miller, Todd City Lights (258 pp.) $16.95 paper | Mar. 18, 2014 978-0-87286-631-7 978-0-87286-632-4 e-book
Solid, absorbing reportage on the government’s racist and constitutionally questionable notions of border security in the post-9/11 world. |
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“A deeply probing biography of the controversial Supreme Court justice.” from scalia
copper, what the samurai’s sword has in common with the compass’ needle. A photograph of himself having a cup of tea on the roof of his apartment building launches his exploration of the materials that make up his surroundings: paper, concrete, chocolate and its divine transformation of state, from bitter bean to “pure dark chocolate in your mouth [that] start[s] to liquefy” as the cocoa butter crystals commence to wobble. Miodownik investigates everything from the brilliant thermal properties of silica aerogel, used in insulation, to the atomic arrangement of diamonds, which have an “unusually high optical dispersion” that we call sparkle. Why we are so taken with porcelain and why a newspaper rustles are not mysteries to Miodownik, who helps us understand the complexity of inner structures. Puts the wonder and strangeness back into all the truly magical stuff that comprises our everyday reality. (65 b/w photos)
ZOOBURBIA Meditations on the Wild Animals Among Us Moses, Tai Illus. by Buchen, Dave Parallax Press (272 pp.) $14.95 paper | May 13, 2014 978-1-937006-67-9 978-1-937006-68-6 e-book
Journalist Moses shares her joy in coexisting with the wild creatures around her. After moving to suburban Oakland with her husband and cultivating a wildflower garden in her backyard that attracted birds and other wildlife, she began to appreciate the importance of urban stewardship. Drawn to the wilderness from an early age, the author explains how, where she once believed that “wild animals could be found only in a wilderness, now [she] finds wildlife everywhere: in the trees lining the sidewalks, in city parks and vacant lots…a shimmering living world of animals flourishing alongside humans.” Despite the incursions on wildlife as urban development expands, by turning small patches of ground on yards, decks, terraces and rooftops into habitats, “collectively, all of these spaces add up to tremendous amounts of land.” A key to this is the substitution of ornamental shrubs, flowers and manicured lawns with native plants that sustain an ecology of insects, worms, caterpillars, birds and small animals. Moses relates the couple’s many adventures and mishaps with refreshing verve, beginning with a doomed plan to raise their own chickens (they provided dinner for raccoons that shared their space) and a vegetable garden that the deer munched on. They were reconciled to give up farming and happily coexist with the animals already in residence. Yet when Moses witnessed a hawk with a jay in its jaws, she confronted her own ambivalence about this threat to the harmony of her little universe; and she vigilantly restrained her her cat and dog. “When the conditions in my backyard can support the presence of the monarch butterfly, that is happiness,” she writes, but there is also the pain of accepting the reality of predator and prey, life and death. 64
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A light, pleasing meditation on the joy of mindfully observing nature.
SCALIA A Court of One
Murphy, Bruce Allen Simon & Schuster (736 pp.) $35.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-7432-9649-6
A deeply probing biography of the controversial Supreme Court justice. Civil rights historian Murphy (Civil Rights/Lafayette Coll.; Wild Bill: The Legend and Life of William O. Douglas, 2003, etc.) begins by giving the long-serving justice Scalia the benefit of the doubt as a brilliant legal scholar and vigorous textualist. Ultimately, though, he becomes as incredulous and frustrated by the justice’s oppositional “originalism” and personal pugnacity as his oft-quoted observers, colleagues and critics. In setting out the life’s journey of this extraordinarily driven character, who carefully situated himself as an academic, writer, Republican team player and judge on the District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals from which the pool of Supreme Court justices were frequently plucked, the author notes an entrenched pattern of solipsistic self-righteousness that was engrained early on. Scalia was the only child (b. 1936) of ItalianAmericans in Queens; his intellectual father taught romance languages at Brooklyn College and was himself a “literalist” in textual interpretation. A brilliant student, Scalia absorbed the rigor and competitiveness of his Jesuit education, delighting in debate, and was later inculcated by the political conservatism of Harvard Law School in the 1950s. From private practice in Cleveland to teaching to moving into the reaches of power under President Richard Nixon, Scalia proved his conservative bona fides by trying to scuttle the Freedom of Information Act. A founding member of the Federalist Society, Scalia’s strict adherence to an originalist (rather than “living”) interpretation of the Constitution won him appointment to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. However, Scalia would not become a “consensus builder.” Rather, his confrontational style, especially in attacking the very conservative justices, like Sandra O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy, he hoped to sway, only alienated the middle, especially regarding such issues as freedom of speech, reproductive rights, and the separation of church and state. Murphy moves case by case in an evenhanded, thoroughgoing study. (16 pages of b/w photos)
THE SCORPION’S STING Antislavery and the Coming of the Civil War
OPENING HEAVEN’S DOOR Investigating Stories of Life, Death, and What Comes After
Oakes, James Norton (200 pp.) $23.95 | May 19, 2014 978-0-393-23993-5
Pearson, Patricia Atria (272 pp.) $25.00 | $12.99 e-book | May 13, 2014 978-1-4767-5706-3 978-1-4767-5708-7 e-book
Addresses Oakes (Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865, 2012, etc.) delivered for the Walter Lynwood Fleming Lectures at Louisiana State University are the basis for this book about the attempts to eliminate slavery while avoiding war in the United States. The metaphor of the scorpion stinging itself to death when surrounded by fire was widely used, but that doesn’t bear repeating it quite so frequently. A good deal of this book is unnecessarily repetitious but still worth the read. Abolitionists felt that surrounding the slave states with a cordon of free states would destroy slavery. Since the Constitution forbade federal interference in state policies such as slavery, no one ever stated that the Civil War was fought over slavery; it was fought to prevent its expansion into the free territories. The author ably explores the history of the basic difference between the abolitionists and pro-slavers: the view that slaves are mere items of property. All sides accepted the fact of military emancipation under which freedom was promised to slaves who would change loyalties. During the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars and the Civil War, it was accepted that the laws of war entitled belligerents to free slaves. The question was: What was allowed by the treaty that ended each war? The Treaty of Paris of 1783 contained an article requiring the English not to carry away “Negroes or other property.” The debate revolved around the fact that the “property to be returned” after the conflict included slaves who had been granted freedom. To return slaves “still on shore” for reenslavement was considered unacceptable, but demands for compensation were still debated years afterward. A wordy yet interesting book that clearly shows the deep divisions that were the real causes of the Civil War.
Insights into what people experience as they die. “The paranormal or spiritual experience comes unbidden,” writes Pearson (A Brief History of Anxiety…Yours and Mine, 2009, etc.), and yet many people are skeptical when they hear someone talking about a psychic event, a clairvoyant moment or a near-death experience. Mystified by her own encounters with the paranormal initiated by the deaths of her sister and father, Pearson set out to unravel some of the marvels surrounding death. With straightforward prose, the author examines these phenomena, particularly those moments when loved ones were close to dying and suddenly seemed at peace and happy as they acknowledged their progression from this state of being to another. Using interviews with hospice nurses, medical professionals and ordinary people from all walks of life, Pearson carefully lays out the details of each encounter. The sense of peace and unconditional love is a universal theme, as well as the healing and comforting white light associated with visions of God or other deities. Some people discuss how they knew through dreams that a loved one had just died or was on the verge of death. Others talk of seeing their bodies on operating tables or in perilous situations and yet feeling calm and in control. The author explores the unknown with genuine sincerity, providing a perspective that is informative and yet a bit awed at the prospect that there is something beyond what we experience in this realm. “Whatever the phenomenon is,” she writes, “it is extraordinary and transformative, and propels human beings far beyond what endorphin rushes or tricks of the optic nerve could ever achieve.” Readers will be humbled and filled with a sense of hope rather than fear as they realize that the deaths of loved ones, or even their own deaths, are not losses, but simply transitions. A fascinating and candid analysis of the process of dying.
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“A brave, lively writer opens up a wondrous, changing nation.” from indonesia, etc.
BECOMING FREUD The Making of a Psychoanalyst
Phillips, Adam Yale Univ. (192 pp.) $25.00 | May 27, 2014 978-0-300-15866-3
A psychoanalyst and translator of Freud summarizes the connections between Freud’s life and his creation of psychoanalysis. In this latest installment of Yale’s Jewish Lives series, Phillips (One Way and Another: Selected Essays, 2013, etc.) doesn’t offer a full biography of Freud but focuses on the “great five books” he wrote around the turn of the 20th century (among them, The Interpretation of Dreams and The Psychopathology of Everyday Life), the works that both established Freud as a significant intellectual presence in Western thought and also laid the foundation for psychoanalysis. But Phillips, not neglecting the facts of Freud’s life, sketches his family background, boyhood (he was a voracious reader), gifts as a student and decision to segue from medical practice to this thing that didn’t really yet have a name—the focus on hysteria (principally in women). We learn about his marriage, his children, his professional friendships that usually dissolved later on, his astonishing productivity, his disdain for biography (Phillips is fully aware of this particular irony), his flight from Nazi-dominated Europe and his death in London. The author also discusses how Freud, though not a practicing Jew, nonetheless had to live in a world that did not care: He was a Jew, period, and this had grave consequences for his professional life and, later, for his safety. (Some relatives who stayed behind died in the Holocaust.) Phillips tells the stories of the professors and physicians who influenced him and notes that Freud grappled with ideas most complex and even contradictory—“we are helplessly desiring creatures,” writes the author, with “an instinct for death.” Some readers accustomed to today’s breezier literary styles may wonder why Phillips favors so many page-length paragraphs. A clear and engaging—though sometimes-tendentious— summary of some key moments in an intellectual life.
INDONESIA, ETC. Exploring the Improbable Nation
Pisani, Elizabeth Norton (304 pp.) $26.95 | Jun. 23, 2014 978-0-393-08858-8
An elucidating journey through the myriad-island republic. Journalist and epidemiologist Pisani (The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS, 2008) took a year to trek among the archipelago nation she grew to admire more than 20 years before, when she posted there as a reporter for Reuters news 66
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agency. Branching out from the dominant island of Java, home to 60 percent of all Indonesians, and its modern capital of Jakarta, the author found among numerous smaller and less visited islands—as there are nearly 13,500 islands containing over 360 ethnic groups, by her estimate, she could only visit a fraction—a richness and diversity. She discovered much that was “friendly” but “schizophrenic,” “shambolic” and “unpredictable,” a vying for modernity and traditional values with plenty of elements still being figured out. Declared independent in 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese occupiers, and before that, the deeply resented Dutch, whose merchants had exploited for centuries the rich spices (cloves, nutmeg) and pearls along the archipelago, Indonesia is a nation cobbled together by the long tradition of trading, by the lingua franca of Malay, and by the astute charisma and nationalist philosophy of its founding leader, Sukarno. As a woman traveling solo, Pisani encountered some frustrating questions from villagers—e.g., why she didn’t have children—but she was usually embraced by the familial hospitality of the people she met. She unearths interesting material about the surprising, delightful and frequently bewildering spectacle of adat—a prideful tradition—which encompasses obligations, spirituality and poverty. Speaking the language and living among the villagers helped Pisani navigate this delicate system of barter and honor. She finds Indonesia gaining democratic agency after a troubling history of authoritarianism, separatist movements, the tsunami of 2004, a mismanagement of natural resources and an urgently needed bolstering of the education system. A brave, lively writer opens up a wondrous, changing nation. (25 illustrations)
RUNNING AWAY A Memoir
Powell, Robert Andrew Amazon/New Harvest (272 pp.) $24.00 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-0-544-26366-6 A memoir about a middle-aged journalist who decided that running in his father’s footsteps was his best shot at resurrection. Several years ago, with his writing career tanking and a failed marriage, Powell (This Love Is Not for Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez, 2012, etc.) happened to read a magazine article trumpeting the intoxicating running scene in Boulder, Colo. Freshly inspired, he packed up his Miami apartment, grabbed his loyal dog and hit the road intent on reinventing himself. The author recounts his personal story of how he spent a rigorous year of his life sleeping in a converted chicken coop and running among the bracing Flatirons in a bid to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon. Boston has always loomed large in Powell’s self-loathing psyche since his father set the standard decades earlier when he successfully ran the road race as a remarkable middle-aged novice. The emotionally bereft son’s complex relationship with his father runs throughout this
The author brings the case for judicial redress before the court of public opinion. (First printing of 10,000)
sinewy narrative. “He never talked about work at the dinner table when I was a kid,” writes the author. “What he did with his time, on those business trips or in that office of his, was his world alone.” During the course of his less-than-magical year of kinetic reinvention, Powell also began to consider Frank Shorter, former Olympian and curious Boulder running icon, as something close to an anti-father, the perfect obsessive and self-destructive example of how not to behave. No matter how far he ran, however, Powell couldn’t seem to put much distance between himself and the woman he originally walked out on or the subsequent women who, in turn, walked out on him. Pounding the pavement didn’t yield any easy answers, and the author’s redemption is never a foregone conclusion. In fact, by the end of Powell’s relentlessly critical self-analysis, it’s clear there’s still a lot more road left to be run. A brutally honest emotional odyssey.
THE ROMANOV SISTERS The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra Rappaport, Helen St. Martin’s (448 pp.) $27.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-250-02020-8 978-1-250-02021-5 e-book
The daughters of Czar Nicholas II and Alexandra are just the right subjects for Rappaport’s (A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy, 2012, etc.) specialties in Russian and 19th-century women’s history. This story of the four girls—Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia—is not just a standard Russian history; witness the passing references to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 and 1905 and the revolution of 1905. The author’s goal is to expose the characters of these girls, brought up very much in their mother’s vision of a simple, sheltered life. Rappaport manages to maintain reader interest even as she ticks off the repetitious tale of their boring lives: long walks with their father, sewing, study, tennis and heavy doses of religion. Each year, the family would leave the palace for vacations aboard the Shtandart, the imperial yacht, in the Baltic Sea or the Crimea, where they would pretty much do the same things. A visit to their English cousins on the Isle of Wight illustrated how little social freedom they actually had. Assassination was a way of life in Russia, and the Romanovs’ security network was so strict that the family members were restricted from leaving the ship. Their social lives were nonexistent, and their playmates were the sailors on the yacht or members of the czar’s guard. Alexandra’s weak constitution initially created the family’s isolation, which the populace saw as snobbery from the German-born czarina. Add the inept autocrat, Nicholas, the hemophilia of Czarevitch Alexei and the presence of the despised Rasputin for Alexandra’s obsessive protection, and the monarchy was ripe for a fall. A gossipy, revealing story of the doomed Russian family’s fairy tale life told by an expert in the field. (16-page b/w photo insert)
LICENSED TO LIE Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice
Powell, Sidney Brown Books (456 pp.) $28.95 | May 1, 2014 978-1-61254-149-5
A former Justice Department lawyer, who now devotes her private practice to federal appeals, dissects some of the most politically contentious prosecutions of the last 15 years. Powell assembles a stunning argument for the old adage, “nothing succeeds like failure,” as she traces the careers of a group of prosecutors who were part of the Enron Task Force. The Supreme Court overturned their most dramatic court victories, and some were even accused of systematic prosecutorial misconduct. Yet former task force members such as Kathryn Ruemmler, Matthew Friedrich and Andrew Weissman continued to climb upward through the ranks and currently hold high positions in the Justice Department, FBI and even the White House. Powell took up the appeal of a Merrill Lynch employee who was convicted in one of the subsidiary Enron cases, fighting for six years to clear his name. The pattern of abuse she found was repeated in other cases brought by the task force. Prosecutors of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen did not make exculpatory material available to the defense, a violation of due process under the Supreme Court’s 1963 Brady v. Maryland decision; the company was forcibly closed with the loss of 85,000 jobs. In the corruption trial of former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, a key witness was intimidated into presenting false testimony. Stevens’ conviction, which led to a narrow loss in his 2008 re-election campaign and impacted the majority makeup of the Senate, seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back; the presiding judge appointed a special prosecutor to investigate abuses. Confronted with the need to clean house as he came into office, writes Powell, Attorney General Eric Holder has yet to take action. |
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WILL NOT ATTEND Lively Stories of Detachment and Isolation
MARGARITA WEDNESDAYS Making a New Life by the Mexican Sea
Resnick, Adam Blue Rider Press (272 pp.) $25.95 | May 8, 2014 978-0-399-16038-7
Emmy-winning screenwriter Resnick holds nothing back in this debut of shamelessly personal tales. Parents, siblings, former teachers, the blue-haired woman on the eighth floor—everyone is fair game in the author’s world. Darting from one defining (or scarring) memory to another, Resnick honestly recounts early childhood mishaps, the confusion of adolescence and the truly confounding notion of fatherhood. The writing is sharp and sharptongued, sometimes close to the line of mean-spirited—the book is not for readers who are easily offended. The opening story centers on a classmate’s Easter party, which Resnick had no intentions of attending until he realized his crush would be there. At the party, the author bonded with the young girl based on their mutual dislike of other kids, and they set out to find the “special” Easter egg filled with money. What he actually found was a highly inappropriate picture in the host’s filing cabinet that sent his crush fleeing, never to speak to him again. Meanwhile, Resnick’s young mind was forever warped and confounded by the image. The vulgar, adult language employed while explaining the story from his young self ’s perspective is simultaneously unsettling and uproarious and sets the tone for the rest of the collection. Incidents—like the apartment porter’s pitching a screenplay while the elevator was delayed or when Resnick threw out his daughter’s piano while she was on vacation—could be pulled straight from lost scripts of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The stories of Resnick’s first job at a sleazy insurance company and his refusal as a child to pose with a frozen turkey at the supermarket stand out for their wit and relatability. The author’s aversion to just about everything paints him as nihilistic and cynical, but the subtle moments of genuine vulnerability remain the heart of every story. These moments prove redemptive for a character who sometimes feels beyond saving and shed light on how he developed such comically twisted viewpoints. A neurotic, unapologetic, hilarious collection.
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Rodriguez, Deborah Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster (288 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4767-1066-2
After being forced to flee Afghanistan, Rodriguez (co-author: Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil, 2007) initially settled on an isolated mountaintop in Northern California. Here, she recounts her rocky readjustment to American life and eventual relocation to Mexico. Back in the States, the once-confident, outgoing businesswoman found life in California unsettling, and she could not find suitable work or make friends. Eventually diagnosed with PTSD, the author received little substantive help for her problem. “I felt everything, all right,” she writes, “but wallowing in all that loss, grief, and loneliness left me exhausted, and even more depressed.” Always an adventure seeker and traveler, Rodriguez opted for a cruise to Mazatlan, Mexico, with a male friend. Beguiled by the sun, sand and ocean, she returned to the resort community and purchased a tiny bungalow. “So finally, I did what I should have done much, much earlier,” she writes. “I gave myself permission to leave.” The author packed her cat and her belongings into her car and headed south to her new home, where she slowly began rebuilding her life. She found a counselor who understood PTSD, and she surrounded herself with a vibrant group of new friends. Eventually, Rodriguez’s son relocated from the States and quickly married a local woman. Soon enough, the author became a grandmother. “And as horrified as some people my age might have been hearing news like that, I, on the other hand, was struck with wonder,” she writes. Business blossomed when Rodriguez opened a salon featuring pedicures and manicures. Realizing local girls needed help securing their futures, the author established Project Mariposa, which provides funds for girls to attend beauty school. Readers who fell in love with Rodriguez’s chronicle of life in Afghanistan will surely revel in this candid, intimate tale of starting over in middle age in a new country.
“A fine tour d’horizon of innovative enchantment and its ground rules and responsibilities.” from enchanted objects
ENCHANTED OBJECTS Design, Human Desire, and the Internet of Things
THE THIRD HORSEMAN Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century
Rose, David Scribner (320 pp.) $28.00 | Jul. 15, 2014 978-1-4767-2563-5
Rosen, William Viking (320 pp.) $28.95 | May 19, 2014 978-0-670-02589-3
MIT Media Lab instructor Rose explores the ramifications of the coming human-machine interface as it impacts the designs of and experiences we have with the things in our lives. Screens are a dead end, writes the author in this futuristic foray into how best to shape the elements of our everyday lives: dealing with the weather, playing the guitar, driving, medical devices and medicines. In the future, we will want more tactility than we have with screens. But more to the point, and here Rose touches something significant to most of us, he wants the things we use or encounter each day to be invested with enchantment, to create an emotional connection with our “fabled desires,” stories that build from the past and have the hallmarks of becoming heirlooms. “The enchanted objects that will succeed will be the ones that carry on the traditions and promises of the objects of our age-old fantasies,” writes the author, “the ones that connect with and satisfy our fundamental human desires.” Rose’s requirements are both demanding and capacious: The objects must be suitable to the job and relatable to the worker, summon memories and stir emotions, be pleasurable to use and look at, and be able make us more skilled and capable. He is talking about things we know—wallets, lights, automobiles, etc.—so that we build upon lineage but enhance to gratify needs and drives and meet certain measures of affordability, lovability, durability and usability—wearable is another bonus. Occasionally, the author tosses around words like “omniscience,” “teleport” and “immortality,” taking some wind out of his examples, which are remarkable in their own rights: the narrative clip, which “captures photos every 30 seconds to give you a time-lapse lifelong” and the Mimo onesie, which “measures your infant’s respiration, skin temperature, body position, and activity level.” A fine tour d’horizon of innovative enchantment and its ground rules and responsibilities. (drawings throughout; 8-page color insert)
Erudite rendering of the cataclysmic climate changes wrought at the start of the 14th century. Rosen (The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention, 2010, etc.) delights in the minutiae of history, down to the most fascinating footnotes. Here, the author delivers engrossing disquisitions on climate patterns and dynastic entanglements between England and Scotland (among others), and he posits that the decisive advent of cooler, wetter weather in the early 14th century signaled the beginning of the end of the medieval good times. Indeed, the preceding four centuries of the Medieval Warm Period, caused by all kinds of controversial factors such as the North Atlantic oscillation, produced temperatures several degrees warmer than average, which translated into a host of significant ramifications. A longer growing season and the ability to grow cereals (and wine) for the first time in higher altitudes in northern Europe meant more food for more mouths, encouraging a huge population explosion and need for the bursting of borders. While the years between 800 and 1200 had embedded the medieval institutions of manorialism and feudalism, which firmly “bound the laborer to the land, and the landlord to the laborer,” the warmer era had also encouraged the marauding Vikings to take advantage of melted polar ice caps to populate Greenland and move on to America and William the Conqueror to defeat the English at Hastings. By 1300, a crisis had been reached as new currents of nationalism percolated, especially in Scotland and in Flanders. Rosen navigates through the wars for Scottish independence, culminating in Robert Bruce’s great victory at Bannockburn in 1314, at just the moment that floods began and winter weather set in. Two years of rain wrecked harvests, causing famine, lawlessness, and the cattle plague and gradually plunged the continent into a century of war. A work that glows from the author’s relish for his subject.
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ENDURING COURAGE Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker and the Dawn of the Age of Speed
HERE COMES THE NIGHT The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues
Ross, John F. St. Martin’s (320 pp.) $27.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-250-03377-2 978-1-250-03378-9 e-book
Selvin, Joel Counterpoint (448 pp.) $25.00 | Apr. 15, 2014 978-1-61902-302-4
Energetic look at the World War I ace’s early exploits through the prism of exciting modern changes in America. In his passionately sympathetic biography, Ross (War on the Run: The Epic Story of Robert Rogers and the Conquest of America’s First Frontier, 2009, etc.) finds in Eddie Rickenbacker (18901973) a subject as brash, unassuming and heroic as the young American nation at the turn of the 20th century. The author admires the fact that the son of poor, German-speaking Swiss immigrants had so much going against him in the early years and overcame the obstacles through sheer hard work and determination. Luck, another quintessential American ingredient, favored him, as well as the ability to fudge the record when necessary, such as he did about the events surrounding the death of his belligerent father in 1904 after picking a fight with another laborer. At 13, Rickenbacker quit school and went to work, becoming head of the household and breadwinner. A natural leader, Rickenbacker adored mechanical tinkering and invention and parlayed his work in a machine shop into becoming “mechanician” at the Oscar Lear Automobile Company, racing state-of-the-art Frayer-Millers. “Engines have always talked to me,” he asserted, demonstrating his nearly “mystical” ways with them as he began proving himself a winner in races throughout the country. With the United States propelled into the European war in 1917, Rickenbacker talked his way past bigotry against German-Americans, his lack of a gentlemanly education and an eye injury and began flying lessons at Tours Aerodrome, essentially teaching himself in the fragile, unreliable Nieuports that the Germans outclassed in their mightier Albatroses. Aerial dogfights provided plenty of sobering danger and led to the deaths of many of his closest colleagues. In a few short months, Rickenbacker, with 26 kills, was a national hero. Ross sweeps readers along in Rickenbacker’s thrilling tale. (First printing of 125,000)
A thrilling story of a little-known songwriter and record producer of some of the greatest rhythm and blues hits. Longtime San Francisco Chronicle music critic Selvin (Smartass: The Music Journalism of Joel Selvin, 2010, etc.) digs with gusto into the tasty history of New York City’s hit-making songwriters, artists and record magnates of the great R&B era of the early 1960s, focusing on one of the greatest, if least sung of the bunch, Bert Berns (1929-1967). A Jewish kid from the Bronx with a heart condition caused by a childhood bout with rheumatic fever, Berns lived as though on borrowed time. As a young man, he fell in love with the Latin music that had made its way from Havana and points south to the nightclubs of New York. Particular favorites of his were “Guantanamera,” the irresistibly catchy Cuban anthem, and “La Bamba,” the Mexican folk song that Ritchie Valens made into a rock ’n’ roll hit. Berns turned to the mambo rhythms and mariachi chords again and again when writing his own songs and producing other artists’ recordings of them—notably “Twist and Shout” for the Isley Brothers and “My Girl Sloopy” with The Vibrations. When the Beatles recorded a worldwide hit with “Twist and Shout” in 1963, Berns’ fortunes were made. In the years leading up to his death, Berns continued to pen and record a string of classics with Solomon Burke, Van Morrison, The Drifters, Neil Diamond and others. But his story is not all sweet. Selvin’s prose, muscular and Runyon-esque and never taking itself too seriously, moves the narrative along from its upbeat start to its sordid denouement at the edges of New York’s gangland. A fascinating time capsule of a free-wheeling era in American music and society.
THE GLITTER PLAN How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It into a Global Brand
Skaist-Levy, Pamela; Nash-Taylor, Gela with Moore, Booth Gotham Books (256 pp.) $27.00 | May 1, 2014 978-1-59240-809-2
With the assistance of Moore, the founders of Juicy Couture chronicle their real-life fairy tale in a “part memoir, part how-to-manual and part fashion industry field guide.” Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor became friends in 1988 “while folding the guest towels that went on the sink in the bathroom” of the boutique where they worked. “We started gossiping and 70
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“By turns funny and wrenching, the narrative is an unforgettable tour de force of memory, love and imagination.” from take this man
then got into deeper stuff. It was instant chemistry, like magnets, like we had been friends forever.” They quickly discovered their shared love of fashion. Their first venture, started with $200, was in the niche market of maternity wear, which they discovered was stuck in a fashion time warp and “was a very specific targeted idea, which is the best way to start something.” So they created cool maternity jeans and then moved on to T-shirts with the idea of perfecting the fit, fabric and color. The authors learned as they went along, constantly trying new ideas and products, failing on some but always building a work environment that was both enjoyable and financially viable. By the end of 1996, Juicy Couture had sales of $5 million. In 2003, Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor sold Juicy Couture to the Liz Claiborne corporation for “$56 million plus an eventual $200 million earnout” and began with a new line. The authors lace the fast-paced back story of the company with tips for the budding entrepreneur, including Learn From a Starter Business, Dos and Don’ts of Hands-On Branding, Competition Can Be Healthy, Build Your Staff Like a Family, Coping with Growth, the Problem You Want to Have (“If your infrastructure can handle it, spin out ideas for new products to meet demand”), and How to Prepare Your Business to Sell. A feel-good American success story recounted with candor, heart and attitude.
TAKE THIS MAN A Memoir
Skyhorse, Brando Simon & Schuster (256 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4391-7087-8
A Mexican-American novelist’s wickedly compelling account of a dysfunctional childhood growing up “a full blooded American Indian brave” with five different fathers. Skyhorse’s (The Madonnas of Echo Park, 2010) Mexican-born father left the family when the author was 3. Beautiful but prone to exaggeration, his mother, Maria, promptly renamed herself Running Deer and told her son that his father was an incarcerated Native American activist named Paul Skyhorse. While corresponding with her convict lover, the tempestuous Maria began bringing home a series of replacement fathers for her son who became “magicians, able to appear or disappear at will.” When the men finally left for good, each contributed to the hole in Skyhorse’s life that only “got bigger as [he] got older” and made him question his own ability to ever be a father himself. The stable but witheringly sharp-tongued center of the family home was Maria’s mother, June. While her daughter ran her own phone sex business and created the myths that substituted for Skyhorse’s true family history, June, a lesbian, “collect[ed] neighborhood stories and barter[ed] them” with everyone she knew. Guilt and anger kept the author emotionally tied to his mother even after he left home and Maria eventually died. He learned to accept himself as a Mexican “who happened to be raised as [his] mother’s kind of Indian,” but he struggled through broken relationships and bouts
of depression. As he gathered up the shards of his life and began to make peace with all of his fathers, especially his biological one, Skyhorse realized the one truth that his storytelling mother and grandmother had known instinctively: that “stories [could] help you survive…and transform your life…from where you are into wherever you want to be.” By turns funny and wrenching, the narrative is an unforgettable tour de force of memory, love and imagination.
JET SET The People, the Planes, the Glamour, and the Sex in Aviation’s Glory Years Stadiem, William Ballantine (384 pp.) $28.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-345-53695-2 978-0-345-53697-6 e-book
Another tell-all about money, power and the people who wield both, from Vanity Fair contributor Stadiem (co-author: Daughter of the King: Growing Up in Gangland, 2014, etc.). In his latest offering, the author once again forgoes traditional biography in favor of a series of linked portraits of an entire wealthy group, this time people who entered social consciousness during the late 1950s and ’60s, when air travel became more attainable for the masses. Their antics span continents, careers and almost all imaginable levels of education, and since Stadiem has chosen the airline industry as an organizing principle, he includes the much-less-visible men who designed and built those jets. Unsurprisingly, they’re given to self-indulgent behavior and scandalous misdeeds just like other rich people. While the author does his best to weave together the tenuous threads connecting each person, family or event, it’s a labored process that results in clunky prose littered with out-of-place name-dropping and heavy-handed reminders. Many of the stories have strong appeal—e.g., brothers Ivan and Oleg Cassini could have filled an entire book by themselves—but Stadiem’s broad focus means that even the longer sections whet the appetite rather than satiate it. Social and business dynasties rise and fall, partnerships still recognizable today are forged and sometimes destroyed, and serious rivalries crop up. Each is treated similarly, as a minibiography emphasizing sex and scandal (when available). For dabblers, this narrative abundance may seem like a treasure trove; for those seeking more substantial insights, it will simply lead to a longer reading list. Stadiem also has trouble winnowing down his facts to the most pertinent and exciting, providing instead excessive detail that invites readers to skim. A disjointed tale of society and its riches, dull and thrilling in about equal portions. (35 b/w photos)
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CITIZEN HOLLYWOOD How the Collaboration Between L.A. and D.C. Revolutionized American Politics
AMERICAN PANIC A History of Who Scares Us and Why Stein, Mark Palgrave Macmillan (288 pp.) $27.00 | May 20, 2014 978-1-137-27902-6
Stanley, Timothy Dunne/St. Martin’s (320 pp.) $26.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-250-03249-2
A British journalist examines the long, troubled romance between Hollywood and America’s political capital. Stanley (The Crusader: The Life and Tumultuous Times of Pat Buchanan, 2012, etc.) probably meant well with this name-dropping argument that glamorous movie star activism is the key to understanding arcane Washington, D.C., politics. Unfortunately, this poorly sourced, facetious narrative is more indicative of the author’s politics than the nation’s. You have to give him credit for coverage, in that he goes all the way back to oldschool Hollywood to examine how moguls like Louis B. Mayer and the Warner brothers traded popularity for political gain. From there, Stanley resurrects the well-worn stories of the Rat Pack’s support of John F. Kennedy and the plethora of celebrities who supported Sen. George McGovern’s spectacularly unsuccessful bid to defeat Richard Nixon, as well as a glancing blow at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tenure as governor of California: “If only life was more like the movies,” the author writes, summarizing California’s monetary woes. However, most of the book tends to skew toward modern political movements, largely focused on President Barack Obama. In the opening chapter, the author poses the candidate as Batman versus a Mitt Romney as the villain Bane, and he includes an introductory dissection of the infamous “empty chair” incident instigated by that rare celebrity conservative Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention, which lends itself to a discussion later on of the cowboy mythology popularized by Ronald Reagan and others. Criticisms of TV shows like The West Wing (an idealized liberal White House) and Modern Family (Hollywood’s so-called gay agenda) come off even more poorly than their celebritystudded film counterparts. Elsewhere, Stanley shoehorns in references to franchises like Twilight and Harry Potter with little political relevance. A superficial and unconvincing account that does little to inform readers of the dangers of political reciprocity.
A fresh take on the outbursts of hysteria over witches, Catholics, women, communists, gays, Muslims, illegal aliens and others that have occurred through-
out American history. Stein (How the States Got Their Shapes Too: The People Behind the Borderlines, 2011, etc.) explores the common source for political panics: the irrational fear that one’s government is in danger. Beginning with the 1692 Salem witch trials, the author describes how Americans have acted out of fears of conspiracy and fears based on stereotypes in an effort to make the world comprehensible. The richly detailed episodes recounted here are often quite familiar, but Stein brings a new perspective to understanding how they came about, what they have in common and how the panics sometimes link to one another. In an early hallmark of political panic, Native Americans were deemed vile, and accusers engaged in heinous acts (ethnic cleansing) against them. Biblical justifications fostered hysteria over AfricanAmericans, gays, women and Muslims. Secrecy, real or imagined, spurred fear of Freemasons and the Chinese. The most enduring panic, over the danger of African-Americans, predates the American Revolution and soared after the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation reached a mass audience. There was never widespread panic over Jews, perhaps since they lacked a homeland and the equivalent of a pope. Most panics are fueled by unverified claims, an insistence on absolutes and the assertion that correlation is causation. Alarmists cannot be stereotyped: They include both the ignorant and the well-educated, and they are often opportunists—e.g., power broker Thurlow Weed, who benefited from the anti-Masonic movement, and Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, whose anti-Red raids of the 1920s factored into his presidential ambitions. Popular history that will appeal to readers of the author’s How the States Got Their Shapes.
GOTHAM UNBOUND The Ecological History of Greater New York Steinberg, Ted Simon & Schuster (608 pp.) $32.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4767-4124-6
Steinberg (History and Law/Case Western Reserve Univ.; American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn, 2006, etc.) returns with an illuminating text that adheres strictly and powerfully to its subtitle. 72
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“Solid, well-reported science in the Gary Taubes mold.” from the big fat surprise
The author performs a grand public service in this work examining the history of “one of the most drastically transformed natural environments in the world.” He begins with what Henry Hudson would have seen in 1609 (virtually nothing remains the same), then marches resolutely forward for more than 400 years, describing everything from the “purchase” of the island from the Native Americans to changes wrought under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. A number of themes and subjects re-emerge: the visit George Washington made in the spring of 1789, the decision to arrange the streets in the form of a strict grid, the determination to reclaim land from the rivers and the sea, the destruction of the vast marshes (time-lapse charts show their shocking disappearance), changes in the wildlife brought about by human intervention (Manhattan used to be known for its wolves), the decisions about garbage and sewage that have had long-term consequences, and the threats now facing the area due to climate change and powerful storms (Hurricane Sandy finally prompted dilatory politicians to action). Steinberg also examines the political forces at work throughout the island’s last few centuries—forces not always at work in the public interest. The text overflows with arresting details. The once-booming sale of human manure, the construction of the Croton Aqueduct, the projects of Robert Moses, the effects of the 1939 World’s Fair, and construction of the Pulaski Skyway, the Meadowlands and Battery City Park—all appear in the view of the author’s ecological lens. He also gives us glimpses of the dangers confronting Gothamites—among them, extreme heat events and the rising ocean levels. Richly researched and illustrated—a wholly edifying account.
THE BIG FAT SURPRISE Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet
Teicholz, Nina Simon & Schuster (256 pp.) $27.99 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4516-2442-7
Journalist Teicholz combs the science, or lack thereof, to learn how the fats in the American diet grew horns and cloven hooves. “Almost nothing we commonly believe today about fats generally and saturated fats in particular appears, upon close examination, to be accurate,” writes the author. Appallingly, those are still fighting words when it comes to the mandarins who fashion our national health agenda, those crazy pyramids that flip on their heads now and again like the magnetic poles. Like a bloodhound, Teicholz tracks the process by which a hypothesis morphs into truth without the benefit of supporting data. The author explores how research dollars are spent to entrench the dogma, to defend it like an article of faith while burying its many weaknesses and contradictory test results. In this instance, Teicholz zeroes in on the worries over skyrocketing
heart-disease figures in the 1950s. Some (flawed) epidemiological work suggested that serum cholesterol deposited plaque in arteries, leading to coronary disease. This type of associative simplicity is that spoonful of sugar: the easy fix everyone wants when long-term, clinical tests are needed to appreciate the complex processes involved. This desire to corner the bogeyman targeted the world of fats, and it has stayed that way despite all the evidence and advancements in medical science, especially endocrinological studies, that have pointed to other biomarkers. Galling, though hardly unexpected, is the role played by money and the power we let it bestow. There were reasons the food industry wanted to stick with trans fats as opposed to saturated fats, and Teicholz tics them off, and there are reasons that the next great hope, vegetable oils, have dangerous health issues hidden instead of heralded. Sixty years after the fat attack, “a significant body of clinical trials over the past decade has demonstrated the absence of any negative effect of saturated fat on heart disease, obesity, or diabetes.” Solid, well-reported science in the Gary Taubes mold.
BIG LITTLE MAN In Search of My Asian Self
Tizon, Alex Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (272 pp.) $27.00 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-547-45048-3 A Filipino writer explores his racial identity. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Tizon (Journalism/Univ. of Oregon) emigrated with his family from the Philippines in 1964, “yearning for an equal share of paradise.” Achieving the American dream, they quickly discovered, required them to reject their language, culture and heritage. “Our early years in America,” Tizon writes, “were marked by relentless self-annihilation.” Like his parents, he came to believe that Americans were “strong and capable” and Filipinos, “weak and incapable and deserving of mockery.” Facial features and body size underscored weakness: “Americans did seem to me…like a different species, one that had evolved over generations into supreme behemoths. Kings in overalls. They were living proof of a basic law of conquest: victors are better.” As a child, Tizon saw Asians stereotyped as submissive, primitive, treacherous and indistinguishable from one another, lumped together racially as Oriental or, more derisively, yellow. He was especially sensitive to assumptions about Asian males, often portrayed in movies and on TV as servants or the butts of jokes; Hollywood insisted that Asian male power conform “to known clichés—sage, brainiac, martial artist.” Never was a male depicted as a desirable romantic hero. Similarly, Asian women were seen as childlike and “more pliant, more sensual, more sensitive and attentive to the needs of the stronger sex.” Asian women’s attitudes toward Asian males reflected mainstream culture; most Asian women, Tizon noted despondently, wanted to date and marry whites. The author celebrates some substantial changes in Americans’ |
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attitudes as Asians have become more prominent in sports, entertainment and mass media. He came to understand, also, that feeling shame and self-doubt is widely shared: One friend was ashamed of being too tall, another of being too smart, and some told him “in all seriousness that they were ashamed of being white. They felt guilty, undeserving.” Making peace with one’s identity, Tizon concludes, transcends race. A deft, illuminating memoir and cultural history.
BULLETPROOF VEST The Ballad of an Outlaw and His Daughter
Venegas, Maria Farrar, Straus and Giroux (320 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-374-11731-3
A daughter recounts a legacy of violence in this debut memoir. One October, Jose Venegas prepared for his annual trip from Chicago, where he lived with his wife and children, to his native Mexico. As usual, he took clothing and household goods for his parents and extended family. But this time, he also bought a bulletproof vest and packed into steel trunks all the guns he had stored in the house. “Your father is never coming back,” his wife announced a few days later. For nearly 15 years, Venegas had no contact with her father, who, she learned, had killed her uncle and attempted to murder many other men. He was, she believed, violent, volatile and a coward for leaving his family unprotected. Furious with her father, she felt alienated from her mother, an evangelical Christian with no aspirations for her daughter’s future. When Venegas said she wanted to go to college, her mother told her to apply instead for a job as a cashier at Kmart: “You could drop out of school, make some good money,” she said. The author, however, followed her dream, enrolling as an economics major at the University of Illinois and studying abroad in Spain. Haunted by a past she did not understand, she gave in to her boyfriend’s urging to reconnect with her father. That reunion led to regular visits, during which she discovered how deeply imbedded he was in a culture of violence and retribution. At age 10, he blew the head off a rattlesnake with his father’s rifle; soon after, his mother pressed a knife into his hands, urging him to retaliate against a bully; two years later, she gave him a gun to use for revenge. Killing, he learned, was expected of a man, and drinking exacerbated his violence. As Venegas portrays him in this stark, tender narrative, Jose is an extremely complicated man—longing for his children’s love, beset by regrets and seared by brutality.
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THE SECOND AMENDMENT A Biography
Waldman, Michael Simon & Schuster (224 pp.) $24.00 | May 20, 2014 978-1-4767-4744-6
A review of the evolving meaning of the Second Amendment, a single sentence fraught with emotional controversy. Interpretation of the Second Amendment has always been clouded by its prefatory clause, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state....” Attorney Waldman (Brennan Center for Justice/NYU Law; Return to Common Sense: Seven Bold Ways to Revitalize Democracy, 2008, etc.) draws on extensive historical research to argue that the amendment’s purpose was to ensure that the new federal government could not interfere with the states’ rights to maintain local militias as a counterweight to a national standing army; it was never intended to recognize the right of an individual to own a firearm. This was the prevailing consensus among legal scholars through the 20th century. Beginning around 1975, however, the National Rifle Association, Republican politicians and an increasing number of legal commentators pressed for a re-evaluation, culminating in 2008 when the Supreme Court held that the amendment did imply such a right in District of Columbia v. Heller, an opinion the author excoriates, along with the entire concept of “originalist” constitutional interpretation. Up to this point, the author’s “biography” of the amendment is sober and sound, but it then descends into all-too-familiar partisan lamentations about the difficulties of imposing further gun controls in the post-Heller era, in spite of his recognition that gun ownership and violence have been declining for decades and that almost all Heller-based challenges to existing gun control statutes have failed. In an era in which militias have long passed into history, Waldman seems to reluctantly accept that the Second Amendment now reflects the fact that “the widespread acceptance of some form of gun ownership is part of the way Americans think.” He calls on activists to change that perception in order to change the law. This thoughtful, accessible survey of Second Amendment law will be useful to anyone arguing either side of this endlessly controversial issue.
CARSICK John Waters Hitchhikes Across America
Waters, John Farrar, Straus and Giroux (336 pp.) $26.00 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-374-29863-0
Face it: Wouldn’t you rather strike out on the road with John Waters than Jack Kerouac? If the answer is yes, then this book is for you, even if Waters (Role Models, 2011, etc.), the ever flamboyant auteur-(Pink Flamingos, Hairspray et al.) turned-writer, takes his sweet time getting going. For more than half of this account of his 2012 cross-country journey hitchhiking from Baltimore to San Francisco, the author imagines what lies in store, with dueling full-length novellas that spin best and worst case scenarios. Best: a never-ending thrill ride full of rich potheads, happy freaks and horny hunks, all of whom know and love his work. Worst: The trip west is seething with small-town homophobes, stage moms, crazed environmentalists and serial killers. The real story, once it arrives, is a welcome relief, as the truth is more hilarious and interesting than Waters’ nuttiest fantasies. He dealt with troubles he didn’t expect, like tedium or the art of making a marketable cardboard sign. (He eventually ditched his original sign, “I’m Not Psycho,” wisely realizing that “hitchhiking is not the time to be a comedian.”) Waters hitched rides with a preacher’s wife, a hay farmer and an indie band, and he struck up a budding bromance with a straight, young Maryland Republican city councilman. The author was grateful that, even in the hinterlands, C-list celebrity status could be a real asset and was even more touched by the kindness of people who didn’t know him at all. Some—who apparently didn’t notice his BlackBerry, tracking device or designer sports jacket—even offered money, which he gently refused (“Yeah sure, I see her thinking, here’s a homeless person off his meds”). The book idles way too long, but once it takes off, it’s a sweet and funny ride. (6 b/w illustrations)
I HEARD MY COUNTRY CALLING A Memoir
Webb, James Simon & Schuster (400 pp.) $27.00 | May 20, 2014 978-1-4767-4112-3
Former Virginia senator Webb (A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America, 2008, etc.) employs hard lessons from his own life to explain his reasons for not seeking re-election in 2012. The author, who also served as the secretary of the Navy under President Ronald Reagan, initially parlayed his Marine experience in Vietnam into a first-class war novel, Fields of
Fire (1978), among other thoughtful works. In this memoir, he sandwiches his life as a baby boomer military brat (born 1946) between scenes of his leaving the Capitol office, where he served as a one-term senator between 2006 and 2012. Refusing any longer to be part of “an institution with a 6 percent approval rating,” he writes, he is nonetheless sadly cognizant of how distraught his own World War II veteran father, now deceased, would be for his son’s walking away from what his father considered “the top of [his] game.” Having moved around during his youth among a variety of Air Force bases, largely under the care of his Arkansas-born mother and gritty, devoted grandmother, Webb had a spotty early education but was duly indoctrinated to patriotic values of hard work, physical toughness and selfreliance. Raised within a vigorous peacetime Army, Webb knew he was “born to be a soldier”—and what a solider he was, winning the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. From his acceptance to the Naval Academy’s class of 1968 to his time in the Marine Corps and shipping out to Vietnam at the height of the war’s unpopularity, Webb conveys the intensity of his training and single-minded pursuit. He has made peace with the “emotional tangle” of the war and is, overall, gracious toward his family and others humbly born and hard-striving who deserve a “system that guarantees true fairness.” An eloquent military memoir in which the author seems to be grooming for his next move: What will it be?
LISTEN OUT LOUD A Life in Music—Managing McCartney, Madonna, and Michael Jackson
Weisner, Ron with Goldsher, Alan Lyons Press (256 pp.) $24.95 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-7627-9144-6
A memoir of the music business from a manager who worked his way up from the mailroom to managing world-class acts. With the help of collaborator Goldsher (My Favorite Fangs: The Story of the Von Trapp Family Vampires, 2012, etc.), Weisner dishes the dirt on 50 years in the music business. It’s a strange collection of anecdotes, ranging from the poignant (an 8-yearold piano prodigy serenading Beyonce Knowles at a benefit) to the outright bizarre (a profanity-laden threat to Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner over the publication of an unflattering photograph). Other superstars praise the producer—the book includes short memories penned by the likes of Gladys Knight, Steve Winwood and Quincy Jones—but there’s also plenty of vitriol. While venting about most members of the Jackson family, especially patriarch Joe, Weisner reserves fondness for the late Michael, whom he stewarded through the height of his career and about whom he shares previously unknown stories (who knew the inspiration for Michael’s uniforms came from punk-pop star Adam Ant?). Upon seeing the fading star just days before his death, the author writes, “He had that look in his eyes, a look I’ve seen too many other times in my life, a look |
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“Millions will enjoy the World Cup and Olympics, but Zirin justly reminds readers of the real human costs beyond the spectacle.” from brazil’s dance with the devil
of resignation, a look that said, It’s over, and it broke my heart, because up until things headed south in the early 2000s, he had it all.” Others earn less charitable plaudits—Lauryn Hill is labeled a “whack-job” for her behavior during the 2005 BET Awards. Weisner is particularly harsh about Madonna’s behavior during a Venice video shoot: “Every time we packed up the cameras, she bitched. Every time we got into a boat, she bitched. Every time she had to wait for setup, she bitched.” A matter-of-fact epilogue with advice for up-and-coming stars is sensible, but the book’s gossipy, annoyed attitude threatens to disenfranchise all but the most cynical fans. (b/w photos)
BLOODY SPRING Forty Days that Sealed the Confederacy’s Fate
Wheelan, Joseph Da Capo/Perseus (448 pp.) $27.50 | May 1, 2014 978-0-306-82206-3
The author of Terrible Swift Sword: The Life of Philip H. Sheridan (2012) and other works about the Civil War returns with a tactic-by-tactic, blow-by-blow account of the sanguinary actions between the forces of Ulysses Grant and Robert E. Lee near the end of the war. Wheelan begins in March 1864 and ends in mid-June. In between are grim images, insights into the characters of Lee, Grant (24 cigars per day!), Abraham Lincoln and others, as well as some second-guessing and deeply informed reasoning about why the North ultimately prevailed. By 1864, the Union Army was considerably larger and better equipped than the Confederates, as Wheelan continually reminds us. However, Lee—whose abilities the author patently admires—was tactically superior to most of the commanders he faced and had kept victory within the South’s reach. But Grant was a different animal. As Wheelan shows us repeatedly, he simply sent waves of soldiers into battle. Although he sustained substantial losses, he also inflicted the same, and the South simply could not win a war of attrition. So the battles at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor—though not really “victories” for the North—were nonetheless successful due to their devastating effects on Confederate troop strength and supplies. Wheelan also provides interesting side stories—e.g., the career of Gen. George Meade, the flamboyant brilliance of George Armstrong Custer and the untimely death of Jeb Stuart. Some of the horrors are hard to read—not just the mere numbers of casualties, but the details about rotting piles and parts of dead human beings. The author also distributes helpful maps throughout, but he does not comment on the justness or causes or necessity of the war. Well-researched and –argued—a text that Civil War scholars and buffs will consume with glee.
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BRAZIL’S DANCE WITH THE DEVIL The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Struggle for Democracy Zirin, Dave Haymarket (240 pp.) $16.00 paper | May 27, 2014 978-1-60846-360-2
How the real costs to democracy and the body politic that come from hosting a World Cup or Olympics outweigh the temporal joy that such events bring. This summer, the world’s eyes will be on Brazil as it prepares to host the World Cup. Hundreds of thousands will descend, lured by the beautiful game and by promises of equally beautiful beaches and people. The same attractions will draw people (and the world’s media) to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics. While the Nation sports editor Zirin (Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down, 2013, etc.) understands the appeal of the spectacle, he is under no illusions regarding its costs. The author ruthlessly tears apart the rationale of a country like Brazil—which aspires to the top tier of world powers but has entrenched problems with poverty and service delivery and health care and providing adequate schools and myriad other issues—hosting a World Cup and Olympics that will not only fail to alleviate, but will exacerbate the country’s problems. Zirin identifies the heart of the dilemma as “neoliberal plunder,” whereby wealth is transferred “out of the public social safety net and into the hands of private capital.” FIFA, the global body that governs football, and the International Olympic Committee are two of the chief villains in this scenario, but a range of political elites share accountability for using the events for the purposes of enriching themselves or accomplishing personal and political agendas. Zirin shows the boondoggle that are FIFA stadium demands and the flimsy pretexts behind the removals of and crackdowns on Brazil’s favelas, the so-called slums that really are vibrant neighborhoods of the lower classes. Millions will enjoy the World Cup and Olympics, but Zirin justly reminds readers of the real human costs beyond the spectacle.
children’s & teen
WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT?
These titles earned the Kirkus Star:
Amado, Elisa Illus. by Monroy, Manuel Groundwood (28 pp.) $16.95 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-55498-453-4
THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES by Stefan Bachmann et al.; illus. by Alexander Jansson...................................................................78 POMELO’S BIG ADVENTURE by Ramona Badescu; illus. by Benjamin Chaud; trans. by Claudia Bedrick.........................78 SHACKLETON by Nick Bertozzi..........................................................79 THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE by Leslie Connor...................... 82 GASTON by Kelly DiPucchio; illus. by Christian Robinson...............87 OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis.....................................................87 THE HULA HOOPIN’ QUEEN by Thelma Lynne Godin; illus. by Vanessa Brantley-Newton...................................................... 88 THE FARMER’S AWAY! BAA! NEIGH! by Anne Vittur Kennedy..... 92 ANATOMY OF A GIRL GANG by Ashley Little..................................97 BUDDY TROUBLE by Pam Muñoz Ryan; illus. by Edwin Fotheringham............................................................ 107 THIS ONE SUMMER by Mariko Tamaki; Jillian Tamaki; illus. by Jillian Tamaki.......................................................................110 LOOT by Jude Watson......................................................................... 111
Chepito, an inquisitive little boy, wanders around his agricultural community posing the titular question to the various people he encounters, all laborers involved in food production. Manuel tends corn, Ramón milks the cow, and Maria makes tortillas. As Chepito asks his friendly neighbors why they are doing their various activities, they each respond in a way that helps him to understand not only what it is that they are doing, but how it connects to his life specifically. When asked why she is feeding the chickens, Doña Ana tells him, “So that they can grow strong and lay good eggs like the ones you just had for breakfast.” The soft, earthy palette of the illustrations is wellsuited for the rural setting. Each character wears a subtle grin on his or her face, complementing the curious tone of the narrative. Spanish words are presented throughout the text, blended in with the English without the use of special typeface or simultaneous translations, though context makes them clear: Juan and Dolores are tying plants to sticks “[s]o that these beans can grow on the plants. See the frijoles inside?” A brief glossary at the end provides the English definitions of the Spanish words. An energetic, simple exploration of food’s journey from farm to table for today’s young locavores. (glossary) (Picture book. 3-5)
MOGIE The Heart of the House
this one summer
Tamaki, Mariko; Tamaki, Jillian Illus. by Tamaki, Jillian First Second (320 pp.) $17.99 | $17.99 paper May 6, 2014 978-1-59643-774-6 978-1-59643-774-6 paper
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Appelt, Kathi Illus. by Rosenthal, Marc Atheneum (40 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4424-8054-4 978-1-4424-8055-1 e-book Mogie finds his purpose in this true story about the Houston Ronald McDonald House. Gage is a “ball-chasing, race-running, back-flipping little boy”…until he gets too sick to do any of those things, and his family flies to a very special house in a Big City. He’s lost his mojo. And there, Mogie, a “ball-chasing, tail-wagging, moonhowling pup” who has failed at training for everything else, wanders in and knows just what to do. He intuits when Gage needs kirkus.com
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him to sit next to him quietly and when his antics will help him remember and look forward to brighter, healthier days. And slowly, Gage gets better and goes home. Mogie misses Gage, but now he’s watching out for Antonia, “a toe-dancing, jump-roping, cartwheel-spinning girl” who’s lost her cha-cha-cha. “Give this dog a bone and he’ll chew it. Give him a stick and he’ll fetch it. Give him a kiddo who is bluer than blue, and Mogie will be truer than true.” Rosenthal’s pencil, charcoal and digital illustrations wonderfully complement this emotional tale without tipping it into the saccharine. Colors help set the mood of each spread, and the scribbly style against a white background lends the illustrations a slightly retro feel. Wheelchairs and bald heads on a few children are the only indications of illness, aside from subdued posture. Mogie’s one good dog, and readers will be awfully glad they’ve met him. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)
A HITCH AT THE FAIRMONT
Averbeck, Jim Atheneum (416 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-4424-9447-3 978-1-4424-9449-7 e-book A troubled preteen and a famous director team up to solve a mystery at the renowned Fairmont Hotel. Jack Fair’s in trouble. The evil aunt that took him in after his darling mother’s passing has gone missing, leaving behind only a ransom note and a pesky chinchilla. Jack happens to live in the lavish Fairmont Hotel, and the guest across the hall that offers to help Jack with his trouble is none other than the distinguished moviemaker Alfred Hitchcock. With few clues and little time, the odd couple reluctantly goes about finding Aunt Edith before it’s too late. The mystery is well-laid-out, with all the clues and red herrings in the right places. Averbeck shows off his knowledge of Hitchcock-iana, but the endeavor feels somewhat exploitative when it comes to involving the man who inspired the caper. Young readers who don’t know or care about Hitch won’t be bothered, but cinéastes may ruffle at the thought of the master of suspense donning silly disguises and dressing in drag. Regardless, the author is smart enough not to overdose on cute nods to the auteur’s filmography, opting instead for macabre twists that wouldn’t be out of place in a Dahl book. An author’s note discusses the Hitchcock phenomenon, and an appendix provides a gloss on all the films used as chapter titles. A fine read and a decent love letter to all that Hitchcock stood for. (Mystery. 8-14)
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THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES 36 Tales Brief & Sinister
Bachmann, Stefan et al. Illus. by Jansson, Alexander Greenwillow/HarperCollins (496 pp.) $16.99 | $6.99 paper | $6.99 e-book May 27, 2014 978-0-06-233105-2 978-0-06-231314-0 paper 978-0-06-231315-7 e-book Styling themselves “curators,” four of horror fantasy’s newer stars share tales and correspondence related to an imaginary museum of creepy creatures and artifacts. In addition to Bachmann, the authors include Katherine Catmull, Claire Legrand and Emma Trevayne. The letters, scattered throughout, record adventures in gathering the Cabinet’s eldritch collections or report allusively on them: “I just let them creep or wing about the place,” writes Curator Catmull, “and stretch their many, many, many legs. What jolly shouts I hear when the workers come across one!” The stories, most of which were previously published on the eponymous website, are taken from eight thematic drawers ranging from “Love” and “Tricks” to “Cake.” Along with a cast of evil magicians, oversized spiders and other reliable frights, the stories throw children into sinister situations in graveyards, deceptively quiet gardens or forests, their own bedrooms and similar likely settings. Said children are seldom exposed to gory or explicit violence and, except for horrid ones who deserve what they get, generally emerge from their experiences better and wiser—or at least alive. Jansson’s small black-and-white vignettes add scattered but appropriately enigmatic visual notes. A hefty sheaf of chillers—all short enough to share aloud and expertly cast to entice unwary middle graders a step or two into the shadows. (index, not seen) (Horror/short stories. 10-13)
POMELO’S BIG ADVENTURE
Badescu, Ramona Illus. by Chaud, Benjamin Translated by Bedrick, Claudia Enchanted Lion Books (40 pp.) $17.95 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-1-59270-158-2 Series: Pomelo the Garden Elephant, 4 Pomelo, a small, posy-pink elephant, musters courage and embarks on a grand adventure—one with all the harrowing challenges and unexpected rewards of any good trip. Readers already friendly with Pomelo (Pomelo’s Opposites, 2013, etc.) know he’s maturing and learning all the time, but a solo journey outside his garden home? Could he be ready? After packing an odd assortment of necessities, including his “knife-fork,” a head of garlic, an old photograph, pumpkin seeds, some ribbon, a
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“The author...uses a color scheme of black, white and a midtone gray that effectively captures the Antarctic’s alien, implacable harshness.” from shackleton
world map, and a few strawberries and acorns, he throws a stone to determine his course and takes off (after a quick wee). Pomelo’s quirks endear from the get-go, and he must rely on all his wide-eyed good humor and earnestness for the rocky road ahead. Lively matte artwork depicts delightful mushrooms, flower buds and cactus—as well as oppressive storms, frightening waves and dark nights. “Inside Pomelo feels jiggly, like a heap of pudding on a plate. He wants that feeling to go away. What can he do to stop it?” Amid the cheery storytelling and dear illustrations, the very straightforward scariness surrounding solitude and self-reliance surfaces, along with some coping strategies. Pomelo uses a star to guide him through tough times and finally into the pointy arms of a starfish soul mate. This jaunty little elephant provides a mammoth lesson for young readers about bravery, grit and fortitude. (Picture book. 4-6)
SHACKLETON Antarctic Odyssey Bertozzi, Nick Illus. by Bertozzi, Nick First Second (128 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-59643-451-6
THE VERY CRANKY BEAR
Bland, Nick Illus. by Bland, Nick Orchard/Scholastic (24 pp.) $16.99 | Jul. 29, 2014 978-0-545-61269-2
How do you deal with a very cranky bear? “In the Jingle Jangle Jungle on a cold and rainy day, / four little friends found a perfect place to play.” Moose, Lion, Zebra and Sheep hunker down out of the cold rain to play a hand or two of cards…but they aren’t alone in the dim cave. There’s a big cranky bear who promptly roars at them and chases them away. Back out in the rain, the friends speculate as to why Bear is so cranky. Zebra thinks he needs stripes. Moose thinks he needs antlers. Lion’s sure he needs a mane. Sheep isn’t sure. “So Zebra fetched a can of mud, and Lion, some grass of gold. / Moose got two big branches, and Sheep…well, Sheep got cold.” The three friends are in the cave long enough to make Sheep think they’ve
With just a hint of artistic license, a retelling in graphic form of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17. Keeping readers oriented with maps and dates that heighten the drama (if it were possible), Bertozzi introduces Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic career with glimpses of early ventures in 1901 and 1907. He then provides a captioned portrait gallery of each member of the expedition, including the dogs, before going on to retrace in detail the course and fate of the ship Endurance, which was trapped in ice and eventually crushed. The exhausting, monthslong trek over rough ice and treacherous waters to reach a rescue point takes up most of the book. The author places figures drawn with a fine pen within small but easily legible panels, and he uses a color scheme of black, white and a midtone gray that effectively captures the Antarctic’s alien, implacable harshness. His tale is infused, though, with both humor (“My posterior is chafed thoroughly from cleaning with ice,” complains an expedition member, pulling up his trousers) and a strong sense of the stiff-upper-lip camaraderie that, along with Shackleton’s outstanding leadership, kept the expedition together and led, against all odds, to the survival of its every (human) member. A top-shelf rendition of one of the greatest survival stories to come out of the Age of Exploration. (source list) (Graphic historical fiction. 10-16)
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“Brown’s sophomore tale offers a riveting mix of mystery, romance and history, paced with enough chapter-ending cliffhangers to ensure that its readers cannot—and will not—put this down….” from born of deception
been eaten, but they’ve just given Bear a makeover he’s none too happy about. Bear roars about only wanting a quiet place to sleep…and Sheep has just the stuff—er, fluff: She makes him a pillow from some of her wool. Bland’s silly jungle tale, published in his native Australia in 2008, will have young listeners giggling, particularly once Bear’s all dolled up. Older listeners might wonder why the other animals are so pudgy and cute compared to Bear (especially Lion). Good, not-so-cranky fun. (Picture book. 3-7)
SHIPWRECK ISLAND
Bodeen, S.A. Feiwel & Friends (192 pp.) $16.99 | Jul. 29, 2014 978-1-250-02777-1 Series: Shipwreck Island, 1
The first in a series, a contemporary castaway tale featuring a blended family. Twelve-year-old Sarah Robinson (yes, shades of Swiss Family Robinson) is upset: Her father has remarried (he met his new wife, Yvonna Murillo, through online dating). Now Sarah’s stuck with stepbrothers Marco (Sarah’s age) and his little brother, Nacho. Marco’s equally unhappy about moving from Texas to Southern California. When the newlyweds decide to skip their honeymoon in lieu of an all-family cruise, the kids soon face bigger problems than merging food preferences and family traditions. Alternating chapters punctuated with plentiful dialogue move briskly, offering readers Sarah’s and Marco’s reactions to an increasingly surreal adventure. It begins when they board the sketchy Moonflight, manned by an understaffed Capt. Norm (his first mate is a Newfoundland called Ahab), and escalates with a sudden storm that maroons them off a lush tropical island. Sarah and Marco glimpse strange creatures, suggesting trouble lurks in paradise (they must climb trees to avoid giant coconut-eating crabs). Sarah and Marco’s shared sense of danger ultimately transforms them from inconvenienced, contrary preteens to wary allies facing threats no one (including readers) understands: The book ends abruptly and on an ominous note, with a “smear of red” in the sky and many unanswered questions. More tantalizing appetizer than full entrée, this book will leave readers hungry for a second helping. (Adventure. 10-13)
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BORN OF DECEPTION
Brown, Teri Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins (336 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-218757-4 978-0-06-218759-8 e-book American Anna Van Housen, gifted teenage empath and illusionist, finds herself newly expatriated in Europe, but the dangers (and romantic tension) are just as great across the pond. In this stark departure from its predecessor, Born of Illusion (2013), and its glittering Jazz Age backdrop of séances and speakeasies, Anna finds herself in dreary London alongside her beau, Cole, performing at the top of the bill with a new troupe. In England, her affiliation with the Society for Psychical Research deepens as she familiarizes herself with many of its members. As she puzzles out which members she deems trustworthy, others start disappearing or, even worse, are found murdered. In a new country and with no certainties anywhere, Anna must use her powers—both psychic and physical—to find the perpetrator before it’s too late. To make her footing even less steady, she meets another handsome performer who makes her question her longstanding feelings for the aloof Cole. Brown’s sophomore tale offers a riveting mix of mystery, romance and history, paced with enough chapter-ending cliffhangers to ensure that its readers cannot—and will not—put this down; expect readers to clamor for more of Anna’s adventures. A must-read for fans of historical fantasy. (Historical fantasy. 13-16)
CARTBOY GOES TO CAMP
Campbell, L.A. Illus. by Campbell, L.A. Starscape/Tom Doherty (224 pp.) $12.99 | $8.81 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-7653-3327-8 978-1-4668-0202-5 e-book Series: Cartboy, 2 Can Hal survive Camp Jamestown or will he becometh history? Having completed sixth grade, Hal Rifkind was happy to put Mr. Tupkin’s time-capsule journal project behind him, but now he starts a new journal addressed to some future person (or alien) as a form of solace when his history-obsessed father sends him to Camp Jamestown, where it’s always 1607. Camp owner Mr. Prentice is nice enough, but he says “ye” and “thee” instead of “you” and won’t stop calling on Hal despite Hal’s lack of historical knowledge. Of course Ryan, who tortured Hal last year, is also at the camp. Thankfully, Hal makes new friends, and they have a treasure map of camp that may pay off. Also, skilled pioneer camper Cora seems interested in being friends…maybe history camp won’t be so bad. Without the time-capsule conceit of the
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previous book, the journal format in Campbell’s second Cartboy title falls flat. Doodles, timelines and photos again extend the story, but the clichéd appearance of the bully from home, Hal’s dad’s lack of character growth, and the coincidences and logic leaps that characterize the treasure hunt make this sophomore effort truly sophomoric. Even the ample fart humor can’t save it. Fans of the first will probably be disappointed; at best, it’s a desperation read-alike for Big Nate or Wimpy Kid. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 9-12)
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MY BEST FRIEND, MAYBE
Carter, Caela Bloomsbury (352 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-59990-970-7
Two former best friends raised by families with markedly different values take a trip to Greece in this poignant story that is centered around themes of sexuality, acceptance and belonging. High school junior Colette has grown weary of following the rules dictated to her by her conservative, religious family and longs for more physical involvement with her boyfriend and a chance to break out of her nice-girl role. And though she has other friends, she has felt adrift since Sadie, her closest childhood friend, mysteriously dropped her years earlier. When Sadie extends the unexpected and perplexing invitation to join her family on the Greek island of Santorini, Colette feels compelled to go both out of loyalty and to shake up
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her own life. Emotionally rich characters make this an engaging drama that is as much about people finding places within their families as it is about the damage done by rigid adults to vulnerable kids. A romance that develops between Colette and one of Sadie’s older brothers is sweetly believable, though the eventual reveal of the overcomplicated reasoning behind Sadie’s selection of Colette to come on the trip is less so. Vivid descriptions of the unusual landscape of Santorini will fascinate readers looking for a good travelogue, and the perceptive and heartfelt relationship dynamics will only add to the appeal. (Fiction. 14-18)
THE SCHOOL IS ALIVE!
Chabert, Jack Illus. by Ricks, Sam Branches/Scholastic (96 pp.) $15.99 | $4.99 paper | $4.99 e-book Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-545-62393-3 978-0-545-62392-6 paper 978-0-545-62394-0 e-book Series: Eerie Elementary, 1 Ghosts, hall monitors and a strange old guy come together in this chapter book for new readers. Third-grader Sam is not happy about being appointed a hall monitor at Eerie Elementary School. It doesn’t take him long to figure out that there is more to this job than just shushing people in the hall. What’s with the two crows eyeing him from the roof? Or the quicksand that suddenly appears on the playground? Whatever is going on, he is both relieved and creeped out when the old janitor saves him. It takes a while for Sam to figure out that he is more than just a monitor: He is supposed to protect everyone from the sinister school now that the janitor is weak and old and can no longer fight it. The intended audience might lose interest before finally figuring out the secret on Page 45. Lively illustrations might help them get there, especially when trees and fire hoses attack. Given the general slowness of the plot, it’s quite a contrast to see the kids pull off a full production of Peter Pan, complete with flying, in just a week. The large font and frequent illustrations should help new readers gain confidence, but the slow pacing and overwhelming amount of text on each page may well stymie them. Good idea but uneven execution. (Horror. 7-10)
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GRADUATION DAY
Charbonneau, Joelle HMH Books (304 pp.) $17.99 | $17.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-547-95921-4 978-0-544-30170-2 e-book Series: Testing, 3 After discovering in Independent Study (2014) that the rebellion is secretly controlled by the administration it purports to act against, Cia must choose whom to trust. It’s up to Cia to end the Testing and prevent a civil war that’s a setup for slaughter. When she brings the conspiracies to the attention of the United Commonwealth president (whom Cia works for as a student intern), President Collindar concludes that her own office has been infiltrated so thoroughly that none can be trusted. Rather than relying on one of her other underlings, Collindar gives Cia a hit list of strategic targets—Dr. Barnes and various officials connected to the Testing—to assassinate in order to put control of the Testing firmly into Collindar’s hands and to prevent civil war. But Cia knows this task is impossible for one person to accomplish: She must recruit others and, harder, trust them. But she doesn’t have long to evaluate—or test—her friends for loyalty and belief in the cause. Professor Holt and Cia’s other enemies close in on Cia with the goal of Redirecting her out of the University. Once and for all, Cia will prove if she has what it takes to lead or not. Twists and reveals are plentiful but not gratuitous, and the series’ loose threads are tied up. Readers who have been with Cia from the beginning will not be disappointed. Conspiracies, counterconspiracies, lies and double crosses: It’s quite a ride. (Dystopian thriller. 12 & up)
THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE
Connor, Leslie Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (368 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-06-089091-9 978-0-06-089092-6 e-book A shy, overprotected girl is the focus of this character study of a victim of physical abuse. Sixteen-year-old Bettina keeps to herself. Her Greek father dominates her life, rarely allowing her out of the house. She has no friends until she meets Brady, a good-looking boy who asks her out, politely seeking her father’s permission. With approval, Bettina begins a relationship that at first seems just what she needs, until Brady pushes her for sex and begins deliberately to hurt her, always claiming his violence is accidental. By chance, Bettina meets a young man she calls “Cowboy.” She immediately feels an easy connection to him and begins surreptitiously visiting his small car-repair shop. As events progress, Brady
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“Mila’s story creates provocative paradoxes—she’s machine-turned-human, child-becoming-woman with heartaches (will she ever fit in?)—likely to engage readers pondering their own futures and identities.” from the girl with the windup heart
becomes even more abusive, while the undercurrent of a real romance develops between Bettina and Cowboy, despite their 10-year age difference. Once the two realize they are truly in love, disaster strikes. Connor keeps her story completely realistic, a welcome relief from standard-issue romances. Her fluid prose and convincing characterizations lift the story beyond the average. Only Cowboy seems idealized, as readers see him through Bettina’s eyes—also true to life. The book’s examination of abusive relationships is cleareyed and instructive. Romance fans who happen upon this will find an absorbing portrait of abuse and recovery. (Fiction. 14-18)
THE GIRL WITH THE WINDUP HEART
Cross, Kady Harlequin Teen (400 pp.) $17.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-373-21119-7 Series: Steampunk Chronicles, 4
THE MURDER COMPLEX
Cummings, Lindsay Greenwillow/HarperCollins (400 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-222000-4 978-0-06-222002-8 e-book In a world where no one can die, murder is the only way out. In an overcrowded, not-so-distant future Florida, the Initiative keeps a close eye on citizens. Years ago, a plague threatened humanity, but Pins implanted under the skin release nanites that keep everyone healthy. Sixteen-year-old Meadow has been trained by her fisherman father to survive and to kill if necessary. Zephyr, 17, is an orphaned Ward; his job is to clean up the corpses of the victims of the 300-plus murders each month with his only friend, Talan. Zephyr has blackouts and is sure he has killed several people; and sometimes during his blackouts he dreams of a silver-haired girl. When Zephyr and Meadow
Cross concludes her steampunk adventure series with a fourth book wrapping up the fates of her paranormal band of friends who must retrieve one of their own from the otherworldly Aether. Moving back and forth between 1897 London and the shadowy Aetheric realm, the storyline is fueled by separation: Griffin’s torn from Finley by the evil Garibaldi, who’s torturing him in the Aether, and Mila flees Jack Dandy’s house, confused by her feelings for him and determined to discover her place in the world. The action’s divided between their stories. Finley (aided by her friends and a special Tesla-designed suit) “dies” to seek Griffin in the Aether. Readers explore that shadowy world with Finley, who encounters there her long-lost father and an old nemesis, Lord Felix August-Raynes. Meanwhile, Mila’s story creates provocative paradoxes—she’s machine-turned-human, child-becomingwoman with heartaches (will she ever fit in?)—likely to engage readers pondering their own futures and identities. Mila’s forthright questions, especially about male-female hypocrisy and double standards (why is it fine for men to enjoy lovers; why do women downplay their intelligence before men?) resonate, making her an engaging favorite in a tale that occasionally feels overpopulated with characters and stories seeking closure. Cross’ fans will enjoy this awfully tidy—yet still-satisfying—ending to an intriguing, fast-paced series. (Steampunk. 13 & up)
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INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
Marisa de Los Santos and David Teague Magic is a lot of fun, but it’s not going to save you By Gordon West
Photo courtesy Leigh Minor
If choosing a new hue for the bathroom walls can test the strength of even the most solid marriage, writing a collaborative book could be the literary equivalent of undertaking a complete gut rehab. Joining forces with a spouse on a novel might result in a fine piece of literature, but remaining on speaking terms post-publication is questionable. When I talk to Marisa de los Santos and David Teague about their middle-grade novel Saving Lucas Biggs, they don’t sound like mere survivors of a joint project; they’re ebullient at having worked together and profusely complimentary of each other. De los Santos is a New York Times best-selling author of adult fiction, and Teague is a picture-book author. 84
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Was middle grade a way of meeting on middle ground? “I’m not sure I’d call it a middle ground because it really did seem like a very different kind of book to me,” de los Santos says. “It’s just a genre that both of us think is incredibly rich and also important.” “We’re really interested in the books our children are reading right now in the middle-grade genre,” adds Teague. “I’d been interested in the genre before and attempted it in the past, but it never really took off until I had Marisa as a partner. Just the discipline of working with another writer helped me stay more focused.” Saving Lucas Biggs is, fittingly enough for two authors, a split narrative. The story begins with 13-yearold Margaret having just been dealt a terrible blow. Her beloved father has been unjustly sentenced to death by Judge Lucas Biggs, a man as powerful as he is corrupt and bitter. At the encouragement of her best friend Charlie’s grandfather Joshua, Margaret decides to take advantage of the familial ability to travel through time so that she can attempt to right the wrongs of Judge Biggs. The chapters alternate not only between Margaret’s and Joshua’s perspectives, but also between 2014 and 1938, a significant year for Biggs and, thus, the one to which Margaret travels. “It is a time-travel book, but initially we had two really distinct time periods,” says Teague. “Not to give too much away, but the logic of any kind of time travel—Terminator or anything—is at the end of the story; all the contradictions that come with the idea of time travel, they have to be worked out.” De los Santos writes from present-day Margaret’s perspective, while Teague tackles circa 1938 Joshua, but the writing process wasn’t just a case of dichotomizing a narrative based on decade. On top of addressing time-travel contradictions, it was impera-
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tive that Margaret’s voice be the same in Teague’s chapters as it was in those of de los Santos’, and vice versa for Joshua’s voice. “Her ideas would have to pay off in my chapter, or my early ideas would have to pay off in her chapter,” says Teague. “So we ended up having the responsibility of bringing the other’s ideas all the way to fruition.” Through differing perspectives and alternate time periods, the two writers naturally extended their individual strengths as well. “David is incredibly inventive and imaginatively adventurous in a way that I maybe haven’t been as much,” says de los Santos. “He has a real daring when it comes to imaginative leaps. And as I continue to work on books alone—not that my adult fiction has time travel—I think more chance-taking is something that he brought and that I’m starting to learn from him.” Teague’s tendency may be toward daring leaps, according to de los Santos, but he likes the thoroughness of her character development. “She takes more time and really goes at her characters from the inside in a way that I don’t think I had learned to do before I worked with her,” Teague says. “Just to have a character who could be in the same scene with Marisa’s characters, I had to really raise my game.” Margaret is dealing with an appalling event in 2014, but circa 1938 Joshua and his family are as well. He lives in a mining town where a greedy corporate executive so mistreats the miners (his father included) that they strike, leaving their employer-owned housing and establishing a camp on the outskirts of town until work conditions improve. Their peaceful protest is met with an assault of crude weaponry, resulting in several deaths and injuries. This nightmare of political injustice and inhumane brutality is based on the Ludlow Massacre of 1914 in Colorado. “When I first read about this Ludlow Massacre, it was almost incomprehensible for me to think that children could be in a tent with their mother eating breakfast and fellow citizens of the United States would drive up in a tank they had made and begin firing machine gun slugs into their tent,” says Teague. “And then I thought, ‘Well, how do you survive that?’ And I guess in all these situations, it must be friendship.” Amid a corrupt judge, a massacre, a murder and time travel, there’s a message that corrupt powers |
need to be kept in check even if the task seems insurmountable. But to the two writers who acknowledge liking books that have “humor intermingled with severity,” this isn’t the core message. “I would say that the book is more about friends and what they can accomplish together than it is about these big-picture injustices or big, swooping historical moments,” says de los Santos. “All the kid’s books I love—the Madeleine L’Engle books or The Dark Is Rising series, even the Narnia books—they come down to what people can accomplish when they care about each other and they decide to work together. The bottom line is that all this crazy magical stuff can happen, but magic isn’t going to save you,” she adds. “You have to save yourself.”
Gordon West is a writer and illustrator living in Brooklyn. He is admittedly addicted to horror films and is at work on his own teen novel. Saving Lucas Biggs received a starred review in the March 1, 2014, issue of Kirkus Reviews.
Saving Lucas Biggs De Los Santos, Marisa; Teague, David Harper/HarperCollins (288 pp.) $16.99 | Apr. 29, 2014 978-0-06-227462-5 kirkus.com
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meet, they set in motion a series of events that will change their world...and maybe the world at large forever. Cummings’ debut, a bloody sci-fi thriller, strains credulity as the plot twists mount and previously held beliefs are shown to be false. Zephyr and Meadow trade off present-tense narration duties in alternating chapters, but their voices are not distinct enough for the device to work well. The world built is interesting enough, but it never comes alive and peters out at the close. Those in need of more dystopian fiction (is there anyone in this glut?) could do worse, but it’s not a first purchase. (Dystopian romance. 14-17)
EMILY’S BLUE PERIOD
Daly, Cathleen Illus. by Brown, Lisa Neal Porter/Roaring Brook (58 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-59643-469-1 A girl adjusts to her parents’ divorce with the help of Pablo Picasso’s artwork. In school, Emily’s learning how Picasso’s cubist portrayals “mix things up,” scooting a nose sideways or stacking eyes over eyes. This notion touches her, as her family feels mixed up too: “Emily’s dad is no longer where he belongs. Suddenly, he lives in his own little cube.” An aerial map shows Emily’s gridlike neighborhood, her father’s new building—pale blue—two blocks from the family house. At a furniture store, Emily sees the furniture as blue and blue-green cubes and refuses to help Dad choose any. She won’t use black charcoal; like Picasso when he was sad, she hews to blue. Despite cuddles from Mom, “Emily’s Blue Period lasts quite some time.” A school assignment chafes: How can she make a collage of her house when she has two? Gathering objects from both, she figures it out, but textual pacing frustrates somewhat: Her completed “big and soggy and beautiful” chef-d’oeuvre is described in words for eight pages before it’s shown, implying that her piece’s concept outweighs its artistic value rather than complementing it. However, Brown’s soothing, blue-focused watercolors with pencil lines and digitally collaged highlights provide an accessible visual link to Picasso. One out-of-place joke about Picasso’s full Spanish name rankles. A worthwhile, idiosyncratic demonstration of a specific artist’s relevance to a young child. (Picture book. 4-7)
PETE THE CAT: TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR
Dean, James Harper/HarperCollins (32 pp.) $9.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-06-230416-2 Series: Pete the Cat
The Pete the Cat cash machine grinds out another nurseryrhyme–based picture book (Old MacDonald Had a Farm, 2014). 86
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Here, the heavy-lidded cat contemplates (kind of) a twinkling star. The book’s chief value is in reproducing all five stanzas of the traditional rhyme, presumably to give artist Dean enough material to fill another 32 pages. The aesthetics that have informed the franchise throughout are scrupulously maintained, resulting in the odd, if predictable, disconnect between the celebratory text and the couldn’t-care-less protagonist. The verse “How I wonder what you are!” is paired with an image of Pete letting his stoner stare rest on readers, ignoring the telescope that is trained on the twinkling star: He couldn’t look further from wonderment. In a delightful departure from his approach in Old MacDonald, Dean seems to be trying to impose a narrative in which Pete ends his day of play to go home, eat supper with his equally bored-looking family, bathe and go to bed. Unfortunately, inconsistency in the color of the sky—it’s often painted noonday blue and at the beginning discordantly shifts from dusky blue to sunset yellow—unmoors readers, and the illustrations often have nothing to do with the text. Pete is at his most appealing when asleep and dreaming of flying a spaceship to the star, one of the only moments in the book when text, tone and visuals truly align. For fans only. (Picture book. 4-8)
THIRTY SUNSETS
Deriso, Christine Hurley Flux (240 pp.) $9.99 paper | Jul. 8, 2014 978-0-7387-3991-5 A naïve girl hopes for a boyfriend and gets more than she bargained for on her family’s monthlong beach vacation. Forrest’s popular brother, Brian, attracts girls with ease, and the 16-yearold doesn’t understand why she doesn’t have the same way with boys. She knows enough to hide the fact that she reads Faulkner for fun, but boys just don’t notice her. Alas, Brian has attracted Olivia, the bane of Forrest’s existence. When Forrest learns that Olivia will accompany them on their family vacation and worse, even sleep in the same room with her, she objects. However, she quickly learns that Olivia can be a rather cool person, and the two become friends. When Forrest meets good-looking Scott, he immediately turns Forrest’s head, even though the more experienced Olivia warns her that Scott sounds like a player. As the summer progresses, and secrets pour out, Forrest learns more about her family than she could have guessed, and she finds strength with them when Scott goes too far. Deriso has a knack for families, filling them with flawed people who maintain their bonds with love. Characterizations come across as realistic and nuanced, and the depiction of a sexual assault later in the story is both sensitive and informative. It may not be the easiest vacation Forrest will ever go on, but readers will be glad they shared it with her. (Fiction. 12-18)
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“Robinson’s brilliantly designed acrylic paintings, done in an earthtone palette, beautifully enhance DiPucchio’s clever and witty text.” from gaston
THE GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY
style, reminiscent of M. Sasek, is full of energy and sophistication, and the interplay among type, text and compositions leads to humorous results. Gaston will win hearts, as will his story’s message of belonging and family. A perfect read aloud that will leave them begging for more—an absolute delight. (Picture book. 2-7)
Dicmas, Courtney Illus. by Dicmas, Courtney Child’s Play (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jul. 1, 2014 978-1-84643-640-6
Bright splashy colors and a catchy title highlight this purpose-driven tale. Stella is obsessed with fishing, most particularly with catching the Great Googly Moogly, a supposedly monstrous creature haunting local waters for 200 years. Every day she goes down to the dock with her fishing gear. At night, in her bedroom with its fishy wallpaper, fish rug and fish stuffie, she dreams of the Great Googly Moogly. When the huge fish finally does appear and gives Stella a joyous ride, she rethinks this whole “catching” idea. At the end, readers see her and her parents in their rowboat, Stella dipping her hand into the water next to the big fish, who is looking friendly and content. The final image, of Stella hanging upside down next to a surprised-looking sloth, may make readers wonder if she is just shifting her obsession to mammals—who knows? “Googly Moogly” may have originated in mid-20th-century blues and was popularized as a phrase by Frank Zappa in the 1970s. It is great fun to say aloud. Simply rolling the syllables “Great Googly Moogly” over their tongues may be enough to carry readers past the slightly elliptical ending. (Picture book. 3-6)
GASTON
DiPucchio, Kelly Illus. by Robinson, Christian Atheneum (40 pp.) $16.99 | $12.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4424-5102-5 978-1-4424-5103-2 e-book Gaston, an adorable pup, lives with his loving and proper poodle pack, until an outing reveals there’s more to family than meets the eye. Mrs. Poodle treasures her new puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston (say them aloud, and there will be giggles!). Four white pups, so attentive and sweet. But upon second viewing, it’s clear not all are the same. Gaston—the one with the eager-to-please smile—is, well, different. His sisters are naturals at etiquette, while he is comical in his efforts. When a park visit establishes that puppies were mixed at birth, Gaston heads home with the bulldogs, while his counterpart, Antoinette, takes her place with the poodles. But it’s clear the two truly belong with their adoptive families. Once returned to the families who nurtured them, all feels and looks right as the dogs celebrate with joy. Now fast friends, the families meet and play; much later, when Gaston and Antoinette fall in love, the two allow their brood—who are a delightful mix of their parents— to be whatever they want to be. Robinson’s brilliantly designed acrylic paintings, done in an earth-tone palette, beautifully enhance DiPucchio’s clever and witty text. His simple, graphic |
THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS
Dorset, Skylar Sourcebooks Fire (304 pp.) $9.99 paper | Jun. 1, 2014 978-1-4022-9253-8
On her 17th birthday, Selkie Stewart learns of her magical heritage, parentage and destiny. Raised by her great-aunts to be antisocial and secretive, Selkie blurts out her birthdate to her crush, Ben, accidentally unraveling her enchanted and illusory life. She discovers not only that she is half-faerie (and half-ogre) and that Boston was built and is inhabited by other supernatural creatures, but also that she is one of four fay prophesied to overthrow the Seelie Court...and that her mother, the queen, wants to kill her. Trading in a lavishly described Boston for a Carrollian Otherworld, Selkie risks murderous parental wrath to save her sort-of boyfriend, armed only with her newfound powers. Selkie’s relationship with Ben feels both artificial and shallow—as do all her interactions with other characters—and their romance swings from PG cuddling to vows of eternal love. Selkie is an unreliable, if poetic, narrator, first dazed by the enchantments and then disoriented by the bizarre faerie court, but she also wavers between childish frustration and adult astuteness in dialogue and behavior. Dorset excels in physical descriptions but falters with an arbitrary adventure and a clichéd faerie self-discovery/ romance/prophecy plot. A decent but unremarkable addition to the flock of teen faerie tales. (Fantasy. 12-18)
OTHERBOUND
Duyvis, Corinne Abrams (400 pp.) $17.95 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-4197-0928-9 Worlds collide as two teens fight for their lives. Nolan Santiago isn’t your average teenager. When he closes his eyes, he finds himself in another world, seeing life through the eyes of the mute servant Amara. Amara serves, protects and heals the cursed Alinean princess Cilla, who struggles to stay alive in order to reclaim her family’s rule over the Dunelands. Back in Arizona, Nolan lives his life as a disabled epileptic, trying to shield his parents from
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“Godin’s lively language paired with Brantley-Newton’s colorful collage illustrations of children from many different backgrounds gives readers a realistic view of this diverse and close-knit urban community.” from the hula hoopin’ queen
the horrors of his dual existence as the costs of expensive pharmaceuticals and medical specialists overwhelm family finances. With each blink of his eyes, Nolan re-emerges into Amara’s harsh but magical reality, where almost every moment is fraught with brutality and betrayal. As Amara’s journey with Cilla leads her toward the capital, she and Nolan must recognize how each controls the other’s fate in ways neither of them thought possible. Duyvis smoothly transitions between the two main characters’ thoughts and emotions while realistically conveying the individual alienation and terror of two very different people. Rich worldbuilding, convincing nonheteronormative relationships, balanced class issues, and nuanced, ethnically diverse characters add to the novel’s depth. The well-paced action builds toward an unexpected, thrilling conclusion that will leave readers eager for more from this promising new author. Original and compelling; a stunning debut. (Fantasy. 14 & up)
STARBIRD MURPHY AND THE WORLD OUTSIDE
Finneyfrock, Karen Viking (384 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-670-012763
One teen’s intriguing search for identity amid life in a religious cult. While others have found their Calling, 16-year-old Starbird Murphy has been content tending to the chickens on the Free Family Farm commune she calls home in rural Washington state. Free love, shared possessions, unusual names and dubious genealogy are all she’s ever known. When she’s needed to waitress at the Free Family Café in Seattle, everyone except Starbird assumes it’s her Calling. But when EARTH, their charismatic founder and leader, fails to return from his mission and she finds Indus, who recently resolved to love only one person, kissing another girl, Starbird doesn’t hesitate to head to the big city. With a lesser author at the helm, this story would be marred by stereotypes. But as Starbird learns to navigate asphalt, high school, computers, talking to Outsiders and even handling money for the first time, she meets a range of individuals with varying degrees of faith. When the teen discovers odd deposits while helping sort through the cafe’s mismanaged accounts and calls on Outsider Ben (also with religious issues) for help, there’s no doubt that she will question her own faith (and romance). In the hands of poet Finneyfrock, Starbird gradually and realistically finds her inner voice emerging from a controlled mind. Both Starbird and readers will expand their worlds. (Fiction. 13-18)
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I CAN DO IT MYSELF
Fisher, Valorie Illus. by Fisher, Valorie Schwartz & Wade/Random (40 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 8, 2014 978-0-449-81593-9 A series of colorful, photographed spreads provides visual instruction and documentation of various tasks and skills for child readers to master. From writing letters and numbers through identifying shapes and colors to setting the table and making lemonade, each spread provides affirmation and support of young readers’ burgeoning achievements and milestones. Unfortunately, even though the spreads are visually arresting, they are not always smoothly sequenced. The book starts well, encouraging children to identify their left and right hands and then to take up a pencil with one or the other to make numbers, letters and then words. But then an introduction of shapes and colors leads to the use of scissors, followed by identifying patterns and then dressing and other types of self-care. This results in a package that seems like a collection of posters or a catalog rather than a cohesive picture book. It’s difficult to imagine a reading transaction that would have children following through the book from one page to the next with rapt attention to the lessons they convey in order to have readers fulfill the title’s promise. Still, the use of plastic dolls to complement photographs of humans and diagrams is child-pleasing, and preschoolers who simply leaf through it may find themselves inspired. Ultimately, haphazard structure undermines a visually engaging presentation. (Picture book. 3-6)
THE HULA HOOPIN’ QUEEN
Godin, Thelma Lynne Illus. by Brantley-Newton, Vanessa Lee & Low (40 pp.) $18.95 | May 1, 2014 978-1-60060-846-9 A lively intergenerational picture book that will send readers out to the sidewalk for a hoopin’ good time. When Kameeka gets the hula-hoopin’ itch, her fingers snap, her feet tap, and her hips swing. She feels “the itch” coming on one afternoon, and she gets ready to step outside to compete against her hoopin’ archrival, Jamara. Mama, however, has other plans, as she prepares the house for Miz Adeline’s party, a grandmotherly neighbor who took care of both Kameeka and Mama as children. When Mama sends Kameeka on an emergency run to the grocery store for ingredients to replace the fallen double-fudge chocolate cake, Kameeka takes a detour that lasts much longer than it should. But hoop she must to save her reputation in the neighborhood. Godin’s lively language paired with Brantley-Newton’s colorful collage illustrations of children from many different backgrounds gives readers a realistic view of this diverse and close-knit urban community. The pictures that hang on the walls of Kameeka’s house—of Ruby Bridges and a brown-skinned, cap-and-gown–wearing graduate—hint at the
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importance of both education and African-American history in this family. The elderly Miz Adeline validates Kameeka’s love of the hula hoop when she demonstrate through her own hoopin’ moves that some forms of play remain timeless. A fine incentive to motivate couch potatoes young and old to move. (Picture book. 6-10)
THE FERAL CHILD
Golden, Che Quercus (262 pp.) $16.99 | $16.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-62365-120-6 978-1-62365-121-3 e-book The dark side of faerie for a younger crowd. Thirteen-year-old Maddy, living with her grandparents in an Irish village since the deaths of her parents, is a horror of a child. She snarls at her grandparents, is rude to her cousins and is friendly only with Stephen, the toddler next door. It’s no surprise she’s snappish and violent when a boy accosts her on the grounds of a tourist-trap “faerie kingdom.” Unsurprisingly, it’s a poor idea to be rude to strangers on a faerie mound, however ostensibly artificial the mound may be. That very night, Maddy watches in terror as the strange boy—now long of ear and sharp of tooth—kidnaps Stephen. The need to rescue Stephen brings Maddy and two of her cousins into a twisted wintertime Tír na nÓg, its Irish (and somewhat Narnia-inflected) character mixing with a mishmash of names from Norse, Roman, Blackfeet and Inuit myth and history— there’s even a twiggy dryad with an Afro. At first, Maddy’s behavior is hardly heroic; when her grandparents refuse to support her story about Stephen’s abduction, she “sulk[s] and stomp[s] about the house all day,” and her treatment of her cousins at the beginning of the quest is harshly critical. The fantasyland adventure brings the three children together in predictable-if-satisfying ways, however, and feral little Maddy becomes almost likable. A little incoherent—but enjoyable for all that. (glossary) (Fantasy. 9-11)
MISTER BUD WEARS THE CONE
Goodrich, Carter Illus. by Goodrich, Carter Simon & Schuster (48 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4424-8088-9 978-1-4424-8089-6 e-book Zorro the pug and his pal, Mister Bud, pair up again for their third amusingly understated adventure (Zorro Gets an Outfit, 2012, etc.), this time focusing on Mister Bud’s unpleasant stint wearing an Elizabethan collar while a sore spot heals. Every dog owner is familiar with the necessary but traumatic cone-shaped collar that prevents a dog from licking an injury or |
biting at post-surgical stitches. Mister Bud, a large, big-nosed dog of indeterminate breed, has developed a “hot spot,” which he aggravates through licking at it overnight. His owner tries some healing ointment, to no avail, and finally straps on the hated cone when she has to leave for work. Poor Mister Bud spends a miserably uncomfortable day in the cone, unable to see or play or eat properly, and his sidekick Zorro the pug makes things worse by teasing Mister Bud and stealing his favorite stuffed toy. A succinct, masterfully paced text is filled with humorous taunts from Zorro and hilarious descriptions of Mister Bud’s misery. Quirky watercolor illustrations show Zorro’s feisty personality and Mister’s Bud’s difficulties with the cone in vignettes set off by lots of white space, spotlighting the canine antics. In a satisfying conclusion, Mister Bud receives extra attention from the owner and a special treat, which he shares with Zorro despite his pal’s lessthan-exemplary behavior during Mister’s Bud cone crisis. Zorro and Mister Bud are quite a pair; readers will hope for more unpredictable but amusing adventures with them. (Picture book. 4-8)
TREATIES, TRENCHES, MUD AND BLOOD A World War I Tale
Hale, Nathan Illus. by Hale, Nathan Amulet/Abrams (128 pp.) $12.95 | May 13, 2014 978-1-4197-0808-4 Series: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales In the latest of his Hazardous Tales (One Dead Spy, 2012, etc.), Hale recaps World War I with an allanimal cast. Any similarities to Art Spiegelman’s Maus are doubtless coincidental. Per established series formula, a frame tale finds the author’s more-renowned namesake holding off the hangman, Scheherazade-like, with tales from our country’s future history. In this volume, he covers the war’s prelude, precipitation, major campaigns and final winding down in small but reasonably easy-tofollow two-color panels. At the hangman’s request, narrator Hale both tucks in a few jokes and transforms the opposing armies into animal-headed soldiers—from Gallic roosters and British bulldogs to, as “eagle” was already taken by the Germans, American bunnies. Despite lightening the load in this manner and shying away from explicit brutality, Hale cogently conveys the mind-numbing scale of it all as well as the horrors of trench warfare. He presents with equal ease the strategic and tactical pictures, technological innovations from poison gas to tanks, and related developments such as the Russian Revolution. After the cease fire, which he attributes more to exhaustion than battlefield victory, he closes with a summary of the war’s human toll and geopolitical changes. A neatly coherent account with tweaks that allow readers some emotional distance—but not enough to shrug off the war’s devastating cost and world-changing effects. (bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 11-13)
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GARDEN TO TABLE A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food Hengel, Katherine Scarletta Press (144 pp.) $15.95 paper | Mar. 20, 2014 978-1-938063-42-8
Hengel encourages middle-grade readers to grow and cook their own food. A compilation of Hengel’s six books about growing and cooking with basil, carrots, green beans, leaf lettuce, potatoes and tomatoes, the formatted sections make it easy for readers to find the information they need to succeed in both growing and cooking with these foods—though it does also make for some repetition of information. Each section includes spreads about the focus plant and its variations, the conditions it needs and how to sow the seeds, its stages of growth, harvesting the plant and a Q-and-A page. These informational pages are followed by five to six recipes (minus nutritional information and sometimes the colored circles that outline the numbered steps), including Creamy Carrot Soup, Tasty Thai Noodles & Basil, Sassy Citrus Zest Beans, Sort-of Sushi Rolls, Cheddar Potato Cakes and Tomato Pie in the Sky. Three safety symbols used on the recipe pages alert chefs to sharp tools, hot materials and nuts. Extensive frontmatter includes a three-spread pictorial guide to cooking terms, three more spreads featuring an alphabetized pictorial list of ingredients (fish sauce, blue cheese and horseradish among them!), and two spreads of labeled kitchen tools. A URL directs readers to Abdo Publishing’s website for more informational websites (eHow among them) and Burpee’s online seed catalog. Budding gardeners who love to cook will find a treasure trove of information here. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-13)
FOUND THINGS
Hilton, Marilyn Atheneum (240 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jul. 15, 2014 978-1-4424-6087-4 978-1-4424-6089-8 e-book Since her older brother Theron disappeared from Quincely, N.H., several months ago, nothing seems right to 11-year-old River until she becomes friends with Meadow Lark and strange things start happening. River’s good at wishing and hopes her brother will return. River knows she’s adopted, but she has no idea why she’s suddenly speaking differently, why her mind now wanders inside a mysteriously familiar house, why she wants to know her “real mama” or why she’s drawn to the river even though she’s afraid of water. Then Meadow Lark, a peculiar new girl, arrives, attaching herself to River, and the two loners bond, floating their wishes down the river, hoping they’ll come true. When Meadow Lark comes to stay while her father’s away, River’s excited but gradually comes to feel 90
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her friend’s taking over her place by the river, her bedroom and even her mother’s affections. River gradually realizes she must find answers to the secrets of her missing brother, her birth mother, the strange house, her fear of water and her extraordinary new friend if her wishes are going to come true. With its effective river motif, this realistic, quietly powerful story unfolds slowly in the words of its thoughtful heroine, who eventually finds the things she had lost. A moving debut about secrets, wishes, friendship and trust. (Fiction. 9-12)
JAKE AT GYMNASTICS
Isadora, Rachel Illus. by Isadora, Rachel Nancy Paulsen Books (32 pp.) $14.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-399-160486
Jake and his friends love to stretch, hop like frogs, crawl, jump and tumble in their gymnastics class. In a creative segue from her books about ballet, veteran author and illustrator Isadora creates another collection of charming vignettes of a delightfully diverse group of preschoolers enjoying a similarly healthy activity. These kids are clearly having a lot of fun, and their teachers support them and help them to feel safe, especially when teetering precariously on the balance beam. The teachers also encourage creative and fun activities, such as hopping like a frog (the children croak and giggle), jumping on the trampoline, bouncing on big balls, turning somersaults, and finally spreading their wings and flying out of the gym like birds. The chubby kids’ refreshingly natural postures and body language set this book apart from renderings of more conventionally pretty children, allowing young gymnasts of all ability levels to identify. Isadora’s skillful faux naïve pencil-and-ink drawings are enhanced with interesting textures in a rainbow of oil colors. Beginning readers will be attracted to the simple text, especially to the single-word exclamations in brightly colored speech bubbles. Readers will no doubt want to get down on the floor and do some gymnastics of their own. (Picture book. 2-6)
THE PUNKYDOOS TAKE THE STAGE
Jackson, Jennifer Illus. by Andreasen, Dan Disney-Hyperion (32 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 1, 2014 978-1-4231-4339-0 Series: Punkydoos
What’s a music-loving girl to do when everyone tells her now’s not the time? Lexi-Lou is many spectacular things in her imagination, but one thing she is for real is a girl who loves to sing. She and her dog, Monkey, sing in the morning, but her mother tells her it’s time for breakfast. She sings in her bedroom, and her father tells her it’s time to brush her teeth. When she finally gets some
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“Johansson plunges readers directly into this sequel, milking dream sequences—of both Parker and his friends—for suspense….” from paranoia
time to rock out, her brother Daniel asks when she’ll be performing. Lexi-Lou thinks a concert’s a great idea, but she’ll need a band. She follows the music to Henry’s house; he’ll play keyboard for her. They follow the sounds of a guitar to Gigi’s house; she’ll join, too. There’s still something missing…they follow several sounds until they find Boo, who’s great on drums! The band’s complete except for a name: The Punkydoos, Daniel’s nickname for Lexi-Lou, will do! Now no one tells them to stop playing. Jackson’s debut is an energetic tale of self-acceptance and making dreams happen for the preschool set. Lexi-Lou does more than any real tyke that age could—and with a whole lot more independence—but little listeners will identify with her enthusiasm. Andreasen’s wide-eyed cartoon illustrations, a mix of spot and full-bleed, are an apt match. The unnecessary original “sing-along” song without music at the close aside, young music lovers will want to play along. (Picture book. 3-6)
OUT OF THE BLUE
Jay, Alison Illus. by Jay, Alison Barefoot (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-1-78285-042-7
Jay’s distinctive media and style combine to present a wordless, fantastic beach story of adventure and compassion. Cover art, frontmatter and opening illustrations introduce key characters and objects, aligning readers with the boy protagonist in his beachcombing activity as they search the pictures for detail. The boy meets a little girl who joins him in his play, but then everyone out at sea and on the beach flees for cover when a storm rolls in. The boy retreats to his lighthouse home, the next day waking to see a giant octopus that has emerged “out of the blue” and been washed up on the beach. Others have netted it to the ground, but when the boy discovers that it’s still alive, he acts with the girl and others to free it and pull it back to sea. The oil paintings with crackling varnish are stunning in their narrative clarity as panels establish temporal sequence. On the other hand, the story reads like two pieces forced together—the beachcombing-play scenario and then the octopus story, and pacing would have been improved with a shorter first piece. Backmatter pages provide information about giant octopi, lighthouses, tides, jellyfish and other story details, but these aren’t rich in content and end up seeming superfluous. A beautiful if rather sprawling beach book. (Picture book. 3-7)
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PARANOIA
Johansson, J.R. Flux (336 pp.) $9.99 paper | Jun. 8, 2014 978-0-7387-4018-8 Series: Night Walkers, 2 This sequel to Insomnia (2013) takes readers further into the minds of the Night Walkers. Parker spent the last book coping with his debilitating condition: He is a Watcher, meaning he enters the dreams of the last person in the day with whom he makes eye contact. Now Parker learns of people with related paranormal abilities: the Takers and the Builders. Although the Builders help repair Watchers’ sleep-deprived minds, the Takers literally absorb the minds of anyone they wish to take over, using their bodies up within only a few years, then moving on to other victims. Parker learns through Jack, his new mentor, that his long-absent father left to distract the Takers from his family and might still be alive. Jack knows where the Taker compound is located. Can Parker and his friends conquer the Takers, even while Parker’s best friend, Finn, has become their victim? Can Parker learn to control Darkness, his violent alter ego? Johansson plunges readers directly into this sequel, milking dream sequences—of both Parker and his friends—for suspense while also cultivating the misunderstandings that arise from Parker’s dilemma, especially when his girlfriend comes to believe him to be a liar. The final battle, while nicely tense, seems just a bit too easy for the level of danger involved, but readers should enjoy the adventure nonetheless. A worthy sequel to an imaginative new series. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)
MEANIEHEAD
Kaplan, Bruce Eric Illus. by Kaplan, Bruce Eric Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4424-8542-6 978-1-4424-8543-3 e-book Henry and Eve, the constant complainers from Monsters Eat Whiny Children (2010), are going through a “new, terrible phase.” The fight is on from the first page, and when the children simultaneously attempt to grab a favored action figure, the defeated one slings the titular moniker at her brother. Kaplan’s subsequent aside asserts the philosophy underpinning his plot: “There’s nothing sillier than fighting about what belongs to whom, but no kids and even fewer adults know that.” It’s an extensive rampage. The diminutive ink-and-watercolor caricatures contrast with sterile, white expanses interrupted by a decapitated doll here, a flattened Grand Canyon there, until all that remains is darkness. The pair’s eyes are unnervingly vacant; emotional intensity is achieved through dramatic mouth or
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“Colorful acrylic spreads burst with action, while the cheerful, catchy text consists entirely of rhymed, onomatopoeic animal sounds….” from the farmer’s away! baa! neigh!
brow lines and rage-purple cheeks. Despite an escalating vengeance that leads to nihilism, actions are contained within black frames. A temporary truce allows time for a snack. The penultimate scene shows two arms reaching for each other— a Michelangelo moment that mirrors the opening toy disaster but has a gentler outcome. (The endpapers, however, hint that the siblings have not completely reformed.) While most children will be able to relate to the raw frustration that Kaplan so effectively captures, it will take sophisticated readers who are familiar with dark humor to enjoy this over-the-top fable about the consequences of unfettered will. (Picture book. 5-8)
THE GARDEN OF DARKNESS
Kendall, Gillian Murray Ravenstone (384 pp.) $9.99 paper | May 8, 2014 978-1-78108-248-5
Another adult-killing pandemic rages…. Fifteen-year-old cheerleader Clare is a delayed-onset sufferer of Pest, meaning she is one of the adolescents who, while infected, won’t die from it until later in puberty. Orphaned, Clare briefly survives solo before encountering and joining a schoolmate, 13-year-old chess prodigy Jem, and the two little girls he’s protecting. Jem has no personality flaws and is conveniently supplied with plenty of survival savvy, so Clare frequently defers to his leadership and judgment. Besides surviving without modern amenities, the heroes are threatened by the Cured, people who received an early treatment that failed most patients and drove the survivors into violent insanity. Both the disease itself and the Cured are underdeveloped as concepts, but the story shines in detailing the minutiae of everyday life in a post-apocalyptic world. It highlights the less-than-glamorous complications that other stories overlook, such as figuring out where to defecate and coping with survivors’ stench. The heroes follow broadcasts by a surviving adult who calls himself the Master and promises a cure. The third-person omniscient narration switches occasionally to the Master or his child followers, letting the readers know so much more than the protagonists that all mystery is lost. The Master’s creepiness is drawn in such broad strokes as to make him a caricature rather than an effective villain. The ending concludes the story instead of teasing a sequel. A stand-alone option for die-hard post-apocalyptic fans. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 11-16)
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THE FARMER’S AWAY! BAA! NEIGH!
Kennedy, Anne Vittur Illus. by Kennedy, Anne Vittur Candlewick (32 pp.) $15.99 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-0-7636-6679-8
Time to play! Mischievous farm animals have a day full of adventure when their farmer sets out on his tractor early one morning. Colorful acrylic spreads burst with action, while the cheerful, catchy text consists entirely of rhymed, onomatopoeic animal sounds (“neigh neigh baa baa / moo moo tweet / honk honk oink oink / arf cheep eek”) as the frolicsome cows, horses, birds, pigs, dogs and mice, as well as other animals, sing together to form a nonsensical chorus that toddlers will happily join. The endpapers show each animal with its sound, so children can refer back as they learn to match the sounds to the farm’s various inhabitants. There’s not much these creatures can’t do, from climbing the roof and paddling down the river to hosting a proper picnic, riding a speedy roller coaster, waterskiing across the bay, flying in a plane and even dancing in the moonlight. But what will happen when the farmer returns? “Shh shh shhhhhhhh…,” Where’s that mouse? “Eek!” Babies, toddlers and very young emergent readers will delight in the strong, playful rhythm and energetic and detailed illustrations in this introduction to the noisy world of animal sounds. (Picture book. 1-4)
MINDWAR
Klavan, Andrew Thomas Nelson (352 pp.) $15.99 | Jul. 15, 2014 978-1-4016-8892-9 Series: MindWar Trilogy, 1 A young video game whiz squares off against monsters and terrorists in a mad genius’ cyberworld to save America. Ex–football star Rick gained worldclass Xbox expertise during months of seclusion following the sudden disappearance of his scientist father and an accident that cost him the use of his legs, so he puts up only minor resistance when federal agents kidnap him and demand that he allow his mind to be wired into a MindWar Realm. The Realm’s creator, Kurodar, is lining up support from the Axis Assembly (“the gathered leaders of every tyranny on earth”) to wage cyberwar on the United States. Rick works to learn how to use spiritual force in the Realm to battle ravening security bots on the way to sabotaging a never-specified demonstration of Kurodar’s powers. Meanwhile, the bad guy himself pursues a certain American computer expert known as Traveler—whose real identity is telegraphed well before a big reveal in the late going. In the end, Rick’s immediate lot has improved, but Kurodar remains at large, and evidence of a traitor sets up the next episode.
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The cyberthrills are stylized, but the focus is on action, and there’s just enough left unresolved to tempt readers onward. (Science fiction. 11-13)
GRANDPA’S THIRD DRAWER Unlocking Holocaust Memories
Kopelman, Judy Tal Illus. by Kopelman, Judy Tal Jewish Publication Society (32 pp.) $17.95 | $12.95 paper | May 1, 2014 978-0-8276-1204-1 978-0-8276-1221-1 paper
A carefully nonexplicit lead-in to a discussion of the Holocaust with young children, with photo-collage illustrations made of artifacts from Terezín. A child—at least a supposed one—narrates (sample line: “There’s a kind of quiet in Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It’s the silence of people who come from a faraway world—a vanished world that still lives in memories”). He recalls playing with the crayons and antique toys in his loving grandfather’s desk. One day he discovers the key to a desk drawer that is always locked. Grandpa has a strong reaction when he sees the boy holding a yellow Star of David patch. Recovering, he sits down to describe how the Nazis first sent Jews to ghettos and later split up families and sent them away, never to be reunited. Gatherings of antique photos, childhood drawings and toys in the first part give way to close-up views of a battered rag doll, a striped uniform, homemade dominoes and other memorabilia arranged as if in a just-opened drawer. “I asked…so many questions,” the narrator concludes. “I never knew that Grandpa was such a brave kid.” The story is obviously purposive, but as discussion starters go, it’s certainly a good choice. (Picture book. 6-9)
WHAT’S NEW? THE ZOO! A Zippy History of Zoos Krull, Kathleen Illus. by Hall, Marcellus Scholastic (40 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-545-13571-9
For at least 4,400 years, people have collected and displayed animals for entertainment, education and enlightenment. From the long-ago kingdom of Ur, where the ruler enjoyed roaring at his lions, to San Diego, Calif., home of a popular panda cub today, zoos have provided public and private amusement and instruction for thousands of years. Krull’s fast-paced survey offers a different animal collection on nearly every page. Date and place serve as headings; a paragraph of description follows. She’s found intriguing examples including a “Garden of Intelligence” in ancient China, an aviary-cum–dining hall in Rome, |
a particularly extensive holding belonging to Aztec emperor Moctezuma II and a present-day bird park in Bali, Indonesia. She mentions zoo conservation work and the move toward natural housing for the animals. The text is lively and often humorous. There’s the elephant who sprayed a 16th-century pope and 15 “very confused American buffalo” in Grand Central Terminal in New York. Hall’s watercolor-and-ink illustrations, familiar to readers of the New Yorker and other magazines for adults, work equally well for a child audience. His fluidly drawn animals have amusing, slightly goofy expressions, the people are remarkably varied, and the settings include recognizable elements from historical times and places. Varying from vignettes to double-page spreads, these images add greatly to the overall appeal. A romp through zoo history presented with pizzazz. (sources) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
COMPLICIT
Kuehn, Stephanie St. Martin’s Griffin (256 pp.) $18.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-250-04459-4 978-1-4668-4305-9 e-book A bright, conflicted hero struggles to free himself from the past’s tightening bonds in this corkscrew of a thriller. After their troubled young mother’s death in an accidental shooting, Jamie and Cate were adopted by loving, affluent parents in Danville, Calif., themselves still grieving the loss of their two biological children in a car accident. The kids respond differently to their comfortably sheltered existence. Jamie becomes a highperforming student and talented pianist, while Cate, still passionately loyal to the mother Jamie barely remembers, grows into a wild, reckless teen. Released two years after her incarceration for burning down a neighbor’s barn, killing horses and critically maiming a classmate, Cate’s heading for Danville, and Jamie’s terrified of what she’ll do next. Years of treatment with a sympathetic therapist haven’t helped him overcome his bouts of amnesia and, when severely stressed, the loss of sensation in his hands. With his first romance on the horizon, he’s stopped taking his meds, which have deadening side effects. Vivid characterization and Jamie’s sharply observed narration lend credibility to the proceedings and divert attention from a few holes in the logic. In the service of her plot, Kuehn takes liberties with current child welfare practices (some may take issue with the skewed portrait of older-child adoption), but her strong suit—building suspense—is bound to keep even skeptical readers turning pages. Smart, gripping genre fiction. (Thriller. 14-18)
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“Rush, Rush, Rushing to” the Abyss Don’t the children of dittoheads deserve good books too? By Vicky Smith
The contemptuous disregard is astounding. That’s the conclusion I came to after reading Rush Limbaugh’s first book for children, Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, and its just-published sequel, Rush Revere and the First Patriots. I decided to tackle them after the children’s-literature world went ballistic at Limbaugh’s nomination for Children’s Choice Award Author of the Year. Watching the controversy unfold, it was clear to me that virtually none of the hand-wringers had actually read Limbaugh’s book about a time-traveling substitute teacher—someone had to, after all, so why not me? I have to say, I really hoped that the book would be good. Part of this is because I am a free-speech absolutist, and the troublemaker in me liked the idea of taking on the anti-Rush hordes. Another part is because I was about to spend a chunk of my precious free time reading it. But mostly I was really, really hoping that the zillions of children who’d been given the book by the throngs who propelled it onto the best-seller list would be spending their time with a good book rather than a bad one. And the verdict? 94
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God-awful. I mean really, breathtakingly, laughably terrible. It’s not Limbaugh’s politics that bug me, though they are hard to miss. Narrator Rush ascribes the Pilgrims’ catastrophic mortality rate in the first winter to an ill-considered attempt at communitarianism rather than the fact that they settled, weakened by a harrowing two-month crossing of the Atlantic, in a notoriously harsh climate after the growing season had ended. (Rush and his student Tommy coax William Bradford to the realization that “Perhaps a little competition could be healthy!”) And the historical narrative that he promotes is without doubt the received narrative that was taught in classrooms throughout the 20th century and has been challenged by proponents of a more complex consideration of history. No, it wasn’t the content that bothered me, though I tend to disagree with it; it was everything else. The illustrations comprise semirelevant photos, archival images and thoroughly amateurish digital collages that look starkly out of place against the faux parchment backgrounds. (One is a gratuitous image of Rush holding up a bottle of his Two If by Tea iced tea.) The writing is just as rough. Take for instance this scene, in which Principal Sherman preps Ms. Borrington’s honors history class for their substitute teacher, Rush Revere, who waits outside the door.
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“You know that at Manchester Middle School we have the smartest and most educated teachers. It is my pleasure to introduce you to your substitute, Mr. Revere.” As if on cue, I opened the door to the classroom and walked in. Remember, I said “laughably.” |
Howler piles upon howler as Rush takes students Tommy and Freedom (a vaguely Native American girl in what Limbaugh probably feels is an open-minded gesture to diversity; in the second book, they are joined by African-American Cam) under his wing. With an incantatory “Rush, rush, rushing to history,” the talking, time-traveling horse Liberty spirits Rush and his students back to significant moments in American history. The precise mechanics of Liberty’s abilities are never explained; indeed, over the course of the first two books in the series, he acquires new, equally unexplained talents with astonishing rapidity. In addition to talking and traveling through time, by holding his breath he can “[blend] into his surroundings like a chameleon” to the extent that he is effectively invisible (though at other times Rush calls the process dematerialization); by staring fixedly ahead, he can “stop” time; by concentrating very hard, he can transport others through time; and by dreaming, he can create a “virtual, holographic representation” of history. (“It seemed so real!” Rush marvels.) Both books read like first drafts that have gone through nothing more than a quick proofreading (an imperfect one; Samoset’s name is consistently misspelled “Somoset” in Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims except in the author’s note and a picture caption). The design is as slapdash as the narrative; at one point Tommy hands Rush a sealed parchment from William Bradford: “I opened the letter and read: ‘Do you realize what this is?...This is an invitation to the very first Thanksgiving! What an honor!’ ” A facsimile of the “invitation” appears five full pages after it was introduced by that orphaned colon. I could go on. I don’t hold Limbaugh accountable for these poor excuses for literature. He has a point of view and the right to express it, and he is not a professional writer. But I do hold his publisher, Threshold Editions, a division of Simon & Schuster dedicated to “providing a forum for the thinkers and doers across the ever expanding contemporary conservative spectrum” accountable—not for the content, I stress again, but for its expression. They couldn’t send it back for a rewrite? Hire a competent ghostwriter? Pay attention as they laid it out? They could even have rejected the book, should Limbaugh’s contract have stipulated that no editorial changes be made. Celebrity publishing has become accepted as a nec|
essary evil across the spectrum. Insta–bestsellers by the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Tori Spelling and Jay Leno help to subsidize high-quality books, people argue— and Jamie Lee Curtis’ books are really pretty good, they add. Most of these books resemble Limbaugh’s in approach to quality control if nothing else: Hastily put together, they are hustled onto the market with as little attention as humanly possible paid (time is money, after all) and with the knowledge that star power will carry consumers past such minor flaws as incoherent narrative arcs and terrible prose. The Rush Revere books have clearly been propelled onto the shelves by such thinking. But what of the readers? Don’t the children of dittoheads deserve good books too? Feed them conservative politics and Ozzie Nelson history all you want. It’s America; they will encounter other perspectives and make their own decisions as they grow. But to convey those politics and that history with such disdain for even the most rudimentary standards of storytelling is a wrong just as staggering as the awfulness of Limbaugh’s books—though not nearly so laughable. Vicky Smith is the children’s and teen editor at Kirkus Reviews.
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NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION’S WORLD OF BIRDS A Beginner’s Guide Kurki, Kim Illus. by Kurki, Kim Black Dog & Leventhal (80 pp.) $15.95 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-57912-969-9
This introductory guide is a smorgasbord of information about the more common species of birds. The beginning spreads introduce children to habitat and critical bird identifiers, including size, behavior, plumage and song. The left-hand page of each subsequent spread profiles one bird with a magazine-style patchwork of interesting facts, trivia and even poems about the bird. The opposite page includes more fascinating tidbits and key characteristics of the featured bird and brief descriptions of other related birds, grouped by habitat. (Did you know the American robin eats 68 worms a day or that the barn owl has asymmetrical earholes?) While clearly intended for North American readers, the book also profiles several Eurasian birds, among them the British blue tit, magpie, golden oriole and Eurasian jay. This may cause confusion or at least disappointment, since North American readers are highly unlikely ever to encounter these birds. The European golden oriole seems a particularly awkward choice, as it is pictured alongside the North American Baltimore oriole, which is not related to the Eurasian species but is a member of the blackbird family. Nevertheless, Kurki’s attractive and colorful illustrations and the wealth of information in this unusual bird book will encourage children to observe the birds around them, whichever continent they may inhabit. (Nonfiction. 8-12)
THE SODA BOTTLE SCHOOL
Kutner, Seño Laura; Slade, Suzanne Illus. by Darragh, Aileen Tilbury House (32 pp.) $16.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-88448-371-7
A Guatemalan community turns trash to treasure, thanks to a teacher’s “crazy idea.” It all starts when Seño Laura, taking a break by the frame of a never-finished new school one day, notices that the soda bottle in her hand is the same width as the structural supports. Her principal, the children at the overcrowded local school and the other residents of Granados are quickly enlisted to gather thousands of discarded plastic bottles and stuff them with trash to create “eco-ladrillos” (bricks) and stack them into walls. Much hard work later—and much of it done by energetic young Fernando and other children—the village not only has a fine school, but has been thoroughly cleaned of litter to boot. Better yet, 96
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other communities have been inspired by Granados’ example to undertake similar projects of their own. Only some of the figures in Darragh’s very loose ink-and-watercolor illustrations have individualized features, and her pale palette doesn’t really capture the distinctively vibrant look of soda-bottle walls (a photo at the end offers a tantalizing glimpse). Nevertheless, this true story celebrates both the value of teamwork and a triumph of ingenious recycling. A likely hit with young eco-activists, despite the bland visuals. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 6-8)
LIKE NO OTHER
LaMarche, Una Razorbill/Penguin (368 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 24, 2014 978-1-59514-674-8 Sparks—both romantic and cultural— fly when Hasidic Devorah and Jaxon, the son of West Indian immigrants, meet on a hospital elevator stuck between floors during a hurricane. This chance flirtation fans a tiny flame of doubt into a wildfire. Devorah knows she doesn’t want to live out her parents’ vision of the future: a highly circumscribed yet loving life of faith and family in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Devorah begins lying to her parents and sneaking around their rules to spend more time with Jaxon, falling for him hard and thinking that a relationship with him would help her avoid entering an early, arranged marriage and inevitable motherhood. But her suspicious, holier-than-thou brotherin-law, Jacob, seems intent on catching Devorah in the wrong. Meanwhile, Jaxon thrills to the romance of their shared secret, laboring over a heartfelt mix CD and devising detailed plans for a date that won’t break the rules of sabbath. The novel is by no means perfect: Jacob’s villainy is positively clichéd, and the number of factual missteps throughout (by tradition, Devorah would not have been named for a living grandmother and would never call that grandmother a shiksa, for example) render the narrative troubling and unreliable. The story is most successful in the scenes between the protagonists and their respective families, which readers will note are more similar than they are different. A highly readable though flawed twist on the classic star-crossed lovers plot. (Fiction. 12-16)
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“…a tight, grim portrait with deep empathy for characters capable of horrific deeds.” froms anatomy of a girl gang
DOZER’S RUN A True Story of a Dog and His Race Levy, Debbie with Panza, Rosana Illus. by Opie, David Sleeping Bear Press (32 pp.) $16.99 | May 1, 2014 978-1-58536-896-9
In this true story, a goldendoodle named Dozer runs away from home and then runs a half marathon, becoming a celebrated canine mascot and fundraiser for cancer in the process. Dozer is outside in his own rural yard in Highland, Md., when runners from the Maryland Half Marathon begin running by. The spunky dog joins the group of 2,000 runners, continuing on for almost the entire 13-mile race. His family has no idea he left to join the race, and he is gone for 24 hours before finally limping home. Within a few days, race officials track him down and present Dozer with a marathon medal. An author’s note explains that Dozer was filmed crossing the finish line with the other runners, leading to hundreds of pledges in his name that raised $25,000 for a cancer center in Maryland. The text of the story is rather wordy but also amusing, with emphasis on all the smells that entice Dozer along on his run. Soft-focus illustrations add humor with anthropomorphic expressions on Dozer’s face and realistic views of marathon runners in action. The intriguing nature of Dozer’s celebrity and effectiveness as a fundraiser for the cancer center is conveyed through the author’s note rather than through the story and illustrations, but Dozer is a charmer nonetheless. Owners of goldendoodles, Maryland residents and families with runners will find this story touching. (Picture book. 5-8)
ANATOMY OF A GIRL GANG
Little, Ashley Arsenal Pulp Press (254 pp.) $16.95 | May 13, 2014 978-1-55152-529-7 In a bleak tale, simply and eloquently told, five girls form a Vancouver street gang. Tired of turning tricks for the Vipers, teenage Mac decides to start the Black Roses and recruits her friend Mercy. Three more join them: Kayos, a rich girl famous in their elementary school for “[a]lways beating the shit out of people for no reason,” Sly Girl, a 13-year-old who has been clean for six weeks but knows her way around the drug scene, and Z, a graffiti artist ostracized by her family as much for her sexual orientation as for preferring street art over a traditional career path. Together, the Black Roses become a family of sorts, looking out for each other as they sell drugs, steal cars, defend their territory and cover their mistakes. Brutal acts committed both against and by the gang are described in graphic sensory detail—most intensely in a scene in which the girls kidnap and torture two boys who have sexually assaulted one |
of their crew. Each girl narrates a share of the short chapters in her own distinct voice (Z’s is especially idiosyncratic, a sort of Joycean textspeak), and a few chapters are told in the lyrical, evocative voice of Vancouver itself. The result is a tight, grim portrait with deep empathy for characters capable of horrific deeds. Both gripping and moving, for those who can stomach the violence. (Fiction. 15-18)
ME AND MY BIG MOUSE
Long, Ethan Illus. by Long, Ethan Two Lions/Amazon Children’s Publishing (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1477847282 An end to the travails of being loved too much is negotiated like peace talks. Michael and Bo are close friends. Michael is a young boy, and Bo is of the genus lab mouse—all white and pink—on steroids. Bo is hyperactive and a slob and a hog, but he also radiates the ineffable charm of the drunken uncle who puts a lampshade on his head. Like the drunken uncle, a little bit can go a long way, and though Michael loves Bo, he can’t catch a break from him either (even in the de rigueur bathroom moment). Fed up, Michael locks Bo in the house and goes off to play with his friends—all of whom wonder why Bo, their favorite mouse, isn’t in tow. Michaels misses the beast, too, though things have to change. So Michael returns home and draws up a contract stipulating certain behavioral constraints. Michael’s need for personal space is certainly understandable, but to make it a legal issue drains a critical measure of warmth from the relationship. Perhaps it is best to stand back a bit and read the book as a cautionary tale: Friends, like pets (except cats and ball pythons), don’t demand attention so much as they require it. Where the big mouse/ big mouth comes into the picture is a mystery, unless it’s just there for the obvious joke. The color and texture of the artwork resembles a piece of cake one might find tucked deep in the freezer. Oddly sterile for a book that’s all about love. (Picture book. 3-5)
DAYTIME NIGHTTIME
Low, William Illus. by Low, William Henry Holt (40 pp.) $16.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-8050-9751-1
An extremely simple text describes animals a rural child might see in the daytime and nighttime. Except for a prefatory “What you see in the daytime?” (and a corresponding query for nighttime), the text rarely exceeds one word per spread. In the daytime, a child (a relatively lightskinned little girl with long hair and bangs) might see butterflies, robins, bumblebees, grasshoppers, red-tailed hawks, beavers,
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“…the slightly surreal combination of two- and three-dimensionality will have children examining the pages closely.” from shadow chasers
rabbits and puppies (as well as the sun). Spread by spread, Low’s painterly digital illustrations depict the animals described (in most cases, just one of each, despite consistently plural labels). A robin tugs at a worm; a grasshopper perches on a blade of grass; a red-tailed hawk soars, silhouetted against a blue sky. Nighttime animals include fireflies, bats, an owl, a frog, raccoons and teddy bears (the child is seen slumbering with an obviously beloved bear clutched in her arms, other stuffed animals gazing benignly from the margin of her bed). Except for the potential confusion between plural labels and singular animals and the fact that the bumblebee as depicted doesn’t look as satisfyingly round as children likely imagine them, it’s a lovely way to introduce children to the natural world, reminiscent of some of Jim Arnosky’s books for the very youngest children. Calm and soothing—a nonthreatening backyard adventure. (Picture book. 2-4)
IN THE END
Lunetta, Demitria HarperTeen (448 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-06-210548-6 978-0-06-210550-9 e-book Surviving an alien apocalypse (check). Escaping repressive, fanatical scientists (check). But that is hardly the end for Amy, as this sequel to In the After (2013) demonstrates. Having escaped the “safe” enclave New Hope with the help of friends, 17-year-old Amy keeps her sonic emitter close to ward off Floraes, which, it turns out, are humans zombified by a bacteria rather than aliens. Amy isn’t sure she wants to travel to Fort Black, another enclave of normal humans, until she gets a communication from her friend Kay that the evil Dr. Reynolds, who nearly killed Amy, now has her foster sister, Baby, and is experimenting on her. Kay indicates that Ken, her brother, who is at Fort Black, may be able to help. When Amy arrives, she finds Fort Black was actually a prison, and conditions haven’t improved much. She must try to find Ken while dodging homicidal maniac Tank. She has the help of Jacks, the Warden’s nephew, but she must pretend to be Jacks’ possession, which doesn’t sit well. Can she find Ken and maybe help with a vaccine to end the Florae menace? Lunetta’s conclusion to her duology is not as twisty or enthralling as its predecessor (all the good reveals have been revealed), but it does extend Amy’s tale with action and romance. Fans will enjoy this greatly, but the real punch was in the first. (Science fiction. 13-18)
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SHADOW CHASERS
MacKay, Elly Illus. by MacKay, Elly Running Press Kids (32 pp.) $16.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-7624-4720-6 Intriguing illustrations draw readers into a meditation on shadows. The text employs direct address, encouraging readers to imagine chasing shadows: “If you follow them, / and try to catch them, / they will flit and flutter away.” A trio of Caucasian children plays at dusk chasing shadows through a sunset-hued forest. The simple text employs rhythmic, sometimes-rhyming language that, like the book’s subject, never settles down and allows itself to be caught. The illustrations themselves have the look of dioramas, the cut-paper figures of the children, birds and animals set into the scenes so that they cast shadows. Whether they are photographed dioramas, entirely digital compositions or a combination of the two is hard to say, but the slightly surreal combination of two- and three-dimensionality will have children examining the pages closely. At one point, the two girls, running, cast the shadow of a deer; in another picture, an artfully arranged cluster of mushrooms casts the shadow of a squirrel. The three children have a 1950s aesthetic; their wide eyes, snub noses and tiny mouths would be at home in advertising or storybooks of the era, particularly the little sister with pigtails and pedal pushers. Playful and more than just a little mysterious—like a shadow-puppet play in full color. (Picture book. 3-6)
THE YEAR OF CHASING DREAMS
McDaniel, Lurlene Delacorte (336 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | $19.99 PLB Jul. 22, 2014 978-0385-74173-6 978-0-375-98676-5 e-book 978-0-375-99021-2 PLB Two 20-year-old best friends enjoy their romances while trying to save the family farm in Tennessee. Ciana’s great hope is to preserve her family farm, just as generations of her female forebears did. A developer wants to buy much of her land to build a major new housing tract, but she, nearly alone among her neighbors, refuses to sell, and many in the town turn against her. Jon, her heartthrob from The Year of Luminous Love (2013), arrives to help, firing up the old romance despite the temptations of an aristocratic Italian. Meanwhile her best friend, Eden, tracks down Garret, her Australian love interest from the previous book. The romances seem to be going well until a serious disaster strikes. In life-or-death situations, everyone tries to hold on to their dreams. McDaniel strikes interesting contrasts between Ciana and Eden. Ciana
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remains a virgin, waiting for her wedding night, while Eden has a past and enjoys sleeping with Garret (offstage). Despite its reliance on wild flukes to advance the plot, the story comes off as more realistic than many other romance novels. Additionally, the author throws in a little mystery: Who is responsible for trying to scare Ciana off her land? Despite its sequel status, the story stands well on its own. A pleasant-enough outing for fans of old-fashioned, relatively clean romance. (Romance. 12 & up)
SAY WHAT YOU WILL
McGovern, Cammie HarperTeen (352 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-06-227110-5 978-0-06-227112-9 e-book Crushes, missteps and genuine loyalty on the road to deep friendship. As she enters her senior year of high school, Amy—hemiplegic due to an aneurism following her premature birth and near the top of her class—uses her augmentative and assistive communication device to argue successfully that she needs peer helpers in school rather than adult aides. Her mother, Nicole, is dubious, but Amy knows which buttons to push: “If I’m going to go to college, I need to practice relating to people my own age.” Amy particularly wants to work with Matthew, whose unvarnished honesty fascinates her. Unlike her awkward relationships with her other peer helpers, Amy develops a real friendship with Matthew immediately. Due to their frank conversation and Amy’s quick discovery of Matthew’s OCD, their relationship is balanced and reciprocal, though their growing mutual affection goes largely unaddressed. Unlike its most obvious read-alike, The Fault in Our Stars, this is not a tragic romance: Amy and Matthew’s relationship is messy, fraught and tantalizing, but it’s not threatened with imminent death. McGovern’s triumph is how well she normalizes and highlights the variety of disability experiences among teens and their often circuitous journeys toward claiming their voices and right to self-determination. It’s slightly overplotted and occasionally heavy-handed, but it’s easy to forgive these flaws. Ultimately, a deeply engaging and rewarding story. (Romance. 14-17)
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CLASS B.U.R.P.
Meyerhoff, Jenny Illus. by Week, Jason Farrar, Straus and Giroux (288 pp.) $13.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-374-30521-5 Series: Barftastic Life of Louie Burger, 2 Aspiring elementary school comedian Louie Burger is back, this time tackling popularity. Following The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger (2013), Louie’s favorite comedian, Lou Lafferman, airs the video of Louie barfing at the school talent show. Louie’s brush with fame wins him public recognition from adults, but more importantly, it makes him interesting enough that the other kids talk to him instead of ignoring or bullying him—with the exception of cardboard bully Ryan Rakefield, of course. When it looks like his 15 minutes are about to expire, Louie becomes obsessed with recapturing his fleeting popularity. His older sister, Ari, hilariously explains the three ways of winning popularity: make people fear you, make people love you or get a temporary “popularity bump”—Louie’s television cameo being one such bump. When attempts to force another bump fail miserably, he decides that the best way to achieve lasting popularity (and the subsequent protection from bullying and mockery that it brings) is to win the vote to become the class marshal for the school Halloween parade—an open popularity contest. His campaign to win leads him to neglect his best friends, Nick and Thermos, shockingly. Eventually, Louie reconciles being his weird self with being popular, as well as learning a lesson on valuing friends over popularity. Though the lessons are obvious, they are conveyed easily, and Louie is an appealingly flawed character. Funny and accessible. (Fiction. 7-11)
HUNGRY JOHNNY
Minnema, Cheryl Illus. by Ballinger, Wesley Minnesota Historical Society (32 pp.) $17.95 | May 1, 2014 978-0-87351-926-7 Family and community values underpin this tale of a young Ojibwe child forced to wait while local elders get first crack at a communal feast. “I like to EAT, EAT, EAT,” is Johnny’s constant refrain as his grandma repeatedly restrains him from chowing down on wild rice, fry bread and luscious sweet rolls before and during a banquet at the community center: “Bekaa,” wait, she admonishes, “we let the elders eat first.” So well does Johnny finally absorb this lesson that, when his turn does at last come, he hesitates not at all to call an elderly latecomer over to take his seat at the table before grabbing a single bite. Happily, instead of eating, she plunks him in her lap, and after that, it’s goodbye, sweet roll. Ballinger’s illustrations are clearly influenced by an animation aesthetic, and young readers may find the huge, staring eyes and oddly contorted mouths of the
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figures a distraction, but it’s great to see a trim, modern grandma in jeans and a baseball cap, her hair initially tied back with a scrunchie. In both text and illustrations, the attitude-modeling is delivered in a gentle, nonlecturing way. Both author and illustrator are members of the Milles Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Children less patient (or good-natured) than Johnny aren’t likely to take a cue from his example, but the episode certainly opens the way to further discussion and socialization. (Ojibwe glossary) (Picture book. 4-6)
PARDON ME!
Miyares, Daniel Illus. by Miyares, Daniel Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $16.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-4424-8997-4 978-1-4424-8998-1 e-book “The Gingerbread Boy” meets “The Mitten” in this tale of a self-centered (and doomed) protagonist squawking about an increasingly crowded setting. The digital mixed-media sky is blue, and the clouds are puffy as a yellow bird descends to a deserted dry patch of ground in the pond. The peace is short-lived; a shadow blocks the sun, and a heron descends, followed by a frog and a turtle—each uttering the titular phrase, much to the vocal and graceless annoyance of the grumpy bird. When a fox begins to speak, readers may assume this is the end—or that he is about to echo the others—but the rude protagonist sends the animals scurrying with this interruption: “WELL, PARDON ME, BUT THIS IS MY PERCH, AND I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!” As night falls, he achieves ultimate rest when the “land mass” rises, and the crocodile he’s been sitting on has the last “pardon”—a burp. This one-trick book is entertaining enough on the first read: The contrast between the warm and cool palettes as the action ascends and descends and the twist in the final scene will hold children’s interest. On rereadings, however, the soft focus, overly determined digital strokes and sarcastic patter offer little to sustain attention. For clever cautionary tales with a lingering bite, try those by Jon Scieszka, James Marshall or Jon Klassen. (Picture book. 4-7)
MY COUNTRY, ’TIS OF THEE How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights
Murphy, Claire Rudolf Illus. by Collier, Bryan Henry Holt (48 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-8050-8226-5
At some point, many also learn it shares its melody with the British anthem, “God Save the Queen.” What is not so familiar is how several different versions of the words have appeared through the years and how many groups and movements used these versions to fuel their efforts for expanded rights. From the tune’s first appearance in 1740s England as a way to support the monarch, during the Revolutionary War and beyond, lyrics were written and rewritten to reflect sometimes-conflicting causes. Murphy introduces various movements seeking civil rights and how they crafted verses to suit their particular causes. Short paragraphs provide context to introduce the variations, while single sentences in a larger type punctuate each spread. Readers are encouraged not only to learn about the song, but to write their own verses. Collier’s watercolor-and-collage illustrations provide an additional level of understanding and complement the narrative. Detailed backmatter, including extensive source notes, bibliography, resource list (including musical links), make this an enlightening addition to social history. This examination of a well-known piece of music and the activism it inspired makes for a fascinating way to explore history. (Informational picture book. 5-9)
HICKORY DICKORY DOG
Murray, Alison Illus. by Murray, Alison Candlewick (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-7636-6826-6
Following One Two That’s My Shoe (2012), Murray again riffs on a traditional nursery rhyme, keeping its cadences while focusing on a day in the life of Zack and his faithful dog, Rufus. Rufus follows Zack to school, where he romps with a small group of ethnically diverse classmates as they march in a band, play dress-up, bicycle, scooter and skateboard (sans helmets), and paint at easels. There’s nary an adult in sight, and most of the analog clocks that anchor the day’s events (from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) have no numbers, leaving the time-telling to grownup readers. Murray’s digital art employs a palette ranging from flat, retro pastels to bright primary colors. The children sport stylized hair and clothing, with black dots for eyes. The antics of shaggy, yellow Rufus earn him splotches of blue, green and pink, as well as some glued-on fallen leaves. Oddly, large swaths of time elapse between some adjacent spreads. Zack and Rufus arrive home at 5 p.m.—three hours after leaving the classroom for the leaf pile. Since the day’s passing hours are one of the story’s themes, such unexplained time lapses are unfortunate. Flawed internal logic mars this slight tale. (Picture book. 3-5)
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“Nelson’s spare style and nuanced portrayal of street kids is strongly reminiscent of the classic work of S.E. Hinton.” from the prince of venice beach
BLAZED
Myers, Jason Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster (528 pp.) $18.99 | $9.99 paper | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-4424-8722-2 978-1-4424-8721-5 paper After his burnout mom fails in her suicide attempt, 14-year-old drug addict Jaime is sent to live with his estranged father, a superrich hotshot art dealer. The book is filled to the brim with angst, profanity and drug use in what feels more like a celebration of bourgeois ennui than a proper examination. An Internet phenom who’s released an album online and posts videos of himself reading his poetry and short stories, Jaime is impossibly talented, attractive, intelligent and sexually charged. Every woman Jaime finds himself attracted to (including adults) offers herself to Jaime in increasingly gratuitous ways. It is hard to see Jaime as anything but a monstrous, spoiled brat, unable to see past his own pain and libido and incapable of complex thought or, apparently, character growth. At over 500 pages, the novel is an exhausting read. There are long passages in which nothing of consequence to character or plot takes place, just lots of navel-gazing. The characters discuss music with no sharp insight, making the endeavor feel like a laundry list of bands that the author really wants readers to know about (he goes so far as to include a playlist at the end of the book). The characters are flat, the romance undercooked, and the only individual of true interest is an author who awkwardly defends criticisms of his books—ones that mirror those made against Myers’ own previous works. Repellent. (Fiction. 16 & up)
MY LAST KISS
Neal, Bethany Farrar, Straus and Giroux (368 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-374-35128-1 Seventeen-year-old Cassidy Haines is on a quest to unravel the mystery of her own death, about which she can remember nothing except for the fact that it might have involved kissing someone other than her boyfriend. The police suspect that it was a suicide, but this doesn’t ring true to Cassidy or to her best friend, Aimée. Intriguing? Perhaps. Neal’s debut is much like a soufflé that collapses upon being served. Though not particularly groundbreaking, the premise is promising enough, but it simply can’t support the meandering plot and disappointingly flat characters. Unfortunately, the limits on Cassidy’s ability to sleuth from the afterworld create an awkward distance between Cassidy and the action—and readers. Cassidy is often a passive observer, spending the bulk of the novel looking on as Aimée scrambles to find out who was responsible for her death. The only person Cassidy can communicate with is her boyfriend, Ethan. This means that in order for her to play an active role in |
Aimée’s investigation, she must go through Ethan first, making her twice removed from the action itself. Finally, there is far too much importance placed on secondary characters that are either never fully developed or developed far too late. Maybe Cassidy should have stayed in the morgue and let Aimée tell the tale. Less of a whodunit and more of a who cares. (Paranormal mystery. 13-17)
THE PRINCE OF VENICE BEACH
Nelson, Blake Little, Brown (240 pp.) $18.00 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-316-23048-3 978-0-316-23047-6 e-book A teenage beach bum turns private eye in this unexpectedly sweet story about friendship and loss from the author of Paranoid Park (2006). Robert “Cali” Callahan ran away from his Nebraska foster home when he was 14. Now 17, he lives in a kind hippie’s backyard treehouse in Venice Beach, Calif., roams the boardwalk on his skateboard, plays basketball and tries to avoid trouble. When he is asked by a frustrated private investigator to locate another runaway, Cali discovers a natural talent for finding people. At first he’s thrilled to be earning money for nothing more than making a few innocent inquiries. But when Cali agrees to help find a wealthy missing girl named Reese Abernathy, he starts questioning the motivations of the people who are hiring him and finds himself in the middle of a dangerous game of cat and mouse. When Cali ultimately sides with his target instead of his client, the results are tragic and leave him wondering if he made the right decision. Nelson’s spare style and nuanced portrayal of street kids is strongly reminiscent of the classic work of S.E. Hinton. The gritty beach setting, compelling cast of sensitively drawn secondary characters and spot-on dialogue elevate the story beyond that of a typical genre mystery. The ending hints at Cali’s willingness to take on fresh cases, and readers can only hope that a new teenage private detective series is in the works. (Mystery. 12-18)
BELLA LOST AND FOUND
O’Rourke, Ryan Illus. by O’Rourke, Ryan Harper/HarperCollins (40 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-221861-2
An indoor kitty goes out to sea by mistake. Bella comes from a long line of sea cats but has never ventured outdoors from the lighthouse where she lives. One day, however, she slips through a door and goes outside, heading down to the water’s edge. There, she hops into a tiny, empty
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“Pearson puts a dozen or more cartoon panels on each page, but his art is so simply drawn that the action is always easy to follow.” from hilda and the black hound
sailboat, is blown out to sea, hitches a ride with a whale, elicits the help of an octopus and some crabs, and then, still lost as night falls, fortuitously hears her name called and finds her way back home. The visually well-designed pages incorporate handlettering both as a design element within the illustrations and to depict sounds, and it is these that save the stylized digital illustrations from feeling cold and sterile. The story has bits of humor but is essentially passive. Bella shows a distinct lack of curiosity about the world around her—curiosity won’t kill this cat—and is solely focused on getting home. Happily, she does. The last page, stating that Bella feels lucky to have gone to sea and made it home, feels tacked on and doesn’t add anything to the story. The front endpapers that show Bella dreaming about her seafaring ancestors, then inserting herself in her adventure on the rear endpapers do finish it, though. Well-designed visuals hold up a somewhat flat story. (Picture book. 2-5)
WICKED GAMES
Olin, Sean Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (352 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-219237-0 978-0-06-219239-4 e-book Series: Wicked Games, 1 A novel that feels inspired by nighttime soaps like Revenge. Carter and Lilah’s romance began sweetly when they were high school freshmen. By the time they’re seniors on the verge of graduation, though, Lilah’s unstable emotions and Carter’s inability to deal with her have created distance between them—a distance that is filled by the sexy, alluring Jules. Carter has a one-night stand with her and wants more. So does Jules, but they both know nothing can happen while Lilah’s in the picture. But when Carter breaks up with Lilah, it predictably sends her spiraling out of control. Lilah stalks and humiliates Jules, keying her car and airing a sexually explicit video Jules made at graduation. Carter and Jules think they’ve escaped when it’s time to head off to college at the end of the summer, but it’s really just given Lilah time to plot her ultimate revenge. And to achieve that, someone will die. Beyond the trite plot and stereotyped characters, the most grievous sin is the writing itself: Perspective shifts occur frequently within chapters; dialogue and description are stilted; and there are head-scratching gaps in logic. When readers reach the sequel-promising ending, their feeling will be more weariness than excitement. (Thriller. 14-18)
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RED PANDA’S CANDY APPLES
Paul, Ruth Illus. by Paul, Ruth Candlewick (32 pp.) $14.99 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-0-7636-6758-0
Who can resist candy apples? Not Red Panda. The animals from Hedgehog’s Magic Tricks (2013) return for a new adventure, this time featuring Red Panda. He’s selling candy apples that he made himself. Rabbit is his first customer, but Red Panda is sad to give the apple to him as he realizes he’d rather eat it himself. Selling candy apples is not as much fun as eating them, it seems. Hedgehog is next, choosing Red Panda’s favorite. Mouse is next. With his coin jar filling up, Red Panda treats himself. “Lick, crackle, crunch.” Now only one candy apple is left for sale, but Duckling and Bushbaby each want one. Luckily, Red Panda has stashed another one for himself, so everybody gets an apple. In a real breach of the author-reader contract, this last apple appears only when Paul needs it. Although red pandas and bushbabies are likely to be new to most North American children, they likely won’t care, as details in the illustrations flavor the story. Reddish crumbs are stuck on whiskers, and animal friends are dressed in clothing, with the white mouse in a pink tutu and Red Panda in red plaid pants. Despite the sweet flair of the pencil-and-digital artwork, though, the story doesn’t have much bite to it. The message appears to be the treats are best when shared, which makes Red Panda’s attempt at entrepreneurship all the odder. (Picture book. 3-6)
HILDA AND THE BLACK HOUND
Pearson, Luke Illus. by Pearson, Luke Flying Eye Books (64 pp.) $24.00 | May 13, 2014 978-1909263185 Series: Hildafolk, 3 In a never-a-dull moment third outing, blue-haired Hilda joins Sparrow Scouts, finds out where lost household items go and meets some of Trolberg’s supernatural residents. As if sightings and news reports of a huge black beast in Trolberg aren’t troubling enough, an increasing number of nisses, helpful but sometimes-mischievous domestic sprites, are being ejected by human homeowners for supposed bad behavior. Meanwhile, Hilda’s patchy efforts to earn her camping and other scouting badges are derailed by her concern for the newly homeless nisses and other distractions. Finally, one befriended nisse shows her how to enter a special space that, being the sum total of all out-ofthe-way and unreachable nooks, is cluttered with misplaced brica-brac—and that turns out to be where the “Beast,” who is just a lonely oversized dog, is lurking when it’s not barreling destructively through houses. Pearson puts a dozen or more cartoon panels on
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each page, but his art is so simply drawn that the action is always easy to follow. Also, he adds not just gnomic nisses, but other small creatures, natural or otherwise, to his scenes and places Hilda so that she’s always easy to spot. In the end, she both exonerates the nisses and saves the dog from hunters. Though definitely an underachiever when it comes to merit badges, Hilda’s broad curiosity and willingness to stand up for the undergnome will make her a winner in most readers’ eyes. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)
GOATILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS
Perl, Erica S. Illus. by Howard, Arthur Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4424-0168-6 978-1-4424-8055-1 e-book
This Goldilocks is a kid. Literally. In Howard’s illustrations, the little white goat is both curious and hungry, and for Baby Bear, that means that not only is his porridge gone, but his bowl and his spoon as well, along with his chair, his bedding and a pair of his pajamas. “Burp!” As in the original, Goatilocks runs away after awakening to the three bears standing over her where she lies on the floor (she ate Baby Bear’s bed), but the tale does not end there. The next day, the kid feels “sheepish” and thinks of the perfect gift to try to make it up to the bear family, and in a rather sudden ending, the four neighbors join together in chowing down on the final spread. Modern-ish language updates the fairy tale; Papa Bear says “Get a load of this!” and Goatilocks “hoofed it for home,” though there is not much in the illustrations to point to any particular time period (Mama Bear does have a water bed, however). The few tongue-in-cheek details will go over the heads of the audience (Papa Bear carries a “Kodiak” camera), but there aren’t enough to make this one adults will want to read repeatedly…although that may not be a problem for most kids. An uninspiring remake. (Picture book. 4-8)
LIES MY GIRLFRIEND TOLD ME
Peters, Julie Ann Little, Brown (256 pp.) $18.00 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 23, 2014 978-0-316-23497-9 978-0-316-23494-8 e-book
After her new girlfriend dies unexpectedly, Alix discovers that the relationship was not all she had thought. The unlikely nature of Swanee’s death—a sudden collapse while running despite a lack of known health concerns—receives oddly little attention. Instead, the focus is on her double life. In her grief, |
Alix finds Swanee’s cellphone and discovers text messages that lead her to Liana Torres, whom it turns out Swanee was dating in secret alongside Alix. There is dramatic potential between Alix and Liana as the two uncover Swanee’s many lies and manipulations, but it doesn’t really deliver. In fact, the story feels phoned in. A subplot involving Swanee’s troubled sister is poorly fleshed out. A series of text messages Alix sends Liana from Swanee’s phone are regrettable but too seemingly small a transgression for the amount of emphasis placed on them. Alix moves—with very little explanation to readers—from just barely feeling ready to have sex to initiating it almost without thinking. Most unsatisfying is the unquestioned premise that head-over-heels serial monogamy is the only imaginable approach to dating for lesbian teens. Swanee’s mom’s suggestion that her daughter “was too young to be serious about just one person” is treated with as much knee-jerk horror and disgust as Swanee’s deceptions. Enjoyable as a romance but lacking in substance. (Fiction. 14-18)
SINCE LAST SUMMER
Philbin, Joanna Poppy/Little, Brown (304 pp.) $18.00 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-316-21209-0 978-0-316-21210-6 e-book Series: Rules of Summer, 2 Middle-class Rory and her rich friend Isabel return to continue their romantic adventures in East Hampton. In The Rules of Summer (2013), Rory worked for the wealthy Rule family and fell in love with Connor, the Rules’ son. This summer, their romance seems to be in trouble. Rory feels they’re somehow pretending, rather as the adult Rules do. Meanwhile, Connor’s younger sister, Isabel, now Rory’s friend, can’t forget Mike, the hot surfer she broke up with last year. Evan, an aspiring comedy writer she meets at the restaurant they both work at, may help her move on. But alas, Evan and Rory seem almost too comfortable with each other…. Rory is still aware of her relative poverty, even though Mrs. Rule accepts her as a member of the family. Relationships clash and change as the summer progresses. In this sequel, Philbin focuses more on the changing relationships than on the wealth differentials between her characters, but she still brings her understanding of the benefits and hazards of extreme wealth to the tale. Rory’s internship with a film crew pivots on her relationship with the wealthy Rules, while Isabel learns the real joys that can come from hard work. Wealth, as seen from someone who’s been there, plus romance that rings true equals nicely entertaining chick lit. (Chick lit. 15-18)
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SUMMONED
Pillsworth, Anne M. Tor (320 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-7653-3589-0 For the love of Lovecraft. When teenage Lovecraft aficionado Sean stumbles across a guide to the classic author’s magic in an old Rhode Island bookshop, he finds an email contact for a 17th-century wizard inside. Sean eventually makes the connection, resulting in a series of magical misfires in which he conjures the dark lord himself, creating a murderous, demonic Servitor that could drive him into madness. Pillsworth’s first novel takes a while to hit its stride: The first 70-plus pages are steeped in heaps of Lovecraft-ian lore, which will test even the most patient teen readers. Characterizations and plot all take second place to page upon page of exhaustive Lovecraft history, tales and characters (readers don’t get a sense of what Sean looks like until they’re well into the story, for instance). She also builds an odd supporting cast: Sean’s teen friend disappears from the text only to be replaced by his dad and a 25-year-old student, who take on more than adults usually do in the genre. All this said, the plot does take off once the spells have been cast and the damage is done, and readers—if they can weather the exposition—will find themselves plunged in a race against time as Sean works to uncover how to put an end to the demon he created. A stop-and-go tribute to a classic horror author. (Horror. 12-18)
TROUBLE
Pratt, Non Simon & Schuster (384 pp.) $17.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-4424-9772-6 Alternating narratives explore the private motivations of two teens brought together by crisis and the pair’s developing friendship. Fifteen, pregnant and desperate to avoid revealing the father’s identity, Hannah is eager to allow Aaron, the new guy at school, to pose as the baby’s daddy. Readers may expect Hannah’s narrative to focus on her fears about becoming a mother when she is still emotionally and financially dependent on her own parents. Instead, she almost exclusively considers her immediate situation: her fears about revealing that a drunken, consensual one-night stand with someone she should not have slept with resulted in her pregnancy and her hopes that he will eventually embrace her decision to keep the baby (an unlikely scenario). It’s possible that Hannah’s lack of concern about her post-pregnancy future reflects her immaturity, but it also allows readers to ignore the very difficult situations that Hannah and her family will face after the baby is born. Glossing over the harsh realities of teen pregnancy and parenthood at 104
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times invalidates the novel’s authenticity. Aaron’s narrative, however, with his paralyzing grief and self-recriminations about his role in a friend’s death, provides a plausible explanation of why he would agree to his role in Hannah’s rather outlandish deception. Ultimately, the uneven alternating storylines fail to allow either the characters or their friendship to fully develop. (Fiction. 14-18)
(DON’T YOU) FORGET ABOUT ME
Quinn, Kate Karyus HarperTeen (352 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-213596-4 978-0-06-213598-8 e-book Even paradise has its secrets. Trains bring desperate newcomers who’ve heard the tales of wonder. Gardnerville has no disease, and its inhabitants live well beyond 100, looking youthful all the while. But those, like Skylar, who were born and raised in the seemingly blissful town know its dark side. The land gives many gifts, like Skylar’s ability to read minds, but it takes even more. Adolescence is hard in Gardnerville, turning teens mad and even into killers. With some pharmaceutical help, Skylar has tried to forget her painful past, including her older sister Piper’s strange disappearance four years ago, but now it’s time to remember. In this distinctive, supernatural read, Skylar’s first-person narration alternates between episodic remembrances of time spent with Piper (highlighted by ’80s song titles from their mother’s old mix tapes) and her current struggle to find Piper and understand the mysteries of Gardnerville. Skylar’s storytelling style can be slow and complex, leaving characters and romance flat. Readers with patience and curiosity about Piper’s whereabouts, possible role in an uprising and folkloric connections, however, will add up the clues that lead to a startling ending. A divisive novel that will leave readers wondering “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” (Fantasy. 14-18)
A NEW FRIEND FOR MARMALADE
Reynolds, Alison Illus. by McKenzie, Heath Little Simon/Simon & Schuster (40 pp.) $15.99 | Jul. 22, 2014 978-1-4814-2046-4 A little boy who disrupts the play of two girls and their pet cat finds redemption but no real consequences. The opening verso sports a wavy line of stylized lettering: “Ella, Maddy, and Marmalade were best friends.” On the recto, the cartoonlike girls and orange cat, all with eyes closed in contentment, trot across a bare white background, nicely
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“Ribar deals with surprisingly heavy themes in this sequel, despite the lighter-than-air premise….” from the fourth wish
inviting readers to turn the page. At the turn, the girls are building a playhouse as “Toby, the boy from across the road, joined in.” Children will enjoy this understatement as they view the resultant havoc. Although Toby shows no malice, he also shows little remorse as he thrice destroys the collaborative sandbox creations of Maddy and Ella. With maddeningly stereotypical gender norms, the girls show both restraint and passiveaggressiveness in reaction to Toby’s behavior. All three children are wide-eyed, pen-and-ink moppets, with the girls in dresses and Toby wearing a superhero’s cape. Marmalade is a cutesy, large-headed cat who infuriates the girls by taking a fancy to Toby. When Toby frightens Marmalade up a tree, his cape then provides a means of rescue, and the next day, all three children and the cat play together happily. The artwork and layout are reminiscent of a mid-1970s aesthetic, an odd environment for a theme that seems to value individualistic, destructive behavior over collaborative, creative play. This will resonate with parents who are in denial about their progeny’s consistently disruptive behavior. (Picture book. 3-5)
THE FOURTH WISH
Ribar, Lindsay Kathy Dawson/Penguin (368 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 31, 2014 978-0-8037-3828-7 Series: Art of Wishing, 2 In The Art of Wishing (2013), Margo found genie Oliver and fell in love—and saved him from oblivion by using her last wish. Little did she know that in saving him she’d be turned into a genie herself, with all that that entails. Oliver had warned her of course…but she hadn’t realized what it would be like to actually be bound to someone else, to have to provide them with whatever they wish for, whether she wants to or not. Magic has rules, after all, and even though a wish may be distasteful or worse, she must grant it. Can she learn the rules and adapt to her new situation while retaining her own sense of integrity and not lose her life or her love in the process? Ribar deals with surprisingly heavy themes in this sequel, despite the lighter-than-air premise, including the pressure to conform, the construction of self and the ever-evolving nuance of what is the “right” thing. Despite its fantastic drapery, the truths this novel reveals are so real it may even make readers a bit uncomfortable—that’s quite an achievement. (Paranormal romance. 12-16)
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JUST ONE MORE
Rolli, Jennifer Hansen Illus. by Rolli, Jennifer Hansen Viking (40 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 12, 2014 978-0-670-01563-4
More character sketch than story, Rolli’s debut picture book introduces a little girl who always wants “just one more.” Starting with her request for “just one more minute” of sleep when woken, blonde, pink-cheeked moppet Ruby asks for several other things without coming across as spoiled or demanding. This is due to her sweet depiction in Rolli’s digitally enhanced oil paintings that show her smiling and enjoying hair thingies, rides on a mechanical horse and dropping pennies in a fountain to make wishes. She does end up learning an overt lesson when her request for “just one more scoop” of ice cream causes her towering cone to topple over. Then she makes do with “just one toy in the tub” (albeit a gargantuan rubber duck that looks more like a pool toy) and “just one book before bed” (a huge volume entitled The World’s Complete Book of Fairy Tales). Judging by the lipstick marks all over her face, however, her request for multiple bedtime kisses is indulged. A sweet, if simple, picture-book character sketch. (Picture book. 2-5)
NO SUMMIT OUT OF SIGHT The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits Romero, Jordan with LeBlanc, Linda Simon & Schuster (368 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | May 6, 2014 978-1-4767-0962-8 978-1-4767-0963-5 e-book
The true story of a 10-year-old who climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and subsequently summited the tallest mountains on the other six continents by the age of 15. Inspired by a school mural, 9-year-old Jordan Romero announced to his father his goal to climb each of the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent. He reached his first, Kilimanjaro, when he was 10 and conquered Everest at 13. At 15, Romero completed his final climb in Antarctica, becoming the youngest person to reach all Seven Summits, plus Mount Carstensz in New Guinea, and setting several world records. Romero’s father and stepmother, both professional athletes, were unwaveringly supportive in helping him achieve his goal. Funding the expeditions was accomplished through corporate sponsorship, T-shirt sales, a lemonade stand and support from small businesses in Jordan’s hometown. Now 17 (and with the assistance of LeBlanc), Jordan vividly chronicles his preparation for the climbs, his impressions of the countries he visited, the dangers and thrills of the ascents, and the physical
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“The toys’ impressive emotional range is deftly captured, and clever details (such as Whaley spouting when Anna startles the group awake) should amuse both parents and kids.” from sleep tight, anna banana
and emotional endurance required to achieve his goals. A sheaf of color photographs documenting Romero’s climbs is bound into the middle of the book. Romero’s incredible, inspiring story may not inspire all readers to become record-setting mountaineers, but it will motivate them to set sights on goals of their own to achieve. (Nonfiction. 12-16)
SLEEP TIGHT, ANNA BANANA
Roques, Dominique Illus. by Dormal, Alexis Translated by Siegel, Mark First Second (28 pp.) $15.99 | Jun. 17, 2014 978-1-62672-019-0
A comics-inspired delight from France—the graphic-novel publisher’s first picture book—introduces an appealingly feisty girl to a U.S. audience. Way past bedtime, Anna Banana’s engrossed in her book, finding it alternately “fascinating…frightening…hilarious…gripping.” Her six bleary stuffed toys try to sleep, but Anna’s loud guffaw startles them awake. Each critter—including Foxface, Whaley and Pingpong the penguin—tries to steal away for some shut-eye, only to be hauled back by Anna, who prefers being surrounded by her pals. Finally, she’s tired enough to turn out the light. But her sleepy entourage turns the tables, staging an impromptu musicale, a spirited group bed-jumping session and a running race. Anna protests vociferously, then apologizes to her “little peeps” for her belligerent behavior—and it’s lights out for all. Or is it? Roques’ cheery translated text appears in word balloons. Dormal’s mixed-media illustrations, in borderless panels and spots (often four to a page), exude a cartoonish zeal. Illustrations on endpapers add to the narrative (though jacket flaps obscure too much of it). The toys’ impressive emotional range is deftly captured, and clever details (such as Whaley spouting when Anna startles the group awake) should amuse both parents and kids. This tidy little package could inspire an uptick in bedtime exuberance. Happily, another outing with Anna and company is planned. (Picture book. 3-7)
ALWAYS MOM, FOREVER DAD
Rowland, Joanna Illus. by Weber, Penny Tilbury House (32 pp.) $16.95 | May 15, 2014 978-0-88448-367-0
mixed-and-matched skin color and facial markers. Seasons and settings differ, but in each case, the adults (who all live alone, from the evidence) are depicted sharing parallel activities with their child—baking or eating together, planning to call or send a drawing to the other parent, reading or telling stories—as the narrator delivers platitudes: “[Dad] says sometimes things fall apart so you can build something stronger than before”; “[M]om says changes can be hard but they can be exciting too.” In the opening and closing scenes, the only two showing both parents (their hands, anyway) in the same frame, the child expresses a statement of belief in parental affirmations that he or she is and will always be loved. It covers the basics but far too simplistically to be as persuasive as, for instance, Claire Masurel and Kady MacDonald Denton’s Two Homes (2001) or Tamara Schmitz’s Standing on My Own Two Feet (2008). (Picture book. 5-9)
A PERFECT PLACE FOR TED
Rudge, Leila Illus. by Rudge, Leila Candlewick (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 1, 2014 978-0-7636-6781-8
A sweetly illustrated and mostly satisfying picture book about belonging. Ted is “a smart dog with his own sweater,” but nobody notices him at the pet store, so he decides to join the circus. Nobody notices him there, either. After trying a few other activities (pet-pageant contestant, guard dog) with the same result, a deflated Ted is heading back to the pet store when he sees a notice seeking a “furry friend for Dot.” He does “his best to make a good impression” (if readers aren’t loving Ted by now, they have no heart), and Dot notices him. He has found where he belongs—or has he? Dot brings Ted home, and a page turn reveals her cozy house—full of cats. (It turns out fine, though.) The illustrations, with their muted color scheme, nicely complement the deadpan humor of the text and are sprinkled with details that young readers may enjoy discovering. The major problem of the book is the final spread, introducing a knitting joke that feels tacked-on, despite the sweater that Ted wears throughout. But never mind—this humorous story with its lovable protagonist is a keeper nonetheless. (Picture book. 2-7)
Straight-up bibliotherapy delivered by a composite narrator whose parents live apart. Leaving out overt mention of same-sex parents but otherwise trying to be inclusive, Weber pairs eight smiling young children on adjacent spreads with similarly smiling adults of diverse 106
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THE UNICORN THIEF
Russell, R.R. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (270 pp.) $15.99 | May 1, 2014 978-1-4022-7992-8 Series: Unicorns of the Mist, 2 In the sequel to Wonder Light (2013), Twig and Ben continue to protect the last free unicorn herd, on Washington’s Lonehorn Island. However, someone is mysteriously stealing unicorns, including the queen’s, in the linked—via a doorway in a tree—world of Terracornus. Ben is unconcerned until his own beloved unicorn, Indy, disappears back to perilous, war-threatened Terracornus. Ben and Twig search for Indy, led by her young unicorn, Wonder. They’re taken prisoner by the conniving queen of Westland, who plays a significant role in the plot but whose motivation remains murky. While she clearly doesn’t intend to help them on their quest, crown prince Griffin unexpectedly comes to the aid of the pair, leading to a duel against the Boy King of Eastland in treacherous Death Swamp. Ben and Twig plan to cross the swamp in a wooden pirogue large enough to hold them and their unicorns—but, implausibly, light enough for the two of them to carry. Many ancillary characters remain underdeveloped. Action scenes are gripping, but worldbuilding is neither especially inventive nor completely persuasive, with back story inserted rather than integrated into the narrative. Bafflingly, too little of the magic of unicorns is depicted. But readers of the first will need to read this effort, and a third part seems sure to follow. (Fantasy. 10-14)
BUDDY TROUBLE
Ryan, Pam Muñoz Illus. by Fotheringham, Edwin Scholastic (40 pp.) $6.99 | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-545-48169-4 Series: Tony Baloney It’s the day of Books and Buddies (the best school event of the year), but can Tony and Big Sister manage to get through the day on their Best Behavior? Of course not, but luckily, they (and readers) learn a lesson along the way. The two start off very well cleaning up the house, but the glitter’s their undoing, and there will be no Books and Buddies for the Baloney sibs. An act of revenge on Big Sister’s part ultimately brings the kids together, as she kindly helps Tony spiff up Dandelion (his alter ego, umh, stuffed ostrich) after his disastrous diaper-bag trip to the Bothersome Babies’ playgroup (just think VERY pink). And because they manage to make up on their own and clean up the glitter mess, Momma and Poppa relent about Books and Buddies…and Dandelion isn’t the only stuffed friend who’s a bit overfluffed. Fotheringham’s macaroni penguins are as delightful as ever, their every facial expression and gesture |
broadcasting their feelings and personalities. The digital pages are brightened by vibrant splashes of blue, yellow, red and green; and let’s not overlook pink—Dandelion’s makeover is something else, indeed. Ryan proves yet again that she understands young children; Tony’s summary of the situation (as told to his stuffed army walruses) is spot-on, as is his understanding of time: “After four hours, or maybe only forty minutes, Dandelion is clean and fluffy.” Would that every sibling squabble ended this well. (Early reader. 5-8)
VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD
Sabel, Lauren Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (288 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-06-223195-6 978-0-06-223197-0 e-book Thrills and action follow a teenage movie star as she tries to escape a shadowy figure who has threatened to kill her. Vivian knows the threat to her life is real, since her movie-star mother was murdered just six months ago despite protection from the police, so she heads into Mexico to escape the killer. Her bus breaks down, and someone steals her handbag with her passport and money, leaving her stranded on the side of the road, in disguise but wearing Gucci sneakers. Nick, a drop-dead-handsome, English-speaking boy from the bus takes her under his wing, and they find themselves running from both the FBI and a frightening thug working for the local gangster boss. At first, Vivian acts the spoiled movie star, but as Nick ridicules her privileged outlook, she struggles to overcome it and begins to learn how real people live. Although the book contains a standard chick-lit–romance theme (why else would Nick be so gorgeous?), Sabel keeps the focus on action and does it well as Vivian tries to stay one step ahead of the bad guys. The villains seem cartoonish and the escapes impossible, but realism isn’t the point. The author also includes a goodly amount of well-written Spanish phrases, most of which she translates. Good, escapist entertainment. (Thriller. 13-18)
I GOT THE RHYTHM
Schofield-Morrison, Connie Illus. by Morrison, Frank Bloomsbury (32 pp.) $16.99 | $17.89 PLB | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-61963-178-6 978-1-61963-179-3 PLB The beat is all around her when a girl takes a walk in the park with her mother. On a lovely summer day, a young African-American girl in a bright pink sundress and matching sneakers sees, smells, sings, claps and snaps her fingers to an internal rhythm. As a boom box plays its song and a drummer
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taps his beat, neighborhood children join her in an energetic, pulsating dance culminating in a rousing musical parade. Schofield-Morrison’s brief text has a shout-it-out element as each spread resounds with a two-word phrase: “I shook a rhythm with my hips. /SHAKE SHAKE”; “I tapped the rhythm with my toes. / TIP TAP.” Morrison’s full-bleed, textured oil paintings capture the joy of a mother and daughter in an urban park surrounded by musicians, food vendors and many exuberant children. Read this aloud with music playing loudly—not in the background. Morrison is a Coretta Scott King/New Talent Award winner, and this is a fine debut for his wife in their first collaboration. A lively celebration of music and expressive dance. (Picture book. 3-6)
ONE PAST MIDNIGHT
Shirvington, Jessica Walker (368 pp.) $17.99 | Jul. 22, 2014 978-0-8027-3702-1
A girl lives two lives—literally—in this paranormal romance with a psychological twist. Sabine is 18 in both of her lives. She lives with her financially struggling family in the Roxbury district of Boston half the time. At midnight every night she Shifts into her other life to live the same day over again with her wealthy family in upscale Wellesley. Sabine wants to live only one life, preferably in Wellesley with her friends and longtime perfect boyfriend, Dex, even though she realizes she isn’t in love with him. Suddenly, physical changes in one life no longer carry over into the other, and she decides to explore killing herself in her Roxbury life so she can live only her Wellesley life. Events go awry, however, and her parents, believing her to be mentally ill when she tells them the truth about her two lives, have her committed to a hospital. There, she meets Ethan, a medical student, to whom she begins to grow close. Shirvington keeps her interesting paranormal concept slightly vague: Does Sabine simply cross into a parallel universe, or does some other supernatural force cause her shifts? Could she simply be mentally ill? Sabine’s Roxbury life seems more interesting than the Wellesley one; it provides suspense, whereas the Wellesley story is more chick-lit friendly. The intriguing paranormal twist keeps pages turning. (Paranormal romance. 12-18)
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THE DARK WORLD
Shultz, Cara Lynn Harlequin Teen (384 pp.) $17.99 | May 27, 2014 978-0-373-21120-3 Series: Dark World, 1 A teenage girl is drawn into a secret supernatural war. After a terrible accident, Paige Kelly sees dead people. Watching her talk to invisible people has led everyone from schoolmates to family members to think she is mentally ill. The only people nice to “Bellevue Kelly” (as her tormenters call her) are a hot new boy who borrows pens from her and Dottie, who died in the 1950s in the school’s third-floor bathroom. Paige’s narration is delightfully funny— it’s not snarky for the sake of snark but genuinely witty. When new transfer students show up and reveal demonic powers in attacking Paige, the hot pen-borrower—Logan—swoops in for the rescue and expository revelations. It appears that Paige’s supernatural abilities have caught the attention of demons in the alternate version of New York—the titular Dark World—so their enemies, the warlocks, sent demonslayer Logan to protect her. He falls for her, of course, but the relationship between the two develops slowly; their combined romantic inexperience leads to natural, hilarious and awkward fumbling. The demonic storyline, which is moved to the back burner as the romance blooms, hints at double crosses and intrigues, to be explored (hopefully) in the next book. The cliffhanger ending is less a conclusion and more a temporary stopping point. A sweet romance with a quick sense of humor and supernatural action. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)
PUSH
Silver, Eve Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (352 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 10, 2014 978-0-06-219221-9 978-0-06-219218-9 e-book Series: Game, 2 Opening where Rush (2013) left off, this sequel sees Miki’s virtual, gaming life and her real life dangerously merge. Miki and love interest Jackson both have a mix of alien and human DNA, and the inscrutable Committee intermittently pulls them without warning from their teen lives into a live-action, video game war against the alien Drau, who are bent on destroying humanity. Injury in the game can be agonizing, and death is final. Miki’s existence is hard enough, as she struggles with grief over her mother’s death and her father’s alcoholism. The adrenaline ramps up when the Drau find a way to push through the virtual boundaries and enter real time, infiltrating a dance at Miki’s high school and instigating a massive, calamitous battle. The lightning-quick shifts in reality
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“[T]here’s supposedly no starvation or crime, which isn’t true but also hardly seems to matter stacked against juicy fantasies of roast chicken and french fries....” from hungry
are positively diabolical, as those she thought dead are discovered to be alive and those she thought on her side are revealed not to be. The story spends less time than did the predecessor in battle scenes with the gruesome Drau, exploring more deeply the growing relationship between Miki and Jackson. This episode ends on the edge, positioning readers for the leap into the next adventure. This second volume has up-to-the-minute appeal for gamers who like a byte of romance with their sci-fi. (Adventure/romance. 13-18)
MY YIDDISH VACATION
Skye, Ione Illus. by Menchin, Scott Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt (32 pp.) $17.99 | May 13, 2014 978-0-8050-9512-8 Ruth and Sammy’s vacation to their grandparents’ retirement community presents a nostalgic look at 1970s Jewish Florida, when Yiddish-rich English was the norm. On the plane by themselves, the siblings, 7 and 13 respectively, are excited to leave winter and ready to enjoy the warmth of Florida, where “shvitzing” (sweating) is enjoyed, Grandma jokes about how her “shmaltz” (fat) helps her float in the pool, and all the visiting grandkids act like “meshuggeners” as they splash and scream. The house is full of “tchotchkes,” and Muffin, the pet dog, is called a “lobus” (wise guy) because he cannot decide if he wants to be inside or out. Sammy’s ready to grab Grandma’s hand for the fun. Oy gevalt! Actress Skye’s fond memories of her childhood experiences in the Sunshine State will seem outdated to today’s Internet-savvy generation. And while keeping the Old World language alive may be a worthy motive, this presentation is irksome in its conventional approach. Bland, black-outlined cartoon characterizations of stereotypical “alter kockers” (old guys) playing shuffleboard in their Bermuda shorts and frumpy, bespectacled “yentas” gossiping over lunch may appeal to the older portion of a multigenerational audience, but young readers are more likely to find them grotesque. Ruth’s present-tense narration is undistinguished if upbeat, often laboriously explaining Yiddish words to readers rather than artfully folding them into her text. Cheery self-indulgence. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-9)
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LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN
Smith, Greg Leitich Illus. by Arnold, Andrew Roaring Brook (224 pp.) $15.99 | Jun. 10, 2014 978-1-59643-835-4
Twelve-year-old Aidan’s life at his family’s motel gets a whole lot more interesting when aliens arrive. Living in a quirky space-themed motel only a few miles from Cape Canaveral might be a dream come true. But the reality for Aidan includes skimming leaves, picking up trash and managing difficult guests. Despite this, his life is far from bleak. He hangs out with his best friend, Louis, helps throw epic launch parties, and meets new and interesting people. Among the latter is Dru, a strange but compelling new guest. Aidan is skeptical about the existence of extraterrestrials, but the arrival of a spaceship and the revelation that Dru is actually an alien turns him into a true believer. Dru needs Aidan and Louis to help her complete a rescue mission. But there might be more to Dru’s story than she is letting on. The interesting motel setting is unfortunately populated by lackluster characters. And while the second half of the book holds surprises for persevering readers, they are not enough to make up for the surprising overall lack of energy. Arnold’s grayscale cartoons flesh out the narrative. A close encounter that fails to engage. (Science fiction. 8-12)
HUNGRY
Swain, H.A. Feiwel & Friends (384 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-250-02829-7 An alluring adventure in a future without food. Thalia’s grandparents were farmers, but climate change and war have wreaked havoc on food supplies. Now, nobody farms, and nobody eats. Everyone drinks the nutritional beverage Synthamil, provided by megacorporation One World. Regular inoculations containing benzodiazepines and something unexplained that Thalia’s mother invented suppress hunger, sexuality and moods. Talking about food—“forno,” or food porno—is forbidden. But Thalia’s stomach is growling: She’s not supposed to be, but she’s hungry. Leaving behind her pristine, hologram-landscaped neighborhood, she finds (and falls for) Basil, a boy in the outskirts who’s created a machine to generate food aromas. Swain’s romantic food descriptions trounce the dryly presented benefits of this society (there’s supposedly no starvation or crime, which isn’t true but also hardly seems to matter stacked against juicy fantasies of roast chicken and french fries). Thalia’s brown-skinned, but privilege here is all about class; being a computer-hacking “privy” herself, Thalia’s shocked that an underclass lives in poverty and that desperate people from all
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“Both the text and art highlight small but meaningful incidents as readers gradually learn the truth behind the tension in Rose’s family.” from this one summer
classes are so hungry they’re eating dirt. Thalia and Basil’s activism with underground networks gets them labeled by One World as outlaw terrorists; they run away and stumble into a cultlike secret community that holds disturbing ties to the city. Despite some loose worldbuilding and predictability, this is a page-turner that wants a sequel. Emotionally satisfying dystopia with a generous helping of forno. (Dystopian romance. 14-17)
THIS ONE SUMMER
Tamaki, Mariko; Tamaki, Jillian Illus. by Tamaki, Jillian First Second (320 pp.) $17.99 | $17.99 paper | May 6, 2014 978-1-59643-774-6 978-1-59643-774-6 paper A summer of family drama, secrets and change in a small beach town. Rose’s family has always vacationed in Awago Beach. It’s “a place where beer grows on trees and everyone can sleep in until eleven,” but this year’s getaway is proving less idyllic than those of the past. Rose’s parents argue constantly, and she is painfully aware of her mother’s unhappiness. Though her friendship with Windy, a younger girl, remains strong, Rose is increasingly curious about the town’s older teens, especially Dunc, a clerk at the general store. Jillian and Mariko Tamaki (Skim, 2008) skillfully portray the emotional ups and downs of a girl on the cusp of adolescence in this eloquent graphic novel. Rose waxes nostalgic for past summers even as she rejects some old pursuits as too childlike and mimics the older teens. The realistic dialogue and sensitive first-person narration convey Rose’s naïveté and confusion, and Windy’s comfort in her own skin contrasts with Rose’s uncertainty. Both the text and art highlight small but meaningful incidents as readers gradually learn the truth behind the tension in Rose’s family. Printed in dark blue ink, Jillian Tamaki’s illustrations feature strong, fluid lines, and the detailed backgrounds and stunning two-page spreads throughout the work establish the mood and a compelling sense of place. Keenly observed and gorgeously illustrated—a triumph. (Graphic novel. 13 & up)
GOAL!
Taylor, Sean Photos by Vilela, Caio Henry Holt (40 pp.) $17.99 | May 6, 2014 978-1-62779-123-6
composite material and pumped to a precise psi, or it can be a bunch of rags bound by twine. Little rivals the elemental pleasure of giving a round object a good, sharp kick; just look at the faces of all the kids captured by Vilela: They are, in a word, gleeful. While much of Taylor’s text is forgettable—“There’s nothing quite like the excitement before you start a game of soccer. Anything can happen!”—it does express the free-spirited, classtranscending joy of the game. The brief text is accompanied by a squib of information from a particular nation set as a boxed item: Togo fielded a 13-year-old in a World Cup qualifier, for instance. Far and away, Vilela’s photographs take center stage: They are full of action and neat slices of geography as well, with kids playing beside the megaliths of Stonehenge, stupas in Nepal and a refugee camp in Jordan. A solid introduction to soccer, carrying with it the sport’s openness to any and all. (Picture book. 4-8)
FOOD TRUCKS!
Todd, Mark Illus. by Todd, Mark HMH Books (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 3, 2014 978-0-544-15784-2 Who’s hungry? In this introduction to the world of food trucks, appealing, cartoon illustrations are served up with poems describing the various delicacies and garnished with facts regarding each mouthwatering morsel and delectable cuisine. From breakfast to burger, cheese to chowder, sushi to curry and falafel to taco, foods from across the United States and around the world are covered here in colorful spreads; inked and digitally colored, each depicts an inventive-looking vehicle that creatively expresses its contents and is chock-full of interesting things to nibble. Though not all youngsters will be familiar with the concept of food trucks, those who are will readily embrace this selection, as will children who have already read their way through other vehicle books. While the poems themselves are at times a bit forced, many are funny and descriptive, and the facts included are whimsical and informative. It is the pictures that are really the focus here; detailed and engaging, they’ll draw in reluctant readers, and burgeoning food enthusiasts will find many a truck to appreciate as well—just check out Bubba Q, who sports a pair of horns and a “nose” ring hanging over its grille. A tasty treat on trucks and takeout. (Picture book. 3-7)
Writer Taylor and photographer Vilela give a brisk nod to the international spirit and enjoyment of soccer. Crisp photos of children playing the game in Spain, Tanzania, Iran, Pakistan and more make it clear that one of the great beauties of soccer is that all players need is a round object of approximately a certain size to play. It can be made of the latest 110
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FAN ART
Ganesh statue, a sign saying “Horn Please,” a family of monkeys and the caparisoned temple elephant, the setting reflects an Indian sensibility—but the story is universally understandable. Geckos are neither so common nor so freighted with superstition in North America as they are in parts of Asia, but they are familiar and pleasing enough to make this an ideal choice for sharing with preschoolers. (Picture book. 3-6)
Tregay, Sarah Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (368 pp.) $17.99 | $9.99 e-book | Jun. 17, 2014 978-0-06-224315-7 978-0-06-224317-1 e-book Picking a prom date is tricky, particularly when you can’t decide which sex to ask. To any observer, high school senior Jamie Peterson, designer of the school literary magazine, coasts along with the support of a loving family, an uncommon level of popularity and the camaraderie of his longtime best friend, Mason. As the year draws to a close, he struggles with the eternal question: Whom will he ask to prom? The discovery that Mason is taking a girl makes Jamie jealous. Though Jamie is gay and out to his family (his parents demonstrate Boy Meets Boy utopian support), he isn’t out at school. When he realizes his jealousy and subsequent fantasies about dreamy Mason are reason enough to come out, he second-, third- and fourth-guesses himself, not wanting to ruin the friendship. A clutch of perceptive female classmates sees Jamie’s turmoil and roots for him to make a move, an enthusiasm that could ultimately humiliate both Jamie and Mason. Though the main characters are well-realized, a flood of minor characters introduced at the start of the book and sporadically thereafter proves more distracting than pertinent. The portrait of a half-in, half-out gay teen seen as confident by everyone but himself is touching, though the message to accept diversity is occasionally more didactic than encouraging. A sweet, quasi–coming-out love story with a bass line tailored for art and design fanatics. (Fiction. 13-18)
THE LIZARD’S TAIL
Viswanath, Shobha Illus. by Kastl, Christine Karadi Tales (28 pp.) $9.99 paper | Jun. 16, 2014 978-8-181-90150-7 When part of a baby lizard’s tail is chopped off when it’s caught in a drawer, he searches for the “new look” his mother promises him. In this appealing tale from India, the worried lizard approaches various animals, asking each for its tail. The squirrel, the cow and the cat explain why they can’t help: They need their tails. Three dogs just laugh. An elephant gently points out how silly he would look with another animal’s tail, and he finally agrees. By the time his search has ended and he returns home to his mother, his new tail has already begun to grow. Simply but capably told, with believable dialogue, the narrative is well-paced, allowing time for reflection. In spite of the startling “chop-slice” at the beginning, this is a wonderfully reassuring story. Kastl’s animals are not anthropomorphized, but they seem to smile. Her expressionistic paintings, textured with a palette knife, show well from a distance. With a |
R IS FOR ROBOT A Noisy Alphabet
Watkins, Adam F. Illus. by Watkins, Adam F. Price Stern Sloan (32 pp.) $16.99 | Jun. 26, 2014 978-0-8431-7237-9 The key to this alphabet book is the word “noisy” in the subtitle. The cover sets the scene as a team of idiosyncratic robots uses cranes and pulleys to hoist the letters that make up the title into place. Within, they drill, hammer and rivet each large letter, winding up with a full alphabet at the end. And it is noisy: Rather than representing objects in the way of a typical alphabetbook, each letter stands for a sound. Though some are predictable and nicely robotic (C is for “Clang,” “Clink,” “Crash,” and “Clank”), others are not at all expected. E is for “Eek”; I for “ick”; J for “Jolt”; M for “meep” (a robot fart); Y for “Yoink.” X is for “EXplode.” At first the device isn’t obvious, so readers will need to pay attention as the scenes develop. Each robot is constructed differently—there are both people and animal robots—and has a specific task that interacts with another. The robot atop the letter D is leaking oil (“drip drop”), which a robot with vacuum hose arms is sucking up. The double-page spreads of pen, ink and oil on board illustrations that create the assemblage of mechanical creatures will appeal to robot fans. Small details appear here and there, such as the mechanical duck that appears with both D and Q, and the blueprint endpapers add a clever touch. Gadget-minded kids will get a kick out of guessing what sounds come next. (Alphabet book. 5-9)
LOOT
Watson, Jude Scholastic (272 pp.) $16.99 | $16.99 e-book | Jun. 24, 2014 978-0-545-46802-2 978-0-545-63395-6 e-book Feisty thieves-in-training Jules and March are faced with a daunting challenge after their father plunges to his death while committing a crime. The twins only gradually discover the full extent of the problem they face, but each new revelation fits perfectly into the often hair-raising narrative. First March finds out he has a twin sister, then that their mother died during the
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commission of a crime years ago, the theft of a set of valuable— but cursed—moonstones. The curse has come to rest on them, and it looks like it may be lethal by their 13th birthdays if they can’t recover the full set of gems, each now belonging to a different owner and requiring another clever theft. Aided by oversized Darius and tiny Izzy, whom they meet in a nasty group home, they each bring different talents and ideas to the imaginative crimes. Driven by thrilling, nonstop action and featuring very brief chapters that readily sustain interest, this twisting and turning but ever-so-clever thriller is akin to the best of roller-coaster rides. Pitch-perfect characters, from scheming criminals to a twisted former cop to the twins’ father, move in and out of the narrative, but it’s the four young teens that drive the tale forward with enviable schemes and ingenious plans. Taut, engrossing and unstoppable. (Thriller. 10-14)
THE YOUNG WORLD
Weitz, Chris Little, Brown (384 pp.) $19.00 | $9.99 e-book | Jul. 29, 2014 978-0-316-22629-5 978-0-316-22627-1 e-book A twisted Neverland where you don’t get older, you just die. As if traffic and congestion weren’t enough to cope with in Manhattan, the rapid-fire, incurable Sickness has begun eliminating New Yorkers. Strangely, the only unaffected residents are teenagers. Stranger still, once the surviving teens reach their 18th birthdays, fever, coughs, delirium and death swiftly follow. A short life means there’s no reason for civilized order, so New York devolves into Mad Max–like chaos. Union Square and Washington Square are no longer overpriced zip codes, they’re pocket territories for tribes of gun-toting teens as likely to trade a pig for people as they are to resort to cannibalism. When the brainiac of one of these tribes theorizes that he can cure the Sickness, a cluster of five dives headfirst into the task of either saving civilization or prematurely ending their already doomed lives. Inclusion of New York landmarks lends an authenticity that makes the chaos frighteningly plausible. Through the dual narration of Jefferson, the focal tribe leader, and Donna, his crush, veteran screenwriter and director Weitz presents a veritable dichotomy of literary and commercial; Jefferson’s chapters are intellectually elevated, while Donna often sounds like an elongated Facebook post. The action perseveres, the sex, blood and violence dominate, and race and class clashes continue headlong into the sequel. A post-apocalyptic teen novel that’s far from just another post-apocalyptic teen novel. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 13 & up)
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MY FAIRE LADY
Wettersten, Laura Simon & Schuster (352 pp.) $17.99 | $10.99 e-book | Jun. 3, 2014 978-1-4424-8933-2 978-1-4424-8935-6 e-book To avoid running into her ex-boyfriend, a teenage girl leaves town to work the summer at a Renaissance fair. All of Rowena Duncan’s summer plans went kaput when she discovered her boyfriend was two-timing her. Hanging with her friends at the beach and working at the local tiki-themed restaurant was no longer an option—those are places she would assuredly see him. Landing a job she finds online, she winds up as a face painter at a Renaissance fair, far from civilization and reliable cellphone reception. Her deep desire is to pursue art, so she’s thrilled to be painting—even if it’s only on the cherubic faces of young fairgoers—but what’s more, the place is rich with artists and performers. Her high-powered parents, however, want her to follow in their white-collar footsteps and only view the job as a topic for a standout college essay. Rowena settles into the fair life quickly thanks to Will, a witty, whip-cracking magician who shows her the ropes and is sweetly and perpetually attentive. But it’s the heart-stopping, black-haired, blue-eyed knight Christian who keeps Rowena’s adrenaline pumping—and soon she finds herself wrestling with Cupid all over again. Sharp, funny dialogue is mixed with thoughtful resolutions of relevant teenage topics—love and lust, admitting fault, the mettle it takes to pursue a passion. The rich backdrop of the fair, with its vivid description and appealing characters, is icing on the cake. Verily, fine fare. (Fiction. 12 & up)
BETH’S STORY, 1914
Whitby, Adele Simon Spotlight (160 pp.) $16.99 | $5.99 paper | $5.99 e-book Jun. 24, 2014 978-1-4814-0632-1 978-1-4814-0631-4 paper 978-1-4814-0633-8 e-book Series: Secrets of the Manor, 1 When her 16-year-old lady’s maid is unjustly accused of stealing a piece of jewelry, a highborn English girl defies the strict hierarchical rules of her household by investigating both above- and belowstairs to find the true culprit. Lady Beth is about to turn 12. To mark this auspicious occasion, a grand party has been planned at Chatswood Manor, her beloved 15-year-old cousin Gabby is coming to visit, and she comes into the Elizabeth necklace, a family heirloom. But all does not go smoothly for the high-spirited, fair-minded and good-hearted heroine. Cousin Gabby, who now insists on the more mature moniker of Gabrielle, has become a demanding
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“This movie tie-in might entice readers to seek out the Canadian animated feature film The Legend of Sarila, but it is hardly noteworthy as a storybook app.” from sarila
spoiled snob and is clearly no longer interested in young Beth. And of course, adult readers and young historians know something the characters are blind to: World War I is about to erupt, marking the beginning of the end of the era of the great English houses. The mystery itself is rather mild, yet Whitby generates a goodly amount of page-turning suspense. Despite the fact that Beth comes across an old diary that, coupled with hints from addled Great-Grandmother Cecily, is the setup for more mysterious secrets to come, the book provides solid closure and ends on a gratifying note. Entertaining mystery lite set in a Downton Abbey world. (Historical mystery. 8-12)
interactive e-books SARILA
CarpeDiem Film & TV CarpeDiem Film & TV $4.99 | Feb. 26, 2014 1.0.2; Feb. 26, 2014 Animation? Check. Heroes and villains? Check. A new blockbuster? Not really. This movie tie-in might entice readers to seek out the Canadian animated feature film The Legend of Sarila, but it is hardly noteworthy as a storybook app. Three young Inuit teens search for Sarila, “a marvellous land located somewhere to the north between the glaciers,” in a desperate attempt to save their clan from famine. A devious shaman named Croolik, threatened by the powers of one of the young heroes, tries to thwart their journey at every turn. The story is inspired by Inuit legends, but it is difficult to see where the original source material lies and where modern retelling (appropriation?) steps in. Multimedia features include 360-degree immersion scenes, video segments and simple puzzles, but scenes appear to be mostly stills from the film, with some animation and minimal interaction added. The app features multilingual narration and subtitles, available in English, French and Inuktitut. The Inuktitut narration is provided by Canadian folk singer Elisapie Isaac, who is of Inuit decent. Eilsapie also contributes a small clip of her haunting song “Far Away” for the app. The story will appeal to young readers with its classic hero’s-journey structure, but the app retelling is wordy, and the lack of interaction will likely leave them disenchanted. (iPad storybook app. 6-10)
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DABBY DILL & THE HICCUP PICKLE
Daberko, Brad Illus. by Choppic Pickled Productions $2.99 | Nov. 27, 2013 2.0; Mar. 14, 2014
Simple, amusing animations add some life to a fairly predictable story. Dabby Dill just can’t stop hiccupping, so she turns to her family and friends to help her out. Her dad brings a glass of water, and Emma tells her to blow on her thumb, but nothing helps. Auntie NaNa finally offers a sweet suggestion that works. Digital cartoon illustrations add to the bright, cheerful tone of the story, although the color scheme is reminiscent of a Polly Pocket dollhouse. Each page contains several animations that readers trigger by tapping, but as they often lack any connection to story or theme, they will likely distract readers instead of adding to their understanding. Supplemental nonfiction text that provides information on hiccups, peanut butter and taste buds is revealed by tapping words underlined in red. Readers can tap words highlighted in blue to hear their definitions and examples. The narration in “Story Mode” is upbeat and fits the story, but it is haltingly slow in the “Read Along” mode with word highlighting for beginning readers. Although this story does not otherwise have a religious tone, Auntie NaNa tells her niece, “Don’t forget to say your prayers, Dabby Dill,” as the now–hiccupfree girl heads back home. All in all, it’s lightweight fare that may elicit some giggles but not much more. (Requires iOS 6.1 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 3-7)
LITTLE WHO WHO
Foofoo Foofoo $1.99 | Feb. 19, 2014 1.1; Mar. 8, 2014
A young owl wants to visit all his forest friends before he settles down to sleep. Sweet little Who Who asks his mother, “Can I go to say good night / to my forest friends / to help them sleep tight?” As Who Who visits his friends, young readers are reminded of their own nighttime routines. Tim Rabbit is taking a bath, Boris Bear must brush his teeth, and Spike Hedgehog carefully combs his spines. Who Who returns home too sleepy to do his own chores, but his mother reassures him, “in the end / the most important thing / is to be a good friend.” The colorful cartoon illustrations and animations will keep young readers happily tapping away, but the story’s pacing is slowed down by the overlong and clumsily rhymed text. The navigation works smoothly in the AutoPlay and Read to Me modes, but young readers cannot control the (glacial) speed at which stanzas advance within a page in the
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“Heimbach coaxes a sense of adventure and exploration—a great circle—from the dreamscapes, each beckoning.” from a whale who dreamt of a snail
Read to Myself option. A classic memory game with three levels of difficulty extends the story. The cheerful, soothing narration matches the tone nicely. A well-intentioned story that could benefit from the old injunction to show, not tell. (iPad storybook app. 3-7)
OCEAN Animal Adventures for Kids Fox & Sheep Fox & Sheep $2.99 | Mar. 6, 2014 1.0; Mar. 6, 2014
The focus is mainly on fun in three populous underwater scenes, but a few facts float past too. Viewable in any order and accompanied by tinkling background music, cartoon “Coral Reef,” “Shark Reef ” and “Deep Sea” settings present a mix of distinctive and recurring residents. All are depicted in loud colors, and most feature anthropomorphic touches, from smiles and blinking eyes to a natty shrimp’s spinning bow tie and pirate treasure draped about a grimacing great white shark. Many figures drift in and out of view, move or make a sound when tapped; sometimes they respond to repeated taps with silly surprises—like scallop shells that spring open to reveal a mermaid or a cupcake. There is no visible text, but touching an icon at the top of each scene freezes the action and activates audio IDs (available in no fewer than 12 languages) for selected creatures. Some IDs are generic (“Hello, I’m a fish…”), others more precise (“I’m an anglerfish”), and there are occasional disconnects with the pictures: “I’m a crab, and I have 10 legs,” declare two crabs with only eight visible legs each. Likewise, a copperband butterfly fish points out false “eye” spots that are not to be seen in the picture. Less than ankle deep, informationwise, but all the color and movement should keep the Oshkosh set poking away for a while. (iPad informational app. 2-4)
ABC: ANIMAL ALPHABET
HappyKids; Yabra Yabra $1.99 | Dec. 29, 2013 1.0.1; Dec. 29, 2013
A new abecedary app joins the menagerie. As with many alphabet apps, each page shows one animal whose name begins with the featured letter. The characters move slightly on their own, prompting readers to tap them and figure out simple animations. Young readers will enjoy the colorful cartoon illustrations of animals in silly costumes, whether it’s a duck in an old-fashioned aviator’s outfit or a koala in chef whites serving a plate of eucalyptus leaves. There is no consistent connection among the featured letter, the costume and the activity (though 114
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parents will probably get a kick out of the aristocratic alligator). The British narration is pleasant, although the timing needs improvement. When readers turn a page, they hear the letter name and then the animal name hard on its heels, making it hard to distinguish one from the other. Well-designed parental controls make it easy to turn off music, sound effects and narration. It is disappointing that only six characters are clearly girls, and most of these are dressed in traditional outfits such as a unicorn in a Renaissance princess costume or a mother quail in an elegant shawl. Only one girl is clearly active: a little mouse happily roller-skating. Where are today’s girls in this app? Entertaining illustrations reinforce outmoded stereotypes of gender roles. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad alphabet app. 2-5)
A WHALE WHO DREAMT OF A SNAIL
Heimbach, William Illus. by Tolentino, Angelina My Digital Landscape $2.99 | Feb. 21, 2014 1.1.1; Mar. 17, 2014
Heimbach presents a lullaby app with the hypnotizing look and feel of a mandala. A boy is tucked in bed under a crazy quilt. “I dreamt of things that were never seen, / sunlit valleys with hidden streams / that flowed to oceans deep and clean.” Clearly the work is for the young, and they too should be tucked in bed, for the action here is purely visual—and minimal at that—and there is no need to be touching the screen. Tolentino’s artwork has a Rousseauesque naïveté, albeit on a simpler level; muffled chimes and gongs serenade the narrator, whose voice approaches a whisper as her inflection rises and falls to the rhyme. In that deep, clean ocean lives a whale, and the whale is also dreaming. The whale dreams of a desert and sand, where a snail of many hues is dreaming of a forest dripping with dew. In the forest, hummingbirds dream of snow reflecting moonlight, and burrowed in the snow is a mouse who is dreaming of a warm cabin. Rather than discontent, Heimbach coaxes a sense of adventure and exploration—a great circle—from the dreamscapes, each beckoning. In the final tableau, all of the animals appear as constellations in the night sky that enfolds the cabin, giving a timeless, ancient quality to the lullaby. A passage toward sweet dreams, with enough variety in the imagery for repeat visits. (iPad storybook app. 3-5)
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HELLO, BABY ANIMALS!
sound effects, but beyond that, it doesn’t even begin to explore or utilize the vast technological landscape that the iPad affords. Ho-hum. (iPad storybook app. 2-5)
Merriman, Carolyn Illus. by Srinivasan, Divya Shortstack $2.99 | Feb. 10, 2014 1.0.2; Mar. 11, 2014
FOX AND CRANE
This baby-animal app introduces kits and kittens and pups and puppies. This cleverly illustrated primer teaches young children the proper names of baby animals within a rhyming narrative. “A baby deer is called a fawn. / This little fawn wakes up at dawn. // A baby seal is called a pup. / This little pup can’t reach his cup!” And so it goes with a baby pig, a baby fox (a kit), a kitten, a foal, a calf (“baby cow”), a puppy, a bear cub and a lamb. What makes the somewhat stilted rhyme a nonissue—besides the somewhat static adult narrator (read: choose the child narrator)—are the whimsical interactions and Srinivasan’s illustrations, which bring every page to new life. Readers will particularly enjoy putting colorful wigs on the piglet and hearing daddy pig’s big belly laugh when the best wig is chosen. Matching mittens and spotting missing socks create ongoing fun that changes with each new visit to the app. But there are a couple of faux “paws.” The audio narration is often muffled (not the case with sound effects). And with mama and daddy animals visible on every other page, it’s a bit alarming to see the baby bear playing in the tub without a guardian in sight. Still, these wide-eyed baby animals are worth saying hello to over and over again. (iPad informational app. 2-6)
THE BOX & I
Moring, Sue Illus. by Zelasko, Josh Little Bahalia Publishing $1.99 | Mar. 6, 2014 1.0; Mar. 6, 2014 It’s a running joke with parents: Buy your kids expensive toys, and they’ll end up playing with the box. In this story, a young boy turns an ordinary box into a series of adventures. Among other things, he imagines that a box can be a submarine, a spaceship, a race car or an airplane. Each vignette is represented by one brief sentence on one screen. Each sentence ends with a long “e” sound, making for a limply rhyming experience, though scansion suffers. The young narrator does a fine job reading the text and (assumedly) providing rudimentary sound effects. But he doesn’t have a whole lot of material to work with. One thing that might’ve improved the story is an intermittent reminder that each scenario is an imagined journey that takes place within a box. Unfortunately, after the first mention of the cardboard container, the story steamrolls through eight make-believe voyages without reinforcing the role imagination plays in the process. In terms of interaction, this app offers an absolute bare-bones experience. There are a few touch-and-drag movements and a handful of tap-activated |
Mumuin.com Mumuin.com $2.99 | Jan. 9, 2014 1.1.0; Mar. 22, 2014
Interactive diversions are given considerably more attention than the story in this multilingual version of the Aesopian fable. Giving neither Aesop nor any other source a mention, the briefly retold tale has Fox, “wanting to pleaseher [sic] new friend” (rather than to play a trick), inviting Crane over for a “treat” that Crane cannot eat, as it’s served in a bowl. Crane returns the invitation and serves a meal to Fox in a long-necked vase—thus sending her away peeved and ending the supposed friendship. The text is available in six European languages including the original Russian, plus “English USA” and “English GB.” Details vary considerably in these last two versions (which are read in appropriate accents) and don’t always agree with the illustrations: The American Fox serves oatmeal and gets corn chowder in return, and the British one gets soup after dishing up rice pudding, but in neither rendition is any oatmeal, rice or corn visible in the respective kitchen scenes. Furthermore, the wording isn’t always sure in either rendition—the British Crane unintuitively “peck[s] up all the soup”; the American Fox “mill[s] around the pitcher”—and the American moral, “What goes around comes around,” is both absent in the other and likely to flummox young readers in any country. Delicately drawn illustrations with a traceable maze, a “concentration” game and other touch-responsive features can’t compensate for the story’s fundamental incoherence. There’s a moral here, but it’s not the intended one. (iPad storybook app. 6-8)
THE MINIATURE POLAR BEAR Rogue Software Rogue Software $4.99 | Mar. 3, 2014 1.0.2; Mar. 10, 2014
A boy finds the perfect pet hiding under his bed—trouble is, his mother just won’t believe him. During a trip to the zoo, Jimmy decides that a polar bear would be a perfect pet, but his mother brushes him off, saying, “Don’t be silly, Jimmy….They are big and wild, and they eat little boys like you.” To his delight, Jimmy discovers a miniature polar bear hiding under his bed that night. Jimmy will amuse readers with his mop of curly hair, goofy expressions and earnest attempts to convince his mother that
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his new pet is real. The bright cartoon illustrations are full of funny details, but they suffer from a few significant problems. Secondary characters are grossly exaggerated in places. When they get angry, sister Lucy looks like a demented monster, with her florescent pink face, and Mum looks like a Bratz doll. Jimmy’s black friend Tumi occasionally looks like the worst kind of caricature. Narration and text are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, with an unusual option that allows viewers to read and listen to two languages at the same time. Easy-to-use controls allow users to turn off narration, music and text from the home page. Animation keeps young readers engaged on each page without overwhelming the story. An amiable-enough story weighed down by a few misguided illustrations. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 4-8)
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR & FRIENDS Play and Explore StoryToys StoryToys $2.99 | Mar. 20, 2014 1.0; Mar. 20, 2014
A 3-D pop-up app of preschool games built around Eric Carle’s dreamy
watercolor world. To commemorate the 45th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar with an iPad activity app takes a lot of digital bravery, though perhaps not as much as a digital retelling of the original would. As it is, this 3-D pop-up version brings in other beloved Carle creatures, including Mr. Seahorse, the mixed-up chameleon, the very quiet cricket and the brown bear of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? among others. Each page begins with “Did You Know?” and offers preschoolers a few important facts about the critters. After each of the eight narrated pages, children can then jump into eight different minigames and activities, earning badges for completing each one. These games each appear on a pop-up page and include feeding the very hungry caterpillar tasty fruits for a Healthy Eater Badge, identifying sea creatures for the Quiz Whizz Badge—don’t leave the page too soon or you’ll miss the whale!—and helping the brown bear find her cub. Overall, this engaging app provides long-lasting, skillbuilding fun, and parents who revere Carle’s watercolor work won’t be disappointed in this digital incarnation. (iPad informational app. 2-5)
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WHAT’S THAT FUNNY NOISE?
Tribal Nova Tribal Nova $2.99 | Dec. 17, 2013 1.2.0; Mar. 22, 2014 Series: Caillou
A bedtime app gives new readers and their parents a big language boost. Mommy and Daddy have tucked Caillou into bed, but there are scary noises and shadows keeping him wide awake. And so begins the first app in the iReadWith series based on the animated TV character Caillou. Although a predictable storyline—things go bump in the night—what makes this app special is its approach to language and literacy development. Young readers personalize the experience by choosing avatars that appear at the bottom of each page with prompting questions and conversation starters that not only inspire engagement in the story, but also build verbal fluency, imagination, vocabulary, comprehension and narrative skill. The avatars ask questions like, “What makes the shadows on the bed?” creating intriguing opportunities for dialogue between children and parents. Using the Read & Record option, they can record any or all of 12 “living words” in the story, which are offered in both French and English. And when readers have progressed through all three reading levels, they can create and record their own stories and dialogue, choosing scenes and characters in the Theater (found on the intro page). The 1.2.0 version features a Listen option with professional narration, giving pre-readers the opportunity to learn and explore on their own. A cacophony of educational inspiration, this “Noise” is anything but. (Requires iOS 6 and above.) (iPad storybook app. 4-8)
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indie RANGER BALDY AND THE DISAPPEARING WATERFALL A Yosemite National Park Adventure
These titles earned the Kirkus Star: Ranger Baldy and the Disappearing Waterfall by Ranger Baldy; Illus. by Natalie Long............................................ 117
Ranger Baldy Illus. by Long, Natalie The Magic Factory (34 pp.) $15.99 | $3.99 e-book | Oct. 1, 2013 978-1-938155-00-0
Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone by Becky Blades.....119 THE TREE THAT WALKS by Beth Duncan........................................120 TAKING JENNY HOME by Carolyn Kane........................................ 123
Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone
Blades, Becky Startistry Publishing (160 pp.) $13.99 paper | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-9897583-0-7
An eagle named Ranger Baldy, who’s also an animal rescuer and conservationist, joins a cast of friendly, Disney-esque animals in his first adventure. Baldy, a Ranger First Class in the Animal Ranger Corps, is new to Yosemite Valley. He was born in a zoo and raised in captivity, so he’s suspicious of human “two-leggers,” as they harm nature, which he’s sworn to protect. In beautifully painted panoramas, the cartoon eagle begins the story by flying to the rescue of mischievous Bobby Cat. The feline’s fall from a teetering tree causes a number of other trees to topple and block a waterfall. Gruff Baldy scolds Bobby and his friend Mules Deer and enlists them to help clear the waterfall’s path—but then the water mysteriously vanishes. Baldy follows some two-legger tracks, thinking that humans may be to blame for the disappearing water, but Graycee Fox assures Baldy, as they converse among bright redwoods, that the humans were actually planting trees. Still looking for a lead, Baldy helps a kingsnake mother move her eggs to a safer location, knowing that, like the baby trees, those baby snakes will need to have water—but that won’t happen unless he can solve the mystery. Flying high, he sees that snow is also missing from the mountaintops, so he decides to visit his old Ranger Chief, J.M. Bear, for advice. The old grizzly bear explains that the dried-out falls are just a part of Yosemite’s natural cycle. Although Baldy is ashamed of his lack of knowledge, Bear praises him for his attention during his investigation: “ ‘It’s those little things that matter most,’ said J.M. ‘They make the big difference.’ ” The book’s combination of gorgeously painted backgrounds and cartoon animals works brilliantly and may encourage young readers to take an interest in Yosemite and other national parks. Baldy is exactly the type of hero that young animal lovers and conservationists will eagerly follow: brave, kind and willing to learn from his mistakes. Early elementary schoolers, whether independent readers or lap-readers, will be eager for more of Baldy’s adventures. A vividly illustrated picture book about one of Mother Nature’s mysteries, with plenty of kid appeal.
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Bollywood, Beds and Beyond A Saga of Sex, Greed and Betrayal
VASTATION
Birdseye, Lewis E. Xlibris (314 pp.) $29.99 | $19.99 paper | $3.99 e-book May 23, 2012 978-1-4771-0789-8
Bharucha, Cyrus CreateSpace (480 pp.) $17.50 paper | Jan. 6, 2014 978-1-4921-6505-7
Bharucha, in this debut novel subtitled “A Saga of Sex, Greed and Betrayal,” delivers on all three counts with an ambitious tale centered on an Indian celebrity. The novel opens with a coffee-drinking professor regaling his students with an anecdote about Ashok Kapoor, the most famous movie star in the world (“[O]ne billion people plus loving him. So many people cannot love your Stallone and Arnold!”). In it, the celebrity, called “the Hero” by his fans, inadvertently causes a commotion on Fifth Avenue in New York City, his Lamborghini holding up traffic as a cop tries to ticket him. Cabbies shout “AK!” in admiration, and locals stop to wonder whether a movie is being shot. This sets the tone for the next 400 pages, which are highly anecdotal, highly amusing, and rich with Indian artistic and political history. Readers continue to follow Kapoor, born Ramu More, and learn that his personal life is something less than heroic, as he carries on affairs and launders money. The story revolves largely around a television station, TV Metro, where AK goes to work after a series of box office flops. There, other people are brought into the mix, such as Shilpa More, AK’s high-caste mistress, whose father runs the network; and Darius Cooper, a powerful TV executive. The prose throughout the book is plain and clear, with Indian accents rendered into dialogue with intelligent subtlety. Indeed, the dialogue contains some of the best writing in the book, and it’s full of humor as it details the relationships between the characters; for example, when AK and his mistress are threatened with jail, the confident Shilpa says to him, “Why are we acting like we have been caught?” The book is, in a way, all about power dynamics, whether it’s talking about sex, the imperial oppression of India, or backroom bribes and shady dealings. There’s much to take away from this story, as it addresses how greed’s destructive nature can affect anyone. A highly enjoyable, fast-paced tale of Bollywood corruption.
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In Birdseye’s oddly compelling fiction debut, a father-son hiking trip goes violently wrong. Josh Donaldson is convinced—browbeaten, really—by his charismatic, literate, slightly unbalanced father to go for a long, running hike in Oregon’s wild and remote Cedar Ridge. Dad has always been an outsize figure in Donaldson’s life, writing long unpublished novels and constantly challenging his family to unconventional thinking. His force of personality overcomes Donaldson’s reservations about hiking and running in a wilderness area unknown to both of them. Once they reach their starting point, these reservations are only deepened by warnings from locals, who point out both the dangers of the terrain—“The woods are always dangerous. Damn foolish city folk are always comin’ up here and gettin’ lost”—and the presence in the woods of a major drug runner known as the Columbian. But Dad gets his way, and soon the two of them are encountering the beauties of the Oregon backcountry, beautifully described by Birdseye. Displaying virtually no hiking or camping skills, Dad instead waxes poetic at every turn, reciting Keats upon seeing a swollen mountain stream, which prompts a doubtful Donaldson to reflect that the water seemed “too real, and far too perilous to be poetic, except perhaps in a poem depicting death by means of forces beyond reason.” Inevitably, the two encounter the Columbian’s men, and violence erupts; Birdseye’s formerly ruminative narrative pace sharpens considerably once father and son confront the Columbian himself, who turns out to be oddly similar to Dad in both his wide reading and his penchant for crackpot philosophizing. “The fate of mankind ultimately doomed to perish from the cold is of no consequence,” the Columbian says. “Taken to heart it is a tragedy of unendurable proportions.” Dad is wounded, and Donaldson is certain he’s going to die, but even in these fairly standard hikers-in-peril sections, Birdseye raises his plot above the commonplace with detailed and quite touching depictions of Dad’s loss of confidence in his ebullient view of life—and of Donaldson’s loss of confidence in Dad. A moving adventure story about the volatility of the father-son bond.
“Inspirational yet never syrupy, the text could easily be read in one sitting and should prove useful throughout college and beyond.” from do your laundry or you ’ll die alone
Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone
Tip Of The POTUS Spear The Complex
Blades, Becky Startistry Publishing (160 pp.) $13.99 paper | Apr. 1, 2014 978-0-9897583-0-7
Mixed-media artist and debut author Blades combines wit with sincere counsel in an innovative scrapbook format. With a daughter approaching high school graduation, Blades began compiling life lessons she hoped to impart on her daughter. The resulting book of aphorisms could have been schmaltzy but is instead both humorous and visually impressive. Offered as a numbered list in a quirky variety of fonts, her maternal instructions range from two words to paragraphs. The themes may be perennial advice-guide fodder—seizing the day, embracing creativity, being prudent with money and treating others with compassion—but snappy delivery and unsentimental wording help them feel fresh. Thus the doctrine of mindfulness becomes, simply, “WHEREVER YOU ARE, BE ALL THERE.” Where Blades acknowledges clichés, she always adds a clever twist: “IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING NICE, DON’T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. You’re smart enough to think of something nice.” She also debunks a few old chestnuts: Instead of exhorting girls to “dream big,” which she’s nonetheless in favor of, she reassures them that “It’s okay to OUTGROW YOUR DREAMS.” Some standout features include two-page spreads in which each epigram repeats the same first word (“KEEP your knees together when you’re sitting on stage”; “KEEP your head when all about you are losing theirs,” etc.), occasional puns (“HAVE RUBBER GLOVES. On hand”), and echoes of Kipling’s “If—” and Woolf ’s A Room of One’s Own. In one notable, original proverb, Blades balances enthusiasm with discipline: “COMMON SENSE AND SELF-RESTRAINT SHRINK IN THE PRESENCE OF PASSION. Does this mean don’t be passionate? Absolutely not.” Pithy recommendations about forgiveness, charitableness, being a good hostess and accepting change would be valuable in their own rights, but the whimsical artwork renders the book all the more delightful. Cutouts of paper dolls and maps share space with colorful, textured illustrations of houses, trees and clouds. Fashion plates lend a sophisticated, faux Parisian feel, while plentiful tips on Internet and cellphone etiquette help put the book on trend for today’s teenagers. Inspirational yet never syrupy, the text could easily be read in one sitting and should prove useful throughout college and beyond. A perfect graduation gift for young women—but the advice is applicable to all.
Bunting, William CreateSpace (326 pp.) $11.99 paper | $5.49 e-book Jan. 14, 2014 978-1-4937-6325-2
Two Navy SEALs survive a botched mission that may be part of a coverup to blame terrorists for a U.S.-sanctioned attack in Bunting’s (Welkin, 2012) thriller. Following the successful capture of a terrorist, SEAL Erin “Scratch” Ryan is called away before he can enjoy Disney World with his family. His latest assignment, however, fails catastrophically—10 men die, and only Scratch and Kevin “Roach” Bond make it out alive. The two SEALs find evidence that the terrorists knew of the team’s mission and are planning an attack on American soil. Worst of all, the U.S. might be spearheading the strike, and Scratch’s family, on a plane to Orlando, may be in danger. Bunting’s action-crammed novel establishes its villain (or one of them) right away—a Somali pirate, who’s then taken down with ease by the proficient SEALs. A few searing action sequences highlight the SEALs, but it’s really the later scenes (forming the bulk of the story) with Scratch and Roach that stand out and not for the action, but the espionage. The two men are both intelligent and resourceful, tracking down a printing company that generated instructions for installing devices to sabotage 10 commercial jets. The SEAL duo, who, according to the news, were killed in action with the rest of the team, also contact a columnist, Robert Clemens, to ensure their version of events is heard. Tension builds when those hoping to keep the men quiet send helicopters and even other SEALs after Scratch and Roach. On the plus side, this allows Scratch to be reunited with his trained German shepherd, Striker, who becomes a pivotal character. The novel can sometimes be repetitive: Readers hear about the apparent double cross repeatedly as Scratch and Roach tell various people. Despite the “prequel” in the title, this is actually the first in a proposed series. A slick spy novel and stealthy Navy SEAL thriller.
STOLEN
Dollinger, Ed Full Court Press (288 pp.) $18.00 paper | $7.99 e-book Oct. 31, 2013 978-1-938812-21-7 In Dollinger’s debut novel, an ethical lawyer tries to balance career and family while handling a busy caseload. Ian Elkins, an attorney specializing in landlord-tenant disputes, takes on three additional cases outside of his bailiwick. The first case features a brother and sister who clash over the sizable estate of their deceased mother. In the second case, three children contest |
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their mother’s will, possibly signed under duress, which left everything to their abusive, alcoholic father. Finally, the brotherin-law of Ian’s boss is a loan shark caught between the authorities and the mob; Ian sees what he can do to help as a favor to his boss, Mark Rooney. With a huge cast of characters, some perhaps superfluous, it can be difficult keeping them straight. For example, there are two Herbs with similar last names and two Charlies, plus a Cohen and a Cohan (both lawyers). The author centers the action in the Bronx and establishes two narrative devices—Ian’s Friday-night dinners with extended family and his occasional lunch meetings with Mark—that allow for frequent updates on the principal cases, rendering the exposition in more dynamic, interactive passages. Throughout the novel, Dollinger is curiously attentive to descriptions of food and drink. (Don’t read this book on an empty stomach or while craving an adult beverage.) In fact, by doing so, he establishes an amusing contrast between Ian’s salads and Mark’s unhealthy fare. Dollinger also has an eye for office decor (windows and views—if any—plus furniture, artwork and cleanliness) and what these furnishings imply about the people who own them. In a telling passage, he analyzes one attorney’s choice of a windowless office with fluorescent lighting: “Many of the neighborhood lawyers who occupied stores for their offices used the store front for their desks, since it offered both light and visibility for potential clients. Not Mike: Neither criminal, landlord and tenant, nor personal injury practitioner, he was an estates lawyer; the dignity of his calling would not permit him to expose himself in a window, like an Amsterdam prostitute.” Though this book may not offer the thrills, as its subtitle proclaims, it certainly provides an engaging narrative with a healthy dose of legal intrigue and local color. A lot of intrigue and a lot of characters, which could use some sorting out.
THE TREE THAT WALKS Poems of Self Integration
Duncan, Beth CreateSpace (118 pp.) $12.00 paper | Jan. 10, 2014 978-1-4929-2265-0 Duncan’s debut collection of introspective poems plaits together pain, love, truth and self-discovery. The author begins her magnificent collection with the simple premise of knowing oneself. Taken together, the poems chart her journey from suffering heartbreak to embracing life. Shards of a shattering loss shimmer from page to page, and Duncan examines them piece by piece, with her reinvention of herself hiding between the lines. Symbolism lends depth in “Small Waters,” in which the poet describes longing as droplets: “But if / you chance to listen to the sigh / of each tear as it curls around stone, / you may feel a thirst that fills you / and wets your carved cheek.” Her words document both pain and joy, and her 120
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poems document a journey of self-integration and change; even a poem about emerging from pain shouts with triumph. Duncan speaks of love in words reminiscent of the Bible’s Song of Solomon in “Please Hold My Hand”: “Neither your vessel nor mine will last / forever; each with its cracks will finally / break. Soon enough we will fall into / another season of beauty. So for now, / please hold my hand. Let us drink wine / and sing love songs to one another.” After these intimate explorations, the collection ruminates on larger, more ephemeral issues, such as universal oneness and humans’ connection to nature. In these areas, the poet becomes less tangible and more airy, but the rich, vibrant language evokes moonlit incantations and meditations in the open air. In one gorgeous line from “Grace,” for example, Duncan sums up the life of the artist: “I have only words to express my restless heart, / only a few clear notes that ring inside my busy head.” A stunning, fertile selection of poems worthy of the broadest possible audience.
DIAMONDS IN THE SKY Harper, M.A. booksBnimble (259 pp.) $2.99 e-book | Jan. 25, 2014
Three people—a struggling artist, an unsuccessful writer and an elderly farmer—find an unexpected connection in this warmhearted novel. “Am I the only person on the planet who wants some MAGIC in her life?” wonders Caddy Keyhoe, who sells “earnest footwear” in New Orleans while trying to make it as an artist. She creates collages from discarded shiny materials (“broken mirrors and costume jewelry, colored glass, bicycle reflectors”) that she layers and covers with acrylic. “The point is to look down deep into things,” she writes in an artist’s statement. Alec Rix, with one published novel to his credit, runs a failing bookstore in Columbia, S.C., and writes a little-read blog, along with the occasional freelanced article. Both are nearly 40, feeling frustrated in their work and personal lives. That changes when Caddy dreams of a diamond-shaped UFO and then finds a diamond, “glittering at her feet like a fallen star,” as if just for her. Her art freshly inspired, she contacts Alec after reading his article about a possible UFO sighting over the land of 85-year-old retired farmer Hatchell T. Beckham. When Alec meets Caddy and tells her of a surprising connection between her and Hatch, all their lives are transformed. The magic here isn’t really UFOs but rather the kind that allows the right people to find each other. Harper (Ghost in the Bedroom, 2014, etc.) capably creates fully rounded portraits of her believable, scarred, sometimesinsecure, entirely lovable characters. Hatch, thinking of all he has survived, sometimes kneels and prays when no one can see him: “Humble. Not only out of restrained Presbyterianism, but also because no man making his living by planting seeds in the earth can ever be anything but.” Minor characters also come alive; Caddy’s shoe-store boss and his girlfriend “believe
“Characters joining the team on the way fit into standard categories—smarmy guy, tough young woman—but their bright, complicated personalities keep them from being stereotypes.” from time reavers
in taking no more from the Earth than what’s strictly necessary: iPhones, mountain bikes, all-natural raw chicken from Whole Foods for their hypothyroid border collie.” The romantic plot is sweet, hot and well-paced. Deft characterization, wry humor and quiet but momentous scenes of growing affection create a deepdown satisfying novel.
SECRET CHAMBERS A Family Saga: Love & Mystery in Old New York Hayes, Alicia CreateSpace (614 pp.) $15.95 paper | Dec. 27, 2013 978-1-4921-0556-5
A historical mystery novel set in belle epoque New York. Hayes’ richly imagined debut novel begins with a depiction of devotion: Alan Varden, a young boy who lives in terror of his violent, abusive father, takes refuge with his grandmother, who faultlessly loves him and encourages his intellectual bent (“Such a mind! Such a mind!” she repeatedly tells him). She doesn’t fully understand Alan; she fails to fathom, for instance, why he doesn’t venerate the celebrated War of 1812 veteran Robert George Esmond. However, she loves Alan unconditionally and is distraught when he goes off to serve in the medical corps during the Civil War (out of “intellectual curiosity,” he insists, not “simple-minded patriotism”). His experiences in the war further sharpen his prickly misanthropy; behind his back, his military colleagues make fun of “his air of superiority, his frequently stilted manner of speech…the signs of nervousness he showed during shelling.” He has an insatiable scientific curiosity, however, and after the war, he goes to Columbia and becomes a specialist in the fledgling field of neuropathology. He studies the psychology of the hospital’s patients while they’re alive and their physiology after they’re dead, coming to the conclusion that “the vast majority of mental illnesses had no physical explanation.” He also studies the bodies of homicide victims and becomes skilled in determining causes of death; at the same time, he becomes fascinated by Judith Esmond, the revered war hero’s young wife. Alan’s outspoken impatience with the medical establishment throughout gives him a reputation as a troublemaker. Hayes does a wonderful job of crafting this complex character, making him real without making him sympathetic. Her depictions of his expanding role in the murder investigations of the local police are also very well-paced and controlled. This is a lengthy book, but it seldom feels long; Hayes keeps its dramatic tension going by gradually and effectively showing Alan’s emotions maturing behind his vast intellect. A pleasingly confident historical adventure story that engagingly shows one man’s emotional journey.
TIME REAVERS
Holo, Jacob CreateSpace (300 pp.) $9.99 paper | $0.99 e-book | Jan. 3, 2014 978-1-4942-6617-2 After discovering her ability to manipulate time, Nicole must fight otherworldly insects preparing to attack the human world. Holo’s (The Dragons of Jupiter, 2013) novel begins in a hectic rush, as teenage Nicole finds herself seemingly the only moving person in a world suddenly frozen in time. She encounters Daniel, also moving in the freeze, and she’s given a crash course on tau guards—people like Daniel who have special powers when time stops—and reavers, giant metallic bugs that also freeze time and attack the tau guards. In the freeze, Nicole gains telekinetic powers, a rare ability among tau guards, and Daniel is assigned to keep an eye on her until she learns how to defend herself. Daniel has enough time to explain the world through the visual metaphor of a hamburger (an oft-mocked but surprisingly useful comparison) before reavers launch a well-coordinated ambush against the tau guards. After Nicole discovers that her sister, Amy—a goth girl so selfish she requested an adopted sister (Nicole) as a birthday present—is also a tau guard, Daniel and other tau guards take Nicole through a glut of nonstop fights to the secret city Chronopolis. During all this, nightmares haunt Nicole, leading her and her new friends to the true source of the danger. Though Nicole possesses special abilities—including the ability to hear what reavers think—her determination and quick thinking save her skin more than any newfound powers, and in spite of her fear, she remains funny and loyal. Characters joining the team on the way fit into standard categories—smarmy guy, tough young woman—but their bright, complicated personalities keep them from being stereotypes. After the fast opening, chapters rarely pass without a big, life-or-death battle, which leaves the novel in a nearly continuous intense state, which can be a bit overwhelming, though Holo’s clear descriptions prevent any confusion. The fast pace forces the narrative to truncate or skip lengthy explanations; since Nicole so frequently picks up history and fighting techniques as she goes, those lengthy explanations are hardly missed. A thrilling, if overly action-packed, sci-fi adventure.
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THE MAGIC MUSEUM
Isaacson, Rick Lexingford Publishing (34 pp.) $19.95 paper | May 30, 2013 978-0-9844938-4-5 A reluctant schoolboy is sent to study the works of Edgar Degas at the fictional Museum of Fine Art in Isaacson’s debut, which features full-color reproductions. When Jack Hughes, a skateboard enthusiast, arrives at school one morning, his teacher sends him off to the city’s art museum in a bid to get the young boy to improve his essay writing. With its “polished ivory marble floors” and a “humorless, uniformed man” standing around, the museum intimidates the young lad. The 13 Degas paintings—featuring “[s]cenes of girls in frilly ballet tutus,” “a plump lady singing in an outrageous red dress” and “a shopping scene in a lady’s hat shop”—don’t do much to raise his spirits. At first, this may not seem to be the most exciting premise, yet Isaacson’s attempt to make fine art exciting in the form of a story for children is nevertheless a satisfying examination of Edgar Degas’ artwork, as well as a painting by Frederic Remington, which “[m]agnetically” pulls Jack in. (Not that it’s a wholly original idea; readers might be reminded in particular of James Mayhew’s Katie series.) Degas, who had a lifelong love of music and opera, acquired a reputation as a painter of dancers. Together with Jack, readers are able to study the paintings in impressive detail, while the author’s enthusiasm becomes infectious as the book looks deeper into 19th-century rooms and parlors; eventually, the voice of one of the painting’s subjects also discusses the various paintings with Jack. With its fairly wordy text and analyses of art, this book might not sit easily on picture-book shelves, but it will appeal to a relatively older audience looking for a quirky intro to Degas’ place in impressionism. An engaging story for young readers eager to look at the world with an artist’s eye.
This Page Intentionally Left Blank FM 101 Knuckleheads Jones, Raymond L. CreateSpace (148 pp.) $7.00 paper | $5.99 e-book Nov. 12, 2013 978-1-4912-8887-0
Jones’ debut is a lighthearted autobiographical account of his time in the Army and endless dealings with those less bright or couth; as he affectionately dubs them, knuckleheads. In his introduction, Jones acknowledges that his “intent is to entertain.” That’s exactly what he does with his memoir, a collection of often amusing anecdotes. The chronological order—from Jones’ first assignment in Germany in the early 1990s to his deployment in Iraq a decade later, culminating with 122
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his attempt to return to civilian life—gives the work a sense of cohesion. Most of the stories consist of the soldier getting “screwed” by superiors, such as the noncommissioned officer in charge who treats National Guard cadets like slaves with unrelenting chores. Retaliation comes in the form of pranks or a higher-ranked officer interceding on Jones’ behalf. But while tales of dense knuckleheads are funny, and the author admits to similar behavior on his own part—inadvertently using the women’s latrine, for one—the work sometimes leans toward haughtiness. Pride over his stellar score in front of the promotion board is understandable, but the narrator then mocks the only man who has scored higher, belittling his fondness for reading military manuals. Jones largely avoids using names, real or fake, which does make the book a smidgen impersonal, especially the few scenes that take place at home, as even his wife isn’t named. The military story has, as expected, a lot of shorthand and acronyms—anything from ranks to vehicles to weapons—and Jones does an exceptional job of clarifying most of them and ensuring that the reader acclimates to military parlance. Jones’ greatest, most hilarious bits are tucked away inside the longer accounts: His wife helps him peruse Army manuals and is such a quick study, she becomes a reference later for other officers; his hometown is so small, residents marry someone out of town to ensure they aren’t related; and he prefers avoiding snipers and IEDs to driving in Houston traffic. Respectful while maintaining an ebullient, sometimesfacetious tone, even in a war zone.
VODKA SHOT, PICKLE CHASER Kalis, David A. Forward Motion Publishing (256 pp.) $14.00 paper | $3.99 e-book Mar. 15, 2014 978-0-9912302-0-4
An affecting coming-of-age memoir looking at life in the Soviet Union at a time of political and social change by American debut author Kalis. Recent college graduate David found himself at loose ends. He knew he wanted to use his degree in Soviet East European Studies but wasn’t sure how. He embarked on a 30-day trip to the Soviet Union, hoping to improve his language skills, and ended up staying two and a half years, only returning to the United States when he had completed a voyage of self-discovery. On his very first day in Moscow in 1991, he found himself on a Soviet tank photographing a political uprising; two years later, he repeated the experience at a demonstration at the Bely Dom, the Russian White House. However, the second time, after being shot at, he underwent a watershed moment, realizing that it was time to leave the city he had made his home. Although small in stature, Kalis is big in chutzpah: He talked his way into a job, met his hero Gorbachev, and stood up to the Russian Mafia (vodka helped). Kalis’ forthrightness allows readers to see the flaws in his younger self, most of them attributable to the foibles
of youth. However, despite his immaturity, he possesses a moral code, which prevented him from taking advantage of the prevalence of prostitution and pornography, preferring instead to meet partners the old-fashioned way. When Kalis finally visited the village of his grandfather’s birth, in Ukraine, he achieved a deeper understanding of his heritage and the losses his Jewish grandparents experienced during the Holocaust and pogroms. The scenes in Ukraine, in which he feels a deep connection with the people and his own faith, are particularly poignant in the context of recent events in the region. While Kalis doesn’t provide much historical background, his first-person account of life in the Soviet Union at the tail end of the Cold War provides depth that history texts cannot. Well-written and absorbing, his memoir will appeal to general readers as well as those with an interest in Eastern Europe. A personal look at the disintegration of the Soviet Union, experienced through the eyes of an occasionally callow, but always likable, young man.
TAKING JENNY HOME
Kane, Carolyn New Dublin Press (250 pp.) $7.99 paper | $7.99 e-book | Sep. 15, 2010 978-0-615-42302-9 In her first YA fantasy novel, Kane (Creative Writing, 2002, etc.) deftly weaves the absorbing tale of a shape-shifting Irish wizard, a lethal ghost, a cursed island and a modern-day young girl who may be able to put everything right. Kane pulls out all the stops in her lively debut fantasy for teens and older tweens. Twelve-year-old Kaitlin, her little brother, poet father and artist mother have moved to Merlin’s Island off the coast of Maine to run an inn. The venture is failing, though, and the island is reputed to be cursed and haunted by the bloody ghost of a “fire-born changeling.” With the appearance of mysterious stranger Michael McClure, the family’s luck turns around; in no time, the inn is a bustling success. Is it merely a coincidence, or is Michael the mythical Irish sea-wizard Manannan Mac Lir, summoned by Kaitlin’s secret prayer? If so, has he been drawn by the island’s curse as well? Is a little girl’s ghost killing people with a bloody touch? And is Kaitlin actually a “true witch,” with the power to help heal the island and dispel its ghost? In this colorful, well-crafted fantasy, Kane easily keeps all of these plates spinning and more: Why does Kaitlin’s mom paint a disturbing and perhaps prescient piece of art? Is the sudden alliance between town busybody Mrs. Roseberry and antiques dealer Sheridan Lockwood more nefarious than simple rumormongering? The singing voices of both Kaitlin and Mac Lir prove crucial to the plot, as do the ancient Chain of Mongan that Kaitlin wears as Michael’s protective gift and a “witch’s scope” sent to Kaitlin by eccentric Dr. Castlemaine for use only in a dire supernatural emergency. Kane brings the diverse plotlines together in a satisfying, fiery crescendo of magical events that feature the
redemptive act of a golden-eyed stag and a vivid depiction of Kaitlin’s courageous struggle to tap into a mystical song of healing. In a teasing question-mark twist as the novel draws to a close, the islanders try to rationalize the inexplicable: Did any of it really happen? Either way, in Kane’s capable hands, the magic lingers for Kaitlin and for readers. A multilayered blend of suspense, mythology and the supernatural, anchored by a thoughtful, young heroine.
The Conjurer and Other Azorean Tales Kastin, Darrell Tagus (176 pp.) $19.95 paper | $12.99 e-book Dec. 11, 2012 978-1-933227-41-2
Kastin (The Undiscovered Island, 2009) uses the landscape and culture of the Azores, his maternal homeland, to marvelous effect in this spellbinding collection of short stories that tend toward folklore and magical realism. Nine islands off the coast of Portugal are the setting for this debut collection of 18 stories that reach for universality in both meaning and appeal. Each tale chronicles the curious fate of an islander beset by forces of nature, the supernatural, and often family and neighbors. A woman can steal others’ pain; another, after hearing angelic voices in the waves, is swept out to sea only to return alive, though she now grows seasick on solid ground. A dress can win a man’s love. Witch conjurings can carry a fisherman’s boat from its dock to a distant beach, landing him at the feet of his future wife. Even death might not detach men and women from the patterns of life: A skeleton craves and tastes wine, and relationships flourish among the dead. Kastin’s captivating stories are beautifully crafted, transporting readers on these strange journeys. The conflicts and travails have a timeless air; only a few are unambiguously set in modern times, and most could take place at any point in the last few centuries. Each story stands and succeeds alone, yet as a whole, the collection offers a convincing view of life as a fierce adventure, often uncontrollable and always awe-inspiring. In this stellar show of magical realism, the supernatural is accepted as fact by characters who observe or encounter it. For better or worse, it informs and transforms their lives. Readers, too, will be enchanted by its power. An extremely impressive blend of escapism and portraiture of the human condition, following in the footsteps of Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez.
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A Guide to Indie Publishing By Sarah Rettger From thousand-dollar marketing solutions to blogs that reach only a handful of readers, there is no shortage of venues offering advice to authors considering indie publishing. As an indie author, you control every step of the publishing process, which can be intimidating and empowering—often at the same time. Kirkus Reviews has talked to many successful indie authors; here are their (and our) tips for thriving in the world of self-publishing.
Preparing to Publish One thing indie authors can agree on is that self-publishing is never a one-person venture. Authors who rely on a team of allies, whether formal or informal, are in a better position to launch a book that will find its home in the literary world. “One of the changes that I’ve seen is a move toward ‘indiepublishing’ rather than ‘self-publishing,’ ” Paul Hanson, the general manager of Village Books in Bellingham, Wash., said. “The distinction is that in self-publishing, authors try to do much of the work Catherine Ryan Hyde themselves. Indie publishers know when to hire professionals to help them do the work that the authors can’t (or shouldn’t) do themselves.” An energetic and enthusiastic supporter, especially one who is willing to provide editorial feedback, design a cover or promote the book, can be crucial. Sergio de la Pava gives his wife, Susanna, credit for the success of his debut novel, A Naked Singularity, which got attention from mainstream media and respected online literary journals. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that without her the book basically doesn’t exist,” he told me last year. “She’s a really bright person who essentially made this entire thing possible.” And anyone who has missed a typo in a manuscript he or she has proofread a dozen times can attest to the value of bringing a fresh pair of eyes to a work. But at the same 124
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time, many indie authors have learned to be judicious in deciding how to respond to feedback. After her major success with Pay It Forward, novelist Catherine Ryan Hyde heard the same message for years as she tried to find an American publisher for books that had been published in the United Kingdom. “When a couple of editors said this was a little slow, a little subtle, a little deliberate for U.S. readers, I believed them,” she said. But when she eventually decided to self-publish her books in the U.S., she found a substantial audience.
Production and Distribution When you’ve decided your work is ready to be published, the next question to consider is how. The market for indie publishing services is constantly changing, with new providers like Kobo presenting alternatives to established distributors such as Amazon, Baker & Taylor, and Ingram. Indie publishers must decide whether to sell their books in digital format only or to produce a print book as well—and if the book is in print, is it worth it to produce a hardcover version? While some indie authors have taken on the entire publishing and distribution process themselves, others have found that members of the traditional publishing industry are eager to work with them. Nick Katsoris, for instance, partnered with a sales agent to place his Loukoumi series of children’s books in national brick-andmortar bookstore chains, including Follett and Barnes & Noble. Authors who are focused on local audiences have found that many independent bookstores have begun to offer indie publishing services; stores ranging from Third Place Books in the Seattle area to RiverRun Bookstore in New Hampshire are finding success in supporting selfpublished books and authors.
Marketing Your Book Indie authors agree: Bearing the responsibility for marketing your own books can be intimidating, but the potential for success is almost unlimited.
will see different results and should always research current procedures and limitations before beginning any marketing campaigns.
Building a Career As many in the industry have reiterated, the best plan is to start with the best book you can possibly write. And by the time your first book makes its appearance on shelves, you should be planning the books that will follow it. Some work to turn self-publishing into a reliable stream of income, while others see writing as a secondary career, but it’s one they approach with a professional attitude. Indie authors looking to maximize their earnings need to pay attention not only to sales, but to the opportunities in selling subsidiary rights as well. Translations, audiobooks, reprints and, of course, film options can all add to the returns on a work, but authors who are not familiar with contract law may find it helpful to work with an agent or a lawyer who understands the details of subsidiary rights sales. As the self-publishing field matures, many authors are incorporating it as one component of a well-rounded writing career. This includes authors who have signed with traditional publishers to produce new editions of their self-published works— high-profile names like Hugh Howey and Amanda Hocking but also Andy Weir (The Martian) and Sergio de la Pava (A Naked Singularity)—not to mention writers who are finding new audiences for old works Andy Weir as they regain the rights to their out-of-print books. As Catherine Ryan Hyde, who is reintroducing her backlist by self-publishing in digital format, says, the very idea of “out of print” is now obsolete, and the new world of indie publishing allows authors to control the future of their own careers. Photo courtesy Andy Weir
“Word of mouth is the most important thing,” said David Vinjamuri, author of Operator. “Make it easy for people to tell your story.” Authors who can establish direct connections with their readers will find it easiest to encourage their fans and supporters to share in the enthusiasm and promote their work. While social media platforms get plenty of attention as an effective way to build relationships with readers, indie authors are also finding success through more established ways of reaching out. When Susan Wittig Albert decided to selfpublish A Wilder Rose in 2013, one of her strongest marketing tools was her mailing list, which she built up over the length of her career, going back to the days when she sent physical newsletters through the post office. Authors who are just beginning to publish their work will, of course, be working from a much shorter history with their readers, but developing ongoing communications and building a relationship in which readers are not only willing, but eager to hear the latest news is essential for new authors as well. Some authors have found that the indie publishing environment accommodates a two-way conversation between the author and the reader. Elle Lothlorien, author of Sleeping Beauty, writes at Digital Book World that she tries to start a conversation with everyone who leaves a negative review of her book online. “Never has my attempt to reach out to a reader resulted in a negative outcome,” she says, and she often finds that a skeptic can be converted into a supporter. At the same time, Lothlorien carefully considers her critical reviews and has shaped her work in response, publishing an alternative ending to Sleeping Beauty after realizing how many readers wanted the heroine’s story to conclude differently. “Indie publishing has fundamentally (and perhaps permanently) changed the dynamic between authors and readers,” she told USA Today. As they incorporate that new dynamic into their marketing plans, indie authors need to be aware of changes, especially in the online marketing world, that can affect their ability to reach readers. Authors who use Facebook have seen the site’s recent alterations to the News Feed display reducing the reach of some of their posts, and Facebook advertising continues to evolve as well. Other popular techniques for promoting self-published books are also in flux. For instance, Catherine Ryan Hyde saw her book When I Found You reach the top of Amazon’s popularity rankings when she briefly offered it for free in early 2012, but in 2014, Amazon’s ranking algorithm would treat those 81,000 downloads of the free book differently. Authors who make their book available for free today
Sarah Rettger is a writer and bookseller in Massachusetts.
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“The knockout ending makes reading the next book almost a necessity.” from the new king
Looking Down On Leaders A Bird’s Eye View of Business and Bosses Martin, Iain J. CreateSpace (268 pp.) $27.95 paper | Feb. 18, 2014 978-1-4905-4405-2
An executive coach by trade, Martin, in his debut, takes a look at the lighter side of leadership. As Martin explains in the first chapter, busy executives and business leaders don’t have time to plow through yet another dense academic tome about how to succeed as a coach or leader. Instead, Martin chooses to teach by storytelling. The book is a collection of strange-but-true tales collected during his years as an accountant, a manager and finally as an executive coach. While the names may have been changed to protect the guilty, the stories are, for the most part, too bizarre to be fictional. There’s Alfred Wang, the CFO who called to cancel a meeting because he’d just remembered he was getting married that day; Stefan the Spreadsheet King, who was bogging down a crucial labor negotiation, until the police arrived to arrest him for failing to pay alimony, car insurance and speeding fines; and Charlotte, whose passionate affair with a co-worker tanked her career when she emailed him a love letter and accidentally sent it to the entire company. Not meant merely as entertainment, the stories come packaged with a few words of wisdom for any executive. For example, Charlotte’s story emphasizes the importance of double checking every business email before hitting send. In Alfred’s case, he was a resident of Hong Kong, where marriage tends to include so many wedding ceremonies that forgetting one is a distinct possibility. Martin uses this anecdote as an example of what can happen when different cultures clash and there’s a lack of understanding on one or both sides. In each chapter, the parables provide a clear, and usually amusing, example of the business realities Martin is trying to impart. His nonlinear approach results in a book that can be picked up and put down and read in bits and pieces without losing any of the material’s benefits. As Martin puts it, “[R]eal leadership is much more of an art than a science....This book is just a gentle ramble through the buzzing, steamy global business jungle.” An entertaining romp through corporate life that covers pithy truths in a sugar coating of funny, memorable anecdotes.
THE NEW KING
McAlear, Martin; Sinko, Lyndsay CreateSpace (254 pp.) $17.99 paper | Dec. 10, 2013 978-1-4840-9970-4 In the authors’ debut medieval fantasy, a newly established kingdom finds that it isn’t immune to the machinations of rival leaders. After Prince Martin and his men help the kingdom of Knottwood defend itself from the Black Army, Knottwood’s King Richard agrees to give them land to build their own castle. Martin tries to peaceably inaugurate his new kingdom by trading with other peoples, including the nearby Vikings. But it isn’t long before King Richard learns that Martin lied to him about his royal lineage. Richard fuels his rage into war, and Martin gathers all the allies he can to combat his advancing army. McAlear and Sinko’s novel seems to be aimed at young-adult readers, with simple prose that concentrates less on description and more on an ever progressing plot; the Knottwood knights, for example, are engaged in conflict before Page 10. The story’s swift pace suits the character of Martin, who makes quick decisions even when not in battle; for example, when the Vikings demand gold in exchange for land, Martin quickly offers olive oil, which he shrewdly calls “magic oil.” Some characters are more one-dimensional, such as King Richard, whose physical description alone—unkempt hair, a shirt soiled from his last meal—marks him as a vile man. Numerous other characters, however, are well-rounded. Martin’s discussions with his friend Henry, the captain of his men, are often lighthearted and offer a nice contrast to the perpetual threat of aggression from all sides. Martin’s burgeoning relationship with a young girl named Elizabeth helps him learn patience and compassion, and her persistent barrage of questions is both exasperating and endearing. The story also clearly explains the mysterious Black Army; the evident animosity between Richard and his neighbor King Saxton; and the specific reasons that Martin and his followers abandoned their former kingdom. The knockout ending makes reading the next book almost a necessity. A quick but endlessly diverting fantasy story.
The Winship Family Book Two: The Children McCarthy, Michael J. CreateSpace (420 pp.) $15.99 paper | Feb. 22, 2014 978-1-4903-2915-4
The second installment of the Winship trilogy continues the story of turnof-the-century Irish politician James Winship and also focuses on his children, William and Cornelia. 126
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The book opens in 1898 with radical Fenian gunmen entering James’ house while he and his wife, Jane, sleep. James shoots one, but a second wounds him and kills Jane. Eventually, James recovers and resumes his political career. His son William follows in his footsteps, joining the Ulster regiment of the British Army in India. William has a different temperament than his father’s; he learns best by rote and finds success from the start by avoiding the drinking and gambling that once bedeviled his father. The best example of his disposition comes during one of author McCarthy’s exciting battle scenes, as even at war William falls back on schooling: “But before he ended his war cry, William plunged his sword in the tribesman’s side, jerking it up and under the rib cage, as he was taught to do at Sandhurst.” In spite of William’s courage, he’s court martialed due to an accusation of cowardice by Ivor Sudbury, the youngest of a clan that’s been at odds with the Winships for generations. Again, in this sequel, McCarthy combines fictional and historical characters to great effect, as when a young Winston Churchill serves as William’s lawyer. Troubles with the Sudburys continue to fester when James beats Ivor’s father, Wilton, in a parliamentary election. Meanwhile, in America, Cornelia grows into a fine, independent woman under her great-aunt Liza’s tutelage, and she takes a liking to Brendan, the son of Liza’s Irish maid. Complicating matters, Brendan, who works for Tammany Hall, has a brother with Fenian ties and terrifying future plans. A tale of naïveté and deceit follows, culminating in an exciting conclusion that sets up a third book in the series. Mandatory for readers of the first Winship book, but this engaging blend of action, intrigue and history can stand alone.
SKEETER’S DREAMS Metzler, Heidrun Dog Ear $9.82 paper 978-1-4575-2522-3
A lighthearted, illustrated can-do story about a four-legged performer extraordinaire. In this debut children’s book, Skeeter, an Arabian trick horse, gallops toward dreams and adventures. She envisions success in more exciting and certainly less-traditional careers than her current one. “I am a trick horse and could do so much more,” Skeeter laments. “As long as I have dreams, who knows how high I can soar?” And soar she does. Readers travel with the stunning white horse as she transforms into a theatrical actress with a bouquet of roses between her teeth, a painter who stands beside a canvas showcasing the beautiful vista that surrounds her, a funky-hat-wearing musician bedecked with a guitar around her neck, and more. The fantasies become more and more far-fetched: She surfs a blue Hawaiian wave and masquerades as one of Santa’s helpers on a snow-covered field in front of a white-capped mountain. Amid the beautiful scenic backdrops, the singsong rhyming verse moves the story forward through the Arabian’s different personas. Metzler charmingly portrays
Skeeter’s antics as the costumed horse prances through scenes in which she declares her hopes and fantasies, illustrated by a series of vivid, full-color (often amusingly if not flawlessly Photoshopped) photos of Skeeter’s imaginings. The dream concept could be turned into a lesson, either formal or not, although Metzler doesn’t make the point in an overly explicit manner. Instead, the author aims to lead the way toward a connection, but the message is subtle and the story remains Skeeter’s to tell. Either way, young readers will smile as they explore her antics. If a horse can be a mountain guide who spots and belays rock climbers, why can’t they? An enjoyable romp for kids willing to play along.
A Century on New Brunswick’s N.W. Miramichi
Mumford, George S. Xlibris (158 pp.) $29.99 | $19.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Nov. 27, 2013 978-1-4931-2021-5 A chronicle of the fishing exploits of five generations of the Mumford family, who for the past 100 years have been enjoying regular trips to the fishing camps along Canada’s Miramichi River. At the beginning of the 20th century, some well-heeled New Englanders began heading up to New Brunswick, Canada, to take part in the excellent salmon fishing along the Miramichi River. These “sports,” as the tourists were called by locals, hired their own guides, cooks and packhorses as they set out on their oneor two-week adventures into the wilderness. The journals and log entries from these expeditions inspired Mumford (Cloudy Night Books, 1979) to assemble the collection into a memoir. In 1916, the author’s father accompanied his own father to the Miramichi for the first time, and he began writing the journal entries that make up the first, most interesting, part of this book. These were the early, rustic years, during which guides could raise a makeshift shelter out of birch bark in time to protect their charges from an oncoming storm. Lunches were served by campfire along the shore, and the guides happily shared their life-in-the-wilderness techniques and local humor with the citified members of the Miramichi Fish and Game Club. (It doesn’t seem that the “sports” actually practiced any of these survival skills themselves.) Time marched on, and automobiles began to replace the trekking by foot, horseback and wagon. Lunches were served at the lodge in between morning and afternoon fishing forays, and the frequent comments in the club log, which make up the bulk of the latter portion of this book, focus on the number of salmon caught, the number of grilse (salmon that have returned to spawn after their first trip into the Atlantic) caught, the number of each that avoided the hook and a seemingly endless list of lures used. Information like this might only be relevant to fellow anglers already familiar with the terminology—e.g., a fishing experiment includes “a brown dry fly known as a Macintosh or Squirrel Tail.” |
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“[The] tone can be brutal, and the comedy is often sharp and dark, reminiscent of John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces.” from american loony
Likewise, the extensive citing of names of fellow participants might only concern the men and women of the Miramichi Fish and Game Club. An enjoyable look at how outdoorsy vacations have changed, though the appeal isn’t too broad.
AMERICAN LOONY
Murphy, Jack Outskirts Press Inc. (278 pp.) $11.95 paper | $0.99 e-book Nov. 11, 2013 978-1-4327-9931-1 The picaresque adventures of a young man oddly blessed by nature. Murphy’s uproarious fiction debut centers on the improbable character of Manas, whom readers meet on the occasion of his birth, being very comfortable in his mother Shadow’s womb and perhaps hesitating since he senses that his father, Walter, is a thuggish, violent brute whose acquaintance he’d rather not make. Manas is Shadow’s first child since her stay in a mental hospital, and even while he’s still a baby, it becomes obvious that he has a rather distinctive physical attribute: a freakishly large male member. “[T]he nurses at the pediatrician’s offices were always present, watching in silence, each time he was brought in for a check-up.” And it’s getting bigger with every passing year. The boy’s father wastes no time in trying to profit from this bounty, but once Manas graduates high school, he runs away to join the circus, where he’s befriended by fellow freaks, including a dwarf named Baby Deadly who tries to dissuade Manas from seeing his enormous member as a curse. “I see it as an astounding gift,” she tells him, “a blessing of Nature bestowed upon you and you alone. We must segue you from a negative paradigm to a more positive one.” Manas and his coterie eventually encounter a wildly inventive cast of eccentric characters, including the ancient Nathaniel Totem Vary—whose Out-of-Context Word-of-God Bible strings together all the portions of the Bible dealing with sex, beatings and murder—and Leander Basalt, the phlegmatic traveling salesman who sells Vary’s book. The novel’s exuberant dialogue and quick pacing perfectly match the sardonic tone Murphy adopts throughout. That tone can be brutal, and the comedy is often sharp and dark, reminiscent of John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces (1980). Yet the nihilism is much closer to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997), clearly the novel’s progenitor when it comes to Manas and his miraculous endowment. Murphy brings the whole thing to a frenzied, bitterly funny climax in which, among other things, some poetic justice is meted out to loutish Walter. A raucous comedy about a hapless, well-endowed innocent.
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The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson Peacock, Nancy Self (342 pp.) $16.00 paper | $9.99 e-book Jun. 1, 2013 978-0-9884164-3-7
Peacock (A Broom of One’s Own, 2008) offers a tragic love story set in 19th-century America. Imprisoned and condemned former slave Persimmon “Persy” Wilson tells his story in his own words in this historical novel. It begins in 1875 long after Persy has been separated from his family and purchased by landowner Joseph Wilson to work on a Louisiana sugar cane plantation. On the journey there, Persy meets the love of his life: the fairskinned Chloe. She’s destined for work as a house slave and to care for Wilson’s sickly wife. Before long, Master Wilson repeatedly rapes her. Persy and Chloe meet in secret, dreaming of the day they’ll be able to escape the plantation. The Civil War and the approach of Union troops leads Master Wilson to move his household across the river and into Texas. Wilson shoots Persy and leaves him for dead, but Persy manages to survive. Persy quickly glosses over his time in the Union Army and picks up his narrative as he ventures into Texas on a desperate search for Chloe. He’s captured by a tribe of Comanche Indians, whom he eventually joins. Persy’s story is moving and eloquent, and he tells it in a simple but literary style. His life is filled with strife, and although readers know from the very first sentence what this man’s fate will be (“I have been to hangings before, but never my own”), they’ll still root for him and the woman he loves. The author’s descriptions of day-to-day life in the different places Persy resides are full of rich, well-researched details (“Salt licks and bee caves….Canyons and cap rock and limestone ridges”) that bring the story to life. The novel covers a span of several years; some of them take up 50 or more pages, and others merit no more than a few. However, this device allows the story to move quickly along, and it makes sense that Persy, writing the story from his prison cell as he awaits execution, might skip over some less-important parts. A beautiful, heartbreaking tale of slavery that features a relatable cast of characters.
Trinitarian Wisdom The Art of Life
MOLLY’S CAT
Rogers, Tony Illus. by Rees-Jones, Claire BalboaPress (24 pp.) $12.99 paper | $3.99 e-book Aug. 15, 2013 978-1-4525-7595-7
Pi, Paul CreateSpace (340 pp.) $19.55 paper | $9.99 e-book Jan. 18, 2014 978-1-4922-0075-8
A spiritual guidebook based on the principles of the mystic trinity. In his inspirational debut work, Pi reminds his readers at the outset that mankind has been inventing ideologies of the trinity for thousands of years. “It is called Middle Path in Confucian culture, the Kybalion in ancient Egyptian myth, and the Middle View in traditional Buddhism,” he writes. “In Tibetan Buddhism, it is called the Great Zeal as well as the Great Enlightenment under different traditional lineages.” Of course, in addition to these, there is the Trinity with which most of Pi’s readers will be familiar: the Christian concept of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Pi maintains that “[t]o know God is to know life,” and he explores in his book’s opening sections the ways in which a tripartite philosophical outlook facilitates what he views as the ultimate goal of any spiritual system: the closer interrelation of “the absolute and the relative.” In prose that manages to explain a great many complex philosophical concepts without oversimplifying, Pi pieces together a fusion of Eastern and Western religious traditions in an extremely well-designed argument. Concepts of karma and meditation appear side by side with frequent, apposite quotations from the Old Testament and New Testament, all of it designed to convey a unified framework that answers what Pi considers to be the basic question of human life: “[I]s there really any purpose behind all forms of manifestation and existence?” In Pi’s view, the closer humans can come to achieving “absolute perspective,” the closer they come to glimpsing “ultimate truth”—though the tripartite view of existence is the only way to that perspective, “the only means to unfold the overall and ultimate reality of God.” The book’s assured, readable combination of Zen mysticism, ancient Chinese philosophy, traditional Christian teachings and the author’s own observations on the nature of life make the book pleasingly unpredictable and ultimately quite thought-provoking. The end goals of all this theorizing are refreshingly practical: Pi is offering a kind of blueprint for re-engineering an individual’s life. “We transform all negative conscious energies into positive and productive ones,” he insists. An elaborate spiritual handbook that intriguingly builds upon multiple traditions.
A beloved pet’s death helps a girl understand the connection between all things in this science-oriented chapter book by debut author and physicist Rogers, featuring gorgeous illustrations by Rees-Jones. Molly is sad that her beloved cat, Pickles, has died. She isn’t sure that she wants to bury him until her mother convinces her that Pickles will help flowers grow. Her mother explains how everything is made up of atoms and how some of Pickles’ atoms will be used by grass or leaves, which may then be eaten by a bug, which may in turn be eaten by a bird. Molly realizes that if she grows vegetables over where she buries her cat, then part of Pickles can go into her as well. Months later, Molly observes the flowers and eats her homegrown vegetables, which helps her deal with her grief. It also provides her parents with a starting point to continue their explanation of atoms. Her father tells her that the dinosaurs left atoms behind when they died, that people similarly leave behind their atoms and that all these atoms get reused. Rees-Jones’ fantastic illustrations capture the whimsy of Molly’s point of view and the way she envisions the planet reusing atoms from all types of plants and creatures. When Molly’s classmates later question her logic, her parents explain that Earth’s atoms originally came from stardust, translating the Big Bang theory into terms that young children can understand. Molly’s eventual conclusion—that the world is like a set of Lego bricks that gets used over and over again—is a great way to introduce this concept to young readers. The story’s main strengths are its kids’-eye view of a challenging concept and its fantastical artwork that captures the imagination and helps explore complex scientific ideas. An excellent selection to engage young children’s imaginations with scientific topics.
SILENT TREES A Novel of Afghanistan
Shansab, Nasir Bartleby Press (313 pp.) $27.50 | $8.99 e-book | Jun. 15, 2012 978-0-910155-93-9 Afghanistan teeters on the brink of the abyss in this searing historical novel. Shansab’s tale is set in 1978, shortly before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that began decades of war. It follows a cast of characters attuned to the country’s brewing cataclysm— some dreading it and others jockeying to take advantage of it. At one pole is Habib Dhil, a wealthy cloth manufacturer who wants to stay out of the snake pit of Afghan politics; however, |
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this is made difficult by his affair with the prime minister’s daughter (who’s betrothed to the king’s son) and by mounting factional turmoil that causes his employee to be charged with sedition. At the other pole is Habib’s boyhood friend Alam Gol, an army officer who’s eager for advancement and ready to take on the dirtiest assignments to get it—even assassinating a government leader. As Habib’s and Alam’s seemingly divergent paths begin to cross, Habib’s unwillingness to get his hands dirty backfires disastrously, and Alam’s determination to play the game requires acts he can’t stomach. All the people and events here are fictional—even the king—but Shansab does convincingly convey a sense of the poisonous social climate under Afghanistan’s corrupt 1970s governments. For Afghanis with resources, life was an endless chess game of bribery and influence-seeking; for those without, life meant subjection to brutal, capricious officials, which bred seething resentment, especially among peasants who later became mujahedeen and militia gunmen. The author’s prose is vigorous yet atmospheric, ruminative and sometimes-poetic (“Shrouded in darkness, the snow-clogged passes, the narrow gorges, and the endless succession of jagged peaks remained invisible”). He shows readers the ragged poverty and paranoia of Kabul and mountain villages; the interplay of power and deference between the mighty and the humble; and the tense psychology of people enmeshed in Kafkaesque confrontations that pivot from civility to violence in a heartbeat. The result is a subtle, gripping novel about the roots of Afghanistan’s tragedy. A fine evocation of a crucial era in Afghanistan, suffused with pent-up violence.
The Danger is Seduction People, Places, Possibilities Sharpe, Patricia Lee CreateSpace (122 pp.) $11.95 paper | $2.99 e-book Dec. 30, 2013 978-1-4810-5890-2
A deeply felt, intelligently observed collection of poetry. In her latest book of poems, Sharpe (A Partial Rainbow Makes No Sense, 2012) invites readers to look at things from a different angle, whether she’s describing “Vegas from the Air” as a “luminous web” in her opening poem or pointing out that “Fish with hooks / caught in their jaws, / have their own fish stories” in “Hooks.” In plainspoken, accessible language, these free-verse poems explore the mysteries of the human condition—what torments and obsesses us—from the mundane demands of work to spiritual inquiry into the sublime. Whatever her subject, Sharpe’s gifts of description and sly humor provide welcome insights: “Dumb / is smart / for oracles. / They sit. / They smile. / They dissemble. / No one / leaves / dissatisfied.” Like poet Eliza Griswold, Sharpe’s travels around the world as a journalist inform many of her pieces; she looks to Egypt, Java, Russia, India and other locales for inspiration. Her poems suggest not only the excitement of a globe-trotting 130
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life, however, but also its consequences: In “After Visitation in Jakarta,” for example, she struggles to say goodbye to a child who hates “flying so far, / alone,” and for whom “home’s / with him, your Dad.” The moving “Accident” revisits the death of a “silly little sister” in a car wreck, wishing that “we could open a skull / like a black box after a plane’s / gone down.” In the concluding lines of the collection’s final poem, when Sharpe writes, “oh when can I put down roots / I want to go down deep / before I die,” it seems she’s already found the home she so longs for—in her poems, where she indeed digs deep. This collection’s glimpses into her inner life make for an unsettlingly relatable and moving read. A pitch-perfect book of reflections and hard-won wisdom that proves Sharpe’s merits as a poet.
HEROD FROM HELL Confessions and Reminiscences
Smith, Craig R. AuthorHouse (448 pp.) $31.99 | $23.95 paper | $9.99 e-book Dec. 4, 2013 978-1-4918-2949-3 Herod the Great, serving time in Hell, tells the story of his life in the latest novel from Smith (Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter, 2014, etc.). One of the worst villains of the New Testament, King Herod, tries to do penance in one of the lower reaches of Hell by telling the story of the “soap opera” of his own life—including stories of his elaborately crazy family members and of famous Romans and Judeans (including a certain Yeshua, son of Joseph and Mary). In his infernal afterlife, Herod has infinite time to think about his legacy. He reflects on the fact that the Gospels will forever link him to the “slaughter of the innocents,” in which he ordered the death of every male child up to 2 years old. Herod fiercely contests these written records, however, including those originating long after his death; he’s well-aware of how Hollywood has portrayed him as well. From his perspective, he gave his people a golden age: “I aggregated the largest kingdom the Jews would ever occupy,” he tells readers. “I negotiated my way through the Roman civil wars and provided the Jews with more freedom throughout the Roman Empire than they had at any other time.” In 21 chapters packed with well-researched details, Smith crafts a work of wry, postmodern historical fiction that grows stronger as it develops, taking in not only Herod’s descendants and heirs, but also the entire history of Christianity. (Highlights include some spirited contributions by the spirit of Henry VIII, who’s also serving time in Hell.) The plot structure allows Smith to use a full range of time periods and colorful characters; his portrayal of the dynamic between Antony and Cleopatra is especially well-done. However, to his credit, he makes sure that his loud, imperious Herod is always firmly at center stage. A vivid, provocative and memorably unconventional portrait of one of Christianity’s bogeymen and an invigorating look at the history of Christianity itself.
“Most readers will identify with the earnest Vik, who’s eager to prove himself and make his way in a cruel world.” from elephant hunt massacre
ELEPHANT HUNT MASSACRE
Into the Hive of Saarlathesh
Steinman, Jon Amazon Digital Services (438 pp.) $4.95 e-book | Jan. 2, 2014
Former political reporter Steinman offers a witty debut political thriller heavily laced with satire. Floridian Vik Patel is excited to leave his job as a junior press aide in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to become the press secretary for the charismatic congressman Johnson Jack Jr. He’s not even bothered very much by the fact that his predecessor was the first victim of a serial killer targeting young Republican politicos in what’s being called the Elephant Hunt Massacre. As Vik gingerly pursues a long-distance relationship with an insecure woman named Angelina, he navigates the treacherous Washington, D.C., social scene with his suave friend Max Murch. Meanwhile, as the number of murder victims grows, so does the media attention surrounding them. Vik scores a major victory for his boss, who’s currently vying for a Senate seat, by drafting the Washington Heroes Act for Arlington—a law that would temporarily waive the requirements for burial in Arlington National Cemetery and permit the serial killer’s victims to be given heroes’ burials. However, the killer seems to be closing in on Vik, even as two detectives, Deb Twentymon and Maurice “Momo” Morris, try to solve the case. The novel includes a full cast of memorable secondary characters, including U.S. Sen. Burland Gorge from Georgia and his perpetually inebriated, inappropriate wife, Bettye; the hairy Democratic Rep. Tony Varga Teatro from New Jersey; the comely conservative congressional staffer Isabelle White; gun-toting legislator Susan California; and a seemingly inept investigative reporter, Russ Gollub, who stumbles onto the story of a lifetime. Readers may almost need a score card to help keep the various personalities and their political affiliations straight. With such a large number of characters, some are inevitably one-dimensional caricatures, but in this satire, it often works well. Most readers will identify with the earnest Vik, who’s eager to prove himself and make his way in a cruel world. Mystery lovers, meanwhile, will be kept guessing in this unpredictable whodunit. A fun, satirical mystery that proves just how ridiculous partisan politics can be.
Toxin, Johnny CreateSpace (284 pp.) $11.99 paper | $6.99 e-book Jan. 17, 2014 978-1-4929-6300-4 In Toxin’s debut supernatural thriller, a comic-book store owner’s simple smalltown life is turned on its head when he enters a parallel universe. Luke Thornton spends most days in his shop, insulting his customers and not caring if they ever return. But when he faces strange occurrences at his home, including the sudden appearance of a ghost, he jumps into his car and speeds away. He gets into a wreck, only to awaken near a passage to another dimension. A stranger in a tuxedo gives him a book and tells him to find two similar volumes in order to unlock secrets of the multiverse. But something sinister seems to be at play, as Luke soon has dreams and visions of Saarlathesh, the Insect King. Toxin’s novel is brimming with preternatural beings, including many that are essentially giant bugs (one specifically resembles a praying mantis). It also offers a great deal of humor, although its protagonist’s unremitting sarcastic remarks lead a couple of characters to say, “That’s not funny.” Luke is a funny, if not very sympathetic, character who mocks everything from his town’s failed businesses to comic-book collectors. (In one uproarious scene, he chooses a lesser comic book to use as a makeshift weapon instead of a prized graphic novel.) Readers will warm to him as he teams up with the other “book keeper[s],” including the stuffy, English professor Southway and Harry Breck, who lives in a literal dump. The three men venture together into an abandoned asylum laden with insects of varying sizes and a dark, creepy cellar. The third act takes a strange but wonderful turn that amps up the action, and readers will quickly realize that Saarlathesh may not be the worst thing the characters could face. The open ending leaves room for a sequel, and the possibilities will set readers’ imaginations spinning. A deliriously Lovecraft-ian adventure with a wicked sense of humor.
THE YEARS OF ZERO Coming of Age Under the Khmer Rouge Ty, Seng CreateSpace (240 pp.) $17.00 paper | $7.99 e-book Feb. 14, 2014 978-1-4922-8673-8
A survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime tells his story. In his debut memoir, Ty recounts his childhood in Cambodia. The youngest child in a middleclass doctor’s family, Ty was 7 when the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975. His family was among the thousands relocated to |
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“[E]ach chapter is like a single bite of a warm, jam-filled cookie.” from girl under construction
rural villages, where they were forced to renounce their Westernized habits and remake themselves as agricultural laborers, always under the threat of reprisals from their guards. Ty vividly describes the horrors of the Khmer Rouge violence, but his tone is almost matter-of-fact, swaying the reader through brutal facts more than wrenching emotions: “The Khmer Rouge would have been treated as backward peasants, as children from the jungle who had never known city life, except for one thing; they had guns.” Although the family fought to survive—taking risks to steal extra food, avoiding the guards’ notice—Ty ended up an orphan. His father was murdered, and his mother died of malnutrition. He was separated from his older siblings—he later learned that several of them were also killed—and survived by himself, relying on intelligence, determination and a belief that his mother’s spirit was protecting him. Ty eventually made his way to the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp in Thailand, where American journalist Roger Rosenblatt featured him in an article in Time magazine. (Rosenblatt, who has remained in contact with Ty, writes the book’s introduction.) Ty’s eloquent description of his experience drew attention when the article was published in the United States. It inspired a woman named Marlena Brown to help settle Cambodian orphans in the United States. The Brown family adopted Ty, who writes compellingly of the cultural confusion and periods of adjustment that shaped his new life. His discomfort with indoor plumbing may bring a smile to the reader’s face, but when a camping vacation reminds him of his family’s jungle ordeal, the reader remembers how much he has endured. An engaging, open memoir of one child’s wartime experiences.
ADDICTS & BASEMENTS
Vaughan, Robert Civil Coping Mechanisms (142 pp.) $13.95 paper | Feb. 1, 2014 978-1-937865-23-8 A fast-moving fusion of microfiction and free verse that peers into the places where people keep things most deeply hidden. Vaughan (Diptychs + Triptychs + Lipsticks + Dipshits, 2013, etc.) is quick to identify his own motivations for this project. In “Fallout,” one of the shorter flash-fiction vignettes included in this collection, he writes: “He wants to photograph the seed pods, transfixed by the way they morph while they float….He hopes to capture their essence, as if by shooting them, freezing them frame by frame, he might see his own life oozing before him, undulating like festering wounds.” Whether photographers, tourists or children, Vaughan’s narrators approach their own circumstances and feelings with a scientific attention to detail, slicing each specimen down to the thinnest membrane before studying it with a thorough, distanced objectivity, always seeking some answer and often finding something festering. What they discover is that the most powerful addictions have little to do with substances and everything to do with patterns of behavior and 132
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belief. “Basements are unsafe” since they’re where loss occurs and, worse, where truth might be found. When his wife calls him pathetic, a stumbling drunk has to admit, “The truth is we’ve been this way for so long, I think I believe her.” Another husband accuses his wife of paranoia for worrying about his revealing their camping spot to a stranger, but inwardly, he thinks, “I wasn’t willing to admit it: he creeped me out, too… .I chuckled but knew she was right.” For all their seeking, the truths they find invariably turn out to be their own inadequacies: “I said: // ‘Tell me the truth.’ / And he said, ‘I don’t believe you— // to tell the truth.’ ” Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the collection is its emotional evenness. The scientific examining persists; there is little judgment, little compassion, only observation. The young woman who loses her friend on a trip and the possibly sociopathic teen threatening sexual violence share a kind of detachment bordering on a lack of affect. These attempts to examine the human animal prove to be the collection’s strength, draining though they can be. In his dissections, Vaughan uncovers an astonishing resilience, but it is often wounded and ugly. The few emotionally charged exceptions, such as “On the Wings of a Dove,” are welcome relief. A fascinating study of human attachment and loss.
GIRL UNDER CONSTRUCTION Ward, Joyce CreateSpace (186 pp.) $7.99 paper | Dec. 13, 2013 978-1-4921-1673-8
Nostalgic reflections on a Depressionera childhood in western Pennsylvania. Ward spent her first years in New Kensington, Pa., living across the street from her paternal grandparents, whom she visited often for jam-filled cookies, long walks and tales of the past. Times were tough in the 1930s, and even as a preschooler, the author felt this tension. At home, her mother would disapprove of almost every suggestion she made, and her father would slam his fist on the table to quiet idle dinner-table chatter. “Nobody could stay in my house and live,” Ward writes. With her grandparents, however, she learned to celebrate life’s ups and downs and its full palette of sights, sounds and smells. In this debut memoir, Ward excels at creating atmosphere with sensory detail; her own home, for example, smelled of Nair hair remover, “terrible stinky stuff...that gasped the oxygen out of the air,” but her Grampa’s garage smelled of earth and leather: “One whiff set my brain tingling with visions of adventure.” Her grandfather was a fighter, undaunted by bank foreclosures, a tornado that swept up his vaudeville road show or his narrow escape from a mine explosion. He also taught Ward that she could accomplish anything. At one point, she writes skillfully about a time, in 1936, that the Allegheny River burst its banks and flooded the entire Pittsburgh area, relating historical facts yet maintaining a childlike perspective: “ ‘Will the river get us?’ I screamed. ‘Is it coming?’ ” Indeed, the river got the whole town, but young Ward soon forgot the devastation during a “long, happy visit” to her maternal grandmother’s
high-and-dry home. After the flood, her grandparents moved to Lake Erie to start a fishing business; Ward visited them often and learned to maneuver boats, gut fish and catch night crawlers. Overall, the book reads more like a series of memories than a cohesive story, but it works well, as each chapter is like a single bite of a warm, jam-filled cookie. Delightful vignettes of childhood and a heartfelt tribute to a devoted grandfather.
Meeting the WORD in the World
Warner, Glen W. AuthorHouse (400 pp.) $31.99 | $23.95 paper | Dec. 4, 2013 978-1-4918-3200-4 A series of reflections on Christianity and nature from debut author Warner. Invoking natural wonders ranging from Zion National Park to the sublime simplicity of dairy cows, this collection of Christian musings takes readers on a leisurely walk through life and its challenges. In short chapters that tend to begin with the natural world and end with a biblical verse or teachings about Jesus Christ—e.g., “Christ did not come to make life easy, but to make people great”—the collection summons a fondness for figures such as Albert Schweitzer and John Muir along with an irritation for many of the worries of the modern world. Ranging from a chapter about the dangers of consumerism to a chapter detailing a lengthy conversation with an agnostic physician, the stories and musings include moments from the mundane and the divine. A chapter called “Hawk” begins: “The lake is a good schoolroom with many lessons for us, and for the creatures that live around it.” What starts as an observation of a hawk becomes words of advice for those struggling with faith. “God always has a better plan for us and we can find his way,” Warner writes, “even, or maybe especially when, we are discouraged and fighting an uphill battle.” Readers will easily imagine walking along the shore of Lake Erie with the no-nonsense yet genial author and his collie, Skye, as a developing weather pattern or piece of sea glass conjures a brief biblical parable, old hymn or simple statement of wonder. Though perhaps slow for readers seeking more fire and brimstone in their Christian texts, the book is instead geared more toward readers looking for meditative, folksy qualities in the writings of a fellow believer. Allusions to skipping stones and dairy farm chores may not illicit great moments of excitement, but they’re not necessarily meant to. Instead, the country contemplations will be calmly inspiring. Affirmations of the natural world in one man’s heartfelt Christian beliefs.
PRESIDENTIAL INTENTIONS Wood, Douglas J. CreateSpace (294 pp.) $11.50 paper | $6.95 e-book Jan. 31, 2014 978-1-4849-2652-9
A promising young woman is undone by her political aspirations in Wood’s (Please Be Ad-Vised, 2013) latest novel. The author returns with a potent tale about the corrupting influence of power and its tragic consequences for one family. The story follows Samantha Harrison as she gets an MBA and law degree, marries one of her former professors, distinguishes herself as a prosecutor and eventually runs for public office. When the story opens in 2016, she’s the Republican presidential candidate running against Hillary Clinton in what promises to be a historic election. Wood tells Harrison’s story using three methods: lengthy quotes from her campaign speeches that illustrate her worldview, italicized text that offers readers a glimpse into her thought processes (“Jesus, if the president of the United States can’t affect markets, who controls America: the people or the boardrooms?”), and the chronological story of her life. The author juggles these angles with impressive formal control, and they ultimately provide a deeper portrait of Harrison than a traditional narrative would. By contrasting her wishy-washy and sometimes-laughable political pronouncements with her consistently nasty and dismissive internal commentary, readers can see the candidate as someone who believes in nothing more than her own advancement. The overall story confirms this assessment: Harrison alienates her Washington-hating husband, becomes estranged from her K i r k 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.
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resentful daughter, and contributes directly to her son’s death in a bizarre section which reads like a military thriller. Even as she and those around her claim to be disgusted by Washington’s hypocrisies and shallow machinations, she skips happily up the political ladder; apparently, she’s so deft at playing the political game that she runs essentially unchallenged until the presidential election. A late chance at redemption offers a glimmer of hope, but ultimately, it shows Harrison as a cynical master of petty calculation. Wood’s unflinching look at what it takes to get ahead in Washington is bleak but feels authentic. Readers may find themselves deflated by the novel’s cynical take on politics, but they may also find satisfaction in the way it eviscerates its deeply unlikable main character. Harrison never quite gets her just deserts, but by the end of the novel, it’s very clear how far she has fallen. An engaging, essential novel for readers who feel disenfranchised by the political process.
This Issue’s Contributors # Adult Maude Adjarian • Hephzibah Anderson • Stephanie Anderson • Mark Athitakis • Joseph Barbato Adam benShea • Amy Boaz • Jeffrey Burke • Lee E. Cart • Derek Charles Catsam • Dave DeChristopher • Kathleen Devereaux • Bobbi Dumas • Daniel Dyer • Lisa Elliott • Jordan Foster Julie Foster • Peter Franck • Bob Garber • Devon Glenn • Christina M. Kratzner • Paul Lamey • Alex Layman • Louise Leetch • Angela Leroux-Lindsey • Peter Lewis • Elsbeth Lindner • Georgia Lowe Joe Maniscalco • Don McLeese • Gregory McNamee • Carole Moore • Clayton Moore • Rhett Morgan • Liza Nelson • Jaime Netzer • Mike Newirth • Mike Oppenheim • Jim Piechota • Christofer D. Pierson • William E. Pike • Gary Presley • Sarah Rettger • Sean Rose • Lloyd Sachs • Leslie Safford Bob Sanchez • Bethany Schneider • Gene Seymour • William P. Shumaker • Rosanne Simeone • Linda Simon • Elaine Sioufi • Arthur Smith • Wendy Smith • Margot E. Spangenberg • Andria Spencer • Bill Thompson • Matthew Tiffany • Claire Trazenfeld • Pete Warzel • Rodney Welch • Gordon West Carol White • Chris White Children’s & Teen Alison Anholt-White • Marcie Bovetz • Sophie Brookover • Timothy Capehart • Ann Childs • Julie Cummins • GraceAnne A. DeCandido • Elise DeGuiseppi • Brooke Faulkner • Laurie Flynn • Laurel Gardner • Judith Gire • Jessie C. Grearson • Heather L. Hepler • Megan Honig • Jennifer Hubert • Shelley Huntington • Kathleen T. Isaacs • Laura Jenkins • Betsy Judkins • Deborah Kaplan • Joy Kim • Robin Fogle Kurz • Megan Dowd Lambert • Angela Leeper • Peter Lewis • Lori Low • Wendy Lukehart • Hillias J. Martin • Michelle H. Martin PhD • Shelly McNerney • Lisa Moore • R. Moore Deb Paulson • John Edward Peters • Susan Pine • Melissa Rabey • Rebecca Rabinowitz • Nancy Thalia Reynolds • Melissa Riddle Chalos • Lesli Rodgers • Leslie L. Rounds • Mindy Schanback • Katie Scherrer • Mary Ann Scheuer • Hillary Foote Schwartz • John W. Shannon • Robin Smith • Rita Soltan Edward T. Sullivan • Jennifer Sweeney • Deborah D. Taylor • Bette Wendell-Branco • Gordon West Monica Wyatt Indie Alana Abbott • Kent Armstrong • Katherine Barrett • Kathy Biehl • Stephanie Cerra • Wendy Connick • Ian Correa • Sara Lyons Davis • Alta Dawson • Steve Donoghue • Joe Ferguson • Jameson Fitzpatrick • Rebecca Foster • Alissa Grosso • Lynne Heffley • Susan J.E. Illis • Barbara London Collin Marchiando • Richard Monte • Jon C. Pope • Sarah Rettger • Mark A. Salfi • Barry Silverstein Angela Sylvia • Kevin Zambrano
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Are the Keys in the Freezer? An Advocate’s Guide For Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias Woodell, Patricia; Niblock, Brenda; Warner, Jeri CreateSpace (242 pp.) $11.95 paper | Jan. 10, 2014 978-1-4929-2744-0
This highly readable guide for dementia caregivers blends a medical memoir with useful advice. After the emotionally draining experience lived through by this book’s three authors, they’re undoubtedly thinking the same thing: “If I knew then what I know now.” The sisters share the story of their mother’s five-year mental decline as she went through the various stages of dementia. The sisters had intended to craft a personal memoir; however, they write, “In the course of our research, that goal changed as we gained insight into the hopes and concerns of the people we met in memory care facilities.” This led them to recast the book into a manual for caregivers that recounts their own experience and guides readers to a greater understanding of dementia as well as the care options. With considerable skill, the authors interweave their story with the issues they faced, drawing upon their own situation to illustrate what they didn’t know at the time. “We learned about dementia by trial and error,” they write, “and we stumbled many times, because we didn’t know where to turn. Now we realize the importance of understanding the course of the disease and its outcome—this knowledge would have given us the tools to plan ahead and provide the best possible care for our mother.” It is these tools the authors generously share in a tightly organized, well-written work. They offer a comprehensive discussion of dementia, its types (including Alzheimer’s) and stages; detail the kinds of available care facilities and facility agreements; address paying for dementia care; talk about patient advocacy; cover hospice and palliative care; and include a chapter on advance care directives. Every chapter ends with “Lessons Learned”—not so much a summary as insightful observations. In closing, the authors peek into the future in a fascinating section that demonstrates how social and technological changes might revolutionize dementia care. They also provide an excellent compilation of resources. Frank and poignant, with the optimum balance of personal storytelling and actionable guidance.
Appreciations: Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End B Y G RE G OR Y M C N A MEE
Twenty-five years ago, President George H.W. Bush announced plans for the Space Exploration Initiative, which intended to one day put humans on Mars. Today, rovers, and high-resolution cameras are busily gathering data in advance of our arrival in the flesh, and it’s just a matter of time—if there’s any time left, that is—before a human foot makes its mark on Martian dust. All that may be a Very Bad Thing, to trust the eminent physicist Stephen Hawking. He worries that all our buzzing around in space may attract the attention of aliens who will view us, perhaps rightly, as chimps with guns and do away with us. That’s the troubling territory in which Arthur C. Clarke’s short novel Childhood’s End, published in 1953, operates: Sometime around the time of Bush’s announcement, in Clarke’s chronology, the extraterrestrials find us and not the other way Photo courtesy Charles Adams around. They put an end to the Cold War. After a time, they announce that since humans are so inclined to mischief, they’ll be taking over the business of world government—and meanwhile putting us out of the space-exploration business. Even though the UN is in on the deal, black-helicopter conspiratorialists need not worry overmuch, for the Overlords, as they’re called, step in to referee only rarely. It’s more discomfiting to conspiratorialists of another ilk that, once they get around to revealing themselves, the Overlords look like devils, with wings, barbed tails and horns. Even so, the Overlords don’t seem to be especially evil. Indeed, their rule brings peace and plenty, and with it, their human subjects get soft and soft-minded: Creativity ceases, innovation dries up, effort ends. Why try to improve things for the next generation, though? There’s not much point when, soon enough, the next generation becomes something not quite human. The most sympathetic of the Overlords, a big-brained fellow called Karellen, helpfully explains that the real reason for their presence is to merge the human species into the great abstraction called the Overmind, for which grown-ups need not apply. So they do, and the world dissolves as this new species consumes it in a feeding frenzy that no grown-up would want to be around to witness in any event. Readers of Childhood’s End have found in it a parable of alienation and totalitarianism. Whatever its deeper meaning, it was successful in its main intent, which was to scare readers silly. What more anxiety-inducing scenario in the anxious 1950s could one cook up, after all, than the virtual kidnapping of the planet’s children by some devilish pied piper? Childhood’s End is lesser Clarke, certainly as compared to the more ambitious Space Odyssey volumes and weightier novels such as Rendezvous with Rama. Even so, it sold out of its first 210,000-copy press run within three months, and it’s probably only due to the fact that the Hugo wasn’t awarded in 1954 that Clarke missed winning it for his book, which remains in print today. The moral of Clarke’s story remains strong, too, as we humans busily devour our planet: This is how the world ends, not with a bang, but a flicker. Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor at Kirkus Reviews. |
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