Crab Cake & Pepper
Frank Weaver, Jr.
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1413731406, $19.95, (301) 695-1707
Aaron Paul Lazar
Reviewer
Crab Cake & Pepper is more than a folksy yarn about a boy and his dog. It digs deeply into a ten-year-old boy's psyche and brings us along for the ride of a lifetime, replete with family, a struggling friendship, rousing adventures, and a surplus of belly laughs.
Set in the rural backwoods of Pennsylvania in April, 1951, Crab Cake & Pepper sings with the love of nature and family. Jack "Pepper" Whelan Jr., one of five children, anticipates the opening of trout season with the glee found only in childhood. Along with his best friend, a bright, spirited border collie named Crab Cake, Pepper prepares for the big day by digging for nightcrawlers with the help of his mom's soapy dishwater, and paying off his siblings to do his early morning barn chores. He's ready to rise at dawn to beat the other anglers to his secret fishing hole, where he hopes to land the legendary monster trout known as Ol' Uncle Louie.
Meanwhile, recently escaped convicts, "Crazy Eyes" Zitoulleo and "Tattoo" MacGrew, navigate toward the same fishing hole. Tipped off in prison, the bumbling duo overhears a tale of a metal box filled with stolen loot that rests at the bottom of the cold stream. To make matters worse, Pepper runs into Thursy Patterson, a boy with whom he's shared an uneasy friendship. Thursy is quick to anger and ready to fight with little provocation. When he asks Pepper to join him for the big fishing event, Pepper squirms, unwilling to reveal his choice fishing spot.
A series of unfortunate events propel Pepper, Thursy, and Crab Cake into the midst of a manhunt, particularly after they witness the attempted drowning of a game warden. Their luck deteriorates as the boys are kidnapped by the desperate villains. These experiences draw Pepper and Thursy closer, where true friendship glimmers. Meanwhile, Crab Cake is bitten by a copperhead. The canine's life hangs in the balance for days, threatening in the backdrop during the final thrilling fight between the foul buffoons and the plucky boys.
Mr. Weaver has a knack for creating believable, humorous, and endearing characters. His grasp of the backwoods dialect is adroitly captured. Childhood memories will float to the surface of readers' minds as they follow through the woods and fields while the delightful border collie frolics in the background. The scenes between the boy and his dog are beautifully portrayed and emotive. When Crab Cake nears death, emotions not unlike those felt during Lassie Come Home will clog the throat of the most sophisticated reader.
Crab Cake & Pepper offers universal appeal for the adventure of a lifetime. Children of all ages will enjoy the ride.
The Clarinet Polka
Keith Maillard
St. Martin's Press
174 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10010
ISBN: 0312308892, $24.95
Anika Paaren-Sdano
Reviewer
First, imagine walking into a neighborhood bar and encountering a man, a Vietnam veteran, and striking up conversation - a somewhat familiar and common picture. The man is gruff, somewhat abrasive, but ironically likable. He is eager to share his stories with any listening ear. Now, imagine the same man, only this time at a church dance, the Paczki (pronounced poonch-ki) Ball, to be exact. Author Keith Maillard created the ball to be the Polish-American equivalent of Fat Tuesday, celebrating the day before the beginning of Lent in the Catholic Church. Indeed, one would be much more likely to run into our Vietnam vet, Jimmy Koprowski, at the Paczki Ball, as he is a recovering alcoholic, and a Polish-American. However, at first and for good reason, he seems easier to visualize celebrating in a bar.
The Clarinet Polka is a first-person account of very personal story-telling. Jimmy even refers to readers as "you" occasionally when telling of his journey beginning just after being released from the service. His tale is infused with the Polish traditions of his family and Polish-American neighborhood in the fictional mill town of Raysburg, West Virginia. When Jimmy's sister Linda starts an all-girl Polka band, readers are led through an education about the varying kinds of Polka music, how it morphed into a more American sound, and how important maintaining the traditions of the old country was to the Polish people of Raysburg.
Jimmy befriends Janice, a band member, whose family tale of tragedy while living in Poland before immigrating to America, is shocking, yet entirely fictional. Maillard turns to writing historical fiction here, using his extensive research of WWII and the experiences of Polish families during the German and Russian invasions. As Janice discovers her family's history, her relationship with Jimmy intensifies.
He has an ongoing relationship with Connie as well, and these two women bring out opposite sides of his character. He is an intriguing contradiction. Throughout the story Jimmy is capable of the most despicable behavior, involving women and alcohol, but turning around and becoming a loving older brother, caring friend and responsible mentor to others. At times, he seems to be the lowest of the low, but readers wait, page by page for him to turn himself around for good. Toward the end of the book (without revealing too much), a reader isn't sure what's going to happen to Jimmy. With only a few pages left, the question remains, but hold out. The end is worth the wait.
Maillard's creation in Jimmy is so personal, it seems almost autobiographical. Be sure to read the Acknowledgements and Notes section at the end of the novel; here Maillard explains in detail his inspiration for the story as well as his research. As a whole, The Clarinet Polka is very impressive, indeed.
Ted Hughes: Collected Poems for Children
Ted Hughes, author
Raymond Briggs, illustrator
Faber and Faber
ISBN: 0571215017, 16.99 Brit. pounds, 259 pages
Ann Skea, Reviewer
www.ann.skea.com
Ted Hughes was for several years one of the judges of the poetry which was submitted by children to the Daily Mirror's Children's Literary Competition. He read thousands of entries and, in the process, he became very aware of the differences between a child's approach to poetry and that of an adult. He learned, he said, that "children's sensibility and children's writing, have much to teach adults". He learned that their world "is not just a miniature world of naive novelties and limited reality" but a world where there is still much to be explored. And he learned that children explore the world with curiosity, perception, a readiness to change and "a no-holds-barred approach to problems" which adults, mostly, have lost.
So, in the poetry which Hughes wrote for children he never condescended to them or treated them as miniature adults. He never undervalued their ability to understand anything which was presented to them in their own terms. He tried, as he said, to write poetry which would appeal to the child's heart and mind, open up the imagination, and keep the creative abilities fluid and alive. And he tried to write in language which was not childish, yet was "within the hearing of children".
The sheer variety and number of poems in Ted Hughes: The Collected Poems for Children show just how important Hughes considered writing poetry for children to be. And the range of ages to which these poems are intended to appeal is equally broad. He once wrote that "It may well be, as the Chinese Sages declare, that a man in whom the child's heart and mind has died is no better than a dead man". So, these poems should appeal to the child in all of us, which is always good news for those of us who read to children. Collected in this new book are almost all the poems which have been previously published in Hughes's volumes of poetry for children.
There are the simple, amusing poems from The Cat and the Cuckoo and The Mermaid's Purse; the more serious, beautifully evocative pictures of animals from Under the North Star; and the diverse views of animals expressed by the teacher, the farmer, the poacher, the vicar and the children from What Is The Truth. Sadly, the framing story of What Is The Truth is not included. Nor are the poems about that wonderful character Ffangs, the Vampire Bat. But Nessie is there; and so, too, are those weird relatives from My Family and Other Animals, including the grandma who knits woolly suits for goldfish, and the sister who is a crow.
Other poems which are included are those from Season Songs, and the whole range of Moon poems, some of which originally appeared in the limited edition Earth Moon, published by Olwyn Hughes's Rainbow Press and illustrated by Hughes himself **.
The book is arranged roughly according to the age group to which particular sequences of poems are likely to appeal, ranging from four-year-olds upwards. And Raymond Briggs's illustrations are more abundant in the earlier part of the book where the youngest children are likely to be most entertained. Yet because of Hughes's own attitude to children's poetry, this arrangement is rather arbitrary. Seven-year-olds for instance, are as likely to enjoy the poem about the Aunt-eating thistle at the front of the book, as they are to be intrigued by the rhythms and the seasonal changes of 'There Come Days', which is near the back. Just as older children will understand and feel sorry for the hunted creature in 'The Stag', and will also be amused by that curious beast which is "not an elephant or any such grasshopper" but Nessie, "the Monster of the Loch".
Many of these poems are very English in their seasons and in their reference to specific locations, which makes them less accessible to children from, say, Australia. But there are Black Bears, Elk and Loons too, which don't normally inhabit the English countryside. And other creatures, like the fearsome Wolverine and the Moon-Hyena, which can only be found in myth and imagination.
There are some dated references, too. Not many children, or even their parents, will know anything about "Lord Fauntleroy", who is mentioned in 'A March Calf'. Yet the vivid picture of the new-born calf which Hughes creates in the poem is none the worse for that.
Raymond Briggs's black and white drawings are appealing and informative for children but sometimes rather too literal for adults and, very occasionally, (as in the illustration for 'The Loon', which is a species of diving bird) completely misleading. But the drawings are interesting, and often amusing, and are there in abundance, which that makes this thick book something that a child might browse through even before they can read.
For parents and teachers and anyone who enjoys reading poetry to children and seeing them respond to the imaginative power of poems, this book is an invaluable resource which, like other classics of children's literature, will remain a favourite for years. For children (or just for the child in us) it is a book to treasure.
A number of poems are listed in the Index as "Uncollected". None of these is previously uncollected. The poem 'Gulls Aloft' , which is listed amongst the Mermaids Purse poems is, however, an uncollected poem.
The Value of Valor
Lynn Ames
Intaglio Publications
P O Box 357474, Gainesville, FL 32635-7474
ISBN: 1933113464, $16.75, 282 Pages
Arlene Germain
Reviewer
Katherine Kyle, Press Secretary to the President, and Jamison Parker, Time magazine writer, return for the third installment of Lynn Ames' immensely popular Kate and Jay trilogy. The unthinkable has happened and our two lovers' once happy existence has been irrevocably affected. Or has it? A diabolical organization has set its sights on the advancement of its global timetable which necessitates, at any cost, the elimination of the President of the United States. Will this tragedy occur? Add to the mix a riveting series of unexpected plot twists, suspenseful turns of events, and fascinating secondary characters, and you have an entertaining, gripping, and romantic race to the finish line.
Lynn Ames' focus in her novels has been to create a socially relevant and thoroughly entertaining reading experience. The first two novels in the series, The Price of Fame and The Cost of Commitment, delivered both in an engaging and timely way. Here with The Value of Valor, Ames has taken a giant leap forward. This is her best work thus far. The action sequences rocket along at incredible speed, the intimacy depicted is both exciting and steamy, and the characters display a depth of credibility. That necessary element to any good piece of fiction, the suspension of disbelief, is so masterfully developed and sustained that the reader becomes engaged and completely submersed in the storyline. The author has achieved this effect so seamlessly, which is a credit to both the writing and the editing, that the reader, indeed, will not want to put the book down until that last word has been read.
Another hallmark of this novel is the Ames' creative ability to make the political events seem not only possible but plausible. Perhaps, twenty or even ten years ago the storyline would appear too fantastic to sustain the interest of the discerning reader. However, with Ames' insider savvy regarding political machinations and the not too distant events all have experienced, any sort of global agenda directed toward the country and its leaders is not beyond the realm of reality. It is with both this knowledge and understanding that Ames has fashioned a work of fiction which can be understood on several conceptual levels. The Value of Valor is so much more than just another adventurous romantic story. It is a suspenseful and absorbing novel that provides the reader with many issues to ponder long after the cover has been closed. This novel emphatically represents the impressive growth in the author's writing style and technique. It is for all these attributes that this reader eagerly awaits the next installment in this series.
Losing Innocence
Brian R. Smith
Publish America
P O Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
1424100380, $19.95, 201 pages
Shelley Baar
Reviewer
I chose this book for review because it shared many similar feelings I encountered in an abusive marriage. Since I am a survivor of spousal abuse I related with this story and the message that there is such a thing as true love. I don't find many authors that truly touch on the abuse and recovering from such emotions of life only to continue to find the right person to trust and love, forgetting that you once have gotten burned. The subject of domestic abuse is not a normal subject when looking for an enjoyable book, but Smith weaves a story that makes you laugh and cry.
Brian R. Smith pulls you into his story with raw emotion, I found myself not wanting to put this book down. Page after page he draws you into his well defined characters that you rally for until the very end. This novel has a powerful pull on the heartstrings that is filled with human drama and unexpected truths.
Brief quotation from the book:
It was her favorite photo. Five and three years old. Young… innocent... not yet touched by Jeff's wrath or his fists. God, I hope he isn't hitting them. Surely they'd tell me.
Memories flooded Mia's mind, the lazy days of summer playing whiffle ball, endless turns on the swings, learning how to rollerblade and bike…Her lips trembled at the angelic smile, on Vince's face. So warm, and loving. He always knew when she was upset, and tried to comfort her. But lately…lately that little heart of gold had begun to tarnish with the acid of his father's hate.
Jesse's grin drew her attention next. So full of love and innocence, she wished he could always stay that way. He'd done okay so far, but how long would that last with the head games Jeff played? God, she wished Jeff was dead. It was wrong, yes…she'd never wished harm on anyone. But deep in her heart, or maybe that knot in her gut, she knew that someday the vitriol that spilled out of Jeff was going to splash on her babies and burn them too.
"Losing Innocence" is a suspense/love story that will appeal to a wide range of people, especially women and/or men who have been through an abusive relationship, whether as a child or through spousal abuse. The age range is any adult or even older teenager who will get the message that there is a good life after abuse. You don't have to stay with someone that degrades you. This novel touches on ethical issues of what would a person in these shoes do?
Brian R. Smith succeeds in conveying in his novel the message that he is trying to accomplish. I cannot say what message it is, because it will ruin the ending of the book itself. It is very entertaining, one page to the next, I was either in tears or laughing. I have no other suggestions for Smith for the next time around in print, except to publish something soon.
Brian R. Smith lives in Sycamore, Illinois, is a graduate of Hamilton College and as of late, has no other published books. According to his website he is working on "The Bastard's Plaything" and "The Tree", which I am sure I will be reading once they are in publication.
What other related or relevant titles might interest a reader? "Songs of the Humpback Whale," by Jodi Picoult or "Black and Blue," by Anna Quindlen.
Mia and Lance both come from abusive relationships, neither one looking for another relationship to bring them down, both holding on to the fact that being alone is better than being hit. They find one another and fall in love, the stars must have been in the right place. Much to the chagrin of being happy, Mia's abusive ex-husband tries to thwart their happiness by using their children as pawns. The game he plays throughout the book leaves the reader with a much beloved twist at the end. Will his plans succeed and the cycle continue or won't they? That is only up to the reader to find out in the ending chapters. This novel has a powerful pull on the heartstrings that is filled with human drama and unexpected truths.
Abuse comes in many forms, physical being the one that is the most noted because of the physical scars it leaves behind. Smith also touches on the emotional scars that are caused from verbal and emotional abuse that indeed touches the heart of America. This emotional baggage is usually carried throughout a lifetime, which Smith takes note of and gives a person hope.
Down These Narrow Alleys
Lisa LaTourette
PublishAmerica
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
ISBN:1413764800, $14.95
Ben Jonjak
Reviewer
Lisa LaTourette is a very talented author. Her stories are real and natural and there is never the sense of too much straining behind her words. "Down These Narrow Alleys" is a relatively short collection of stories and poems that deal mainly with the melancholy desperation that surrounds so many true-life situations. This is one of those rare books that you read and which pleases you because you see a part of yourself reflected that you didn't think anybody else could possibly understand. I only wish that it had been entirely short stories, but I've never been a huge fan of poetry anyway.
"Down These Narrow Alleys" has stories which deal with everthing from drug abuse and obesity, to marital infedelity and community service. Although these are intense situations, this book does not exploit these moments, but rather explores them in a manner completely (and thankfully) different from how Hollywood and television has groomed modern audiences to consider them. LaTourette has taken the human angle and approach to these scenarios, and the result is carefully considered and revealing.
Consider the story "Black Sheep" which details a young woman's first experience with heroin. It would have been easy to glamorize the heroine in the sense of some MTV video, or to villify her and dismiss her as a junkie. But LaTourette approaches this hugely emotionaly charged moment not as an end, but as a snapshot of this woman's life. We learn that the girl has recently dropped out of college, and that she has always had disciplinary problems in the past. But you also get the sense that this woman is intelligent and artistic and may have just had the misfortune of being born into a scenario that does not fit her. At the end of "Black Sheep" nothing is resolved and you understand that a person should not necessarily be judged on the strength of one act as our society often unfairly does.
Some of the stories end on a whimper rather than a bang, but Lisa LaTourette definately demonstrates that she knows what good narrative structure is. Her writing is light and not unnecessarily descriptive. As I mentioned before, I was not a huge fan of the poetry, but "Down These Narrow Alleys" has 6 short stories that I am sure compose more than half of the book's total word count. This is a collection that I couldn't more highly recommend.
Diezmo
Rick Bass
Houghton Mifflin Company
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0395926173, $22.00, 205 pp.
Coletta Ollerer
Reviewer
A short but powerful story concerning the events of an historical raid by Texans into Mexico in the mid 19th century. Texas had become a sovereign state with Sam Houston as its President with the battle of San Jacinto shortly after the humiliation of the Alamo.
Two Texas patriots, Thomas Jefferson Green and William Fisher, are combing the countryside in Texas searching for volunteers for their assault on Mexico. Green and Fisher need forty more for their number and are able to convince forty two from the town of La Grange. James Alexander is among those who are pulled into the prospect filled with dreams of glory and excitement. He is sixteen. With a force of five hundred, they left La Grange. Only a handful would return. James Alexander ponders, "It was a feeling like the Holy Spirit descending. Your hands and feet tingle. You feel that all is predestined and you have prepared for glory. You cannot imagine loss or the anonymity brought by time." (p12)
James Alexander narrates the events of the march. They needed provisions. "Everything we saw was ours -- ours to defend, and then ours to possess." (p12) Green and Fisher have unofficial orders from Sam Houston to invade Mexico if there is a prospect of success. They are to "let the enemy feel the fierceness of just resentment and retribution." (p11) Houston urges them to cross the Rio Grande. They travel up and down the north side of the Rio Grande looking for bandits before taking Houston's directive. Only three hundred and eight of the original five hundred follow Green and Fisher into Mexico.
Their first target is Guerrero. They enter unopposed to find it occupied by poor peons. They take the local priest hostage for a ransom of $5000. The town leaders could come up with only $361. They leave refusing the money and releasing the priest. Going on to the next town, Ciudad Mier, they took another priest back to their camp as a hostage. This time Mexican Generals Pedro de Ampudia and Antonia Canales commanding one thousand men arrived at Ciudad Mier and advised the town fathers not to pay the ransom. Green and Fisher decide to attack and take Ciudad Mier and a bold plan provides some success but the sheer numbers of Mexicans resulted in the surrender of the Texan forces.
This is the beginning of misery for the Texans. They begin a year of uncertainty, deprivation and horror as they are defeated and captured. They escape and are captured again. They are held at the fortress at Molino del Rey where they are put to work building a road. Finally, though, they are taken to the dreaded prison at Perote, the Castle of Perve. "It had literally been carved into the mountain. . . . So perfectly did the fort blend into the rainy black mountain that at first glance I didn't even see it. Once I had detected its subtle pattern against the mountains, a kind of horror grew as I realized the size and extent of it -- that the entire mountain face was a fortress and prison." (p161) This is an horrific adventure seen through the eyes of a sixteen year old about a foolish decision he makes and the consequences. It will not soon be forgotten.
Soul Food: Recipes for a Happier Life
Kate Kippenberger MSc (Hons)
Simon & Schuster (Australia) Pty Ltd
Suite 2, Lower Ground Floor, 14-16 Suakin Street, PYMBLE NSW 2073, AUSTRALIA
www.simonsaysaustralia.com
ISBN: 0731812646, AUD $14.95
Rose Glavas, Reviewer
www.astrologyrealm.com
This is an excellent little book to have around for a bit of inspiration when life keeps us too busy to contemplate the little things that bring meaning to our existence. The inspirational thoughts cover some important themes such as relationships, respect, animal energy, tolerance, plus many more. One of my personal favourites is the animal energy page, it goes like this:
"In our busy lives filled with family, work and friends we sometimes forget the calming and healing benefits associated with stroking and cuddling our pets. The energy we gain from a pet's unconditional love is enormous. So today, allow yourself uninterrupted time with your pet and appreciate the sense of calm and healing energy it gives you."
Although there are many books that are similar to 'Soul Food', this is still an excellent addition to this genre. The feel I get from this title is soothing, hopeful, and focused. The illustrations are fantastic too, and add to this book well. The author, Kate Kippenberger manages her own company and is a trained industrial psychologist. Her work involves management consulting, counseling and writing. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and child, where she writes a daily column for 'The Press' newspaper.
The way I would use this little book would be to have it handy, for example on my desk, in the kitchen or even in the car, so that I could read the passages one at a time when I had a few moments to reflect on what was written. This would also make an excellent gift for somebody dear to you that has, perhaps, had some recent difficulties in their life. I would also recommend 'Soul Food' as a gift for that friend that has everything. All of us occasionally need to be reminded of the little things in life that bring us meaning.
Steal These Ideas: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You A Star
Steve Cone
Bloomberg Press
731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 1576601919, $18.95
Peter Hupalo
Reviewer
Steal These Ideas: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You A Star by Steve Cone is a solid and readable book about advertising, branding, promotion and PR. While the book has lessons for small business owners seeking to improve their marketing, the book is probably most useful to marketing professionals at larger or mid-sized companies or non-profit organizations. Cone is the head of advertising and brand management at Citigroup Global Wealth Management. Previously, he was the head of marketing of Fidelity Investments. Cone was the one who decided to use ultra-successful mutual fund manager Peter Lynch as a Fidelity spokesperson. Peter Lynch, of course, became a quasi-celebrity. Cone says companies should almost always try to use spokespeople to connect to their customers.
Cone writes: "Most of the World's inhabitants look to a personality of some sort to explain their very existence - God, Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed, and all the other major religious figures revered over the centuries. So it should come as no surprise that a distinctive personality can make a significant impact in an advertising strategy." Spokespeople can be celebrities or non-celebrities. Celebrities are expensive. For small businesses, the CEO will probably be the main spokesperson. Small businesses can't afford Tom Cruise or whoever as a spokesperson.
Cone discusses the importance of public speaking to successful promotion and gives tips for improving your public speaking skills. Cone says companies using celebrities should choose celebrities who are willing to be integrated into all media - TV, radio, Internet, and print. Cone tells us if a celebrity gets into public-perception trouble - think O.J. Simpson - he/she can always be dropped as a spokesperson with little negative impact to the marketing campaign.
Spokespeople don't even have to be real. "Animated characters are the easiest of all spokespeople. They are likable, do not have attitude, usually avoid getting into personal trouble, and rarely turn off constituents with their political views…" writes Cone. Animals are another possibility. We learn the AFLAC Duck is the second most popular advertising character, according to a Yahoo! survey, beating out even the Pillsbury Doughboy. While animated or animal spokespeople might be "remembered fondly for generations," Cone says it's crucial the character and the company's message be integrated effectively. Cone tells us the AFLAC Duck is being downplayed, so AFLAC can emphasize their insurance services more. (Maybe the sudden success went to the Duck's head and he's become difficult to work with?)
Cone tells us branding goes way back. Cone writes: "Most brands almost always imply a guarantee of a product or service. Roman marble merchants actually deserve credit for the first brand warranty application. To advertise that marble was totally pure they would tag marble slabs sine cere, which eventually became the word 'sincerely' in English. In Roman times, it meant without wax, implying the marble you purchased was pure and free from cracks filled in with wax. Merchants who sold marble that was illicitly marked sine cere were executed."
Unfortunately, today, there is some wax in marketing. Steal These Ideas: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You A Star touches on politics and promotion. Cone says politicians often think of people as "voters" while people seldom see themselves as "voters." Similarly, businesses see people as "customers" when people seldom see themselves that way. Cone writes: "People truly think of themselves as voters only when they walk into the voting booth. And then their decision is: 'Do I vote for Nitwit A or Nitwit B?'"
To be successful, Cone emphasizes it's important to target the right message to the right person at the right time. He calls this "RightTime" marketing. But, it seems RightTime marketing goes too far when individual voters are told a candidate's three key issues are the same three issues the voter selected as most important during polling months before. An interesting chapter covers sponsorships. Cone says sponsorships rarely generate measurable revenue, but can build a brand. Drawing conclusions about his work in negotiating Key Corporation's sponsorship of Key Arena, Cone shows the complexity of sponsorship agreements and considerations. Other chapters discuss building brand loyalty programs and non-profit fundraising.
Steal These Ideas: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You A Star is a great marketing book. Marketing professionals can learn about TV, display advertising, and sponsorships. Small business owners can pick up insights into the value of radio advertising for a local business, how a question and answer format impels readership, and other topics more useful to small business marketing.
Interview with the Devil
Rick McCoy
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
ISBN: 1403305072, $13.50, 220 pp.
Julian Vaughan Hampton
Reviewer
In the book Interview with the Devil, Rick McCoy takes a dramatic look at the perspectives within spirituality through the dimensions of a talk show. The main character, Alex, uses his forum as a talk show host to interview religious leaders, confronting them about issues affecting the church and community. His show takes a dramatic turn, as the host must interview his greatest adversary, the devil. Biblical principles clash against the devil's deception in this battle of faith and wits. The concept of the novel is intriguing, and the book's author, Rick McCoy does a terrific job of facilitating the debate. This book would be an excellent read for those questioning the word of God, for individuals that may not understand those who question the word of God, and general mystery readers alike. The pace was a little uneven, when McCoy quickly moved through the dialogue. Overall, Interview with the Devil offers a combination of mystery and spirituality, and the internal search throughout the book provides a foundation for a descriptively deep story.
Just Like That
Karin Kallmaker
Bella Books
P.O. Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302
www.bellabooks.com 1-800-729-4992
ISBN: 1594930252, $12.95, 240 pages
M. J. Lowe
Reviewer
"Everybody knows that a single woman with good money is in want of a wife (1)." English Lit majors and fans of Jane Austen will recognize this paraphrase from the opening of Pride and Prejudice. Karin Kallmaker's latest romance, Just Like That -- set in the wine country of Northern California -- is a very modern, decidedly lavender, adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Syrah Ardani is 30, recently returned from years studying Oenology in France. The only daughter of the widowed Anthony Ardani, the owner of Ardani Vineyards, Syrah lives and breathes the vines like her father and is comfortably settling into life at home. Yet clearly something with the family business is… off.
Jane Lucas, Syrah's long time friend, struggling artist and former heart-breaker-butch, is about to fall hard for the new, very eligible dyke in the area, Missy Bingley. Initially Jane, who has decided to "settle down", appears to be on the calculating side about Missy with comments like, "... Definitely a dyke. And femme, so, hey, I'm thinking she needs a wife like me. I've got all the qualifications. I can fix stuff, dance, like to talk and think sex is really fun. My only strike against me is the money thing (3)."
However, Jane is thunderstruck when she meets Missy. Missy Bingley, forty-something, successful businesswoman retiring to rehabilitate her newly acquired historic Netherfield estate, appears equally smitten with Jane. Does love at first sight exist?
Before long, Syrah realizes that her gentle, intuitive, wine-knowledgeable father is the definition of naive with what has to be the antithesis of a head for business. While she was gone, he has incorporated the vineyards, over-extended his capital and been unable to cover his debt. The future of the Ardani Vineyards is in danger and the creditors have gone to court. An "axe man" is being sent to take stock of the situation.
Toni Blanchard is that "axe man." She is also very attractive. Syrah first sees a photograph of her from a Fortune magazine article and describes her thus: "Dark hair twisted at the neck and East Coast stylish, Toni Blanchard gazed out from the page with an expression Syrah could only describe as haughty. If the toes on her shoes had been any longer they'd have curled like some court jester's. Everything about her dripped wealth and superiority(12)."
An intelligent, thoughtful, skilled woman, Toni's job is to make difficult recommendations for companies that are in receivership, and she is well respected in her field. She is also the daughter of Anthony's old college friend. This connection encourages Anthony to believe that Toni will "fix" the situation. The vintner never seems to understand that Toni's role is to represent the court and creditors.
Toni arrives in the area emotionally shell-shocked. Her lover of several years, Mira, has dumped her for another woman, moved out and taken possession of funds that are not hers. Staying with her old friend Missy Bingley while reviewing the Ardani accounts, Toni begins to find some peace in the green hills of northern California.
She realizes that she had not been in love the last several years and that Mira's actions -- while unethical and unpleasant -- hurt her pride more than her heart. Still, Toni is jaded and that makes her doubt the sincerity of the woman who is courting Missy. Furthermore, falling in love is the last thing Toni needs right now; yet there is Syrah, a lovely, radiant, spirited earth goddess seeming to draw Toni to her.
Needless to say, several complications ensue. The future of the Ardani Vineyards hangs precariously. Both Toni and Syrah must deal with their preconceived notions of the other and their stubborn egos in order to have a chance at following their hearts. They must also contend with the nefarious manipulations of Mira and Caroline.
Indeed, Kallmaker has created a decidedly nasty nemesis in Lady Mira Wickham. Even after an unpleasant break up, Toni -- and this reader -- was surprised at how spiteful and meddlesome Mira could be. Missy's snarky nickname for Mira is "reech beech" and that seems mild by the end of the story. For that matter, Caroline, Missy's sister, runs a close second for the title.
Austen fans will recognize several familiar names in Just Like that. Bennett, Netherfield, Jane, and Bingley are among the names and characters borrowed from Pride and Prejudice and some of the structure of the story is similar to Austen's. However, there should be no question in readers' minds but that Kallmaker has written a contemporary novel, with complex realistic characters set in an engaging region. She also provides interesting viniculture background. This is a lively romance with hot sex. The lead characters are sometimes frustratingly stubborn, yet this reader found them compelling and was curious to discover out how Kallmaker would solve the problems they faced.
Austen has been called the mother of the romance novel and there is a nice symmetry to Kallmaker, today's best-selling writer of lesbian romances, paying tribute to the roots of the genre with Just Like That. She has given us a new look at prejudice and a different view of pride all painted with the dark purple of a fruity Shiraz. Kallmaker has bottled a wonderful year for her readers, Just Like That. Decant it and enjoy.
Oliver's Must Do List
Susan Taylor Brown
Illustrated by Mary Sullivan.
Boyds Mills Press
A Highlights Company
815 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
www.boydsmillspress.com
ISBN: 1590781988, $15.95, 1(800) 490-5111; 1(570) 253-1164
Lynne Marie Pisano
Reviewer
As soon as Oliver the rhinoceros gets out of bed, all he wants to do is play. But Oliver's mother can't play, she has too many things to do on her "must do list." Sweet Oliver tries to amuse himself by telling knock-knock jokes to the mirror, pretending to be a race car and building a fort, but he still wishes his mother had time to play. By the time Oliver's mother is done with her chores, she is tired and it is time to go to bed.
The next morning, Oliver comes up with an great idea. He makes his own "must do list" and gives it to his mother. It says, "Tell a joke. Drive a racecar. Build a fort. Count the stars and find the Big Dipper." As Oliver waits for his mother's reaction, she says, "Knock, Knock!"
This exceptionally worthwhile parent/child book will inspire parents to take the time to play with their child---a very important item on a parent's "must do list," that often gets overlooked. Adorable digital illustrations bring adorable Oliver and his busy mother to life and show their dilemma and solution with humor and grace. "Oliver's Must Do List" is a must-buy for any parent or grandparent/child duo!
A Gentle Approach to Teaching Children to Swim
Berna Bennett
Illustrated by Mark Bennett
Self-Published
http://www.swimlessonskidslove.com
ISBN: 0965813908, $8.95
Learning to swim is a skill that parents simply cannot afford to leave to chance or just skip. Even if you don't have access to a swimming pool on a regular basis, there are always situations, from pool parties to beach visits, or even dams. Children who can't swim are at a serious safety disadvantage. Besides, swimming is one of the best exercises, full of health benefits, ranging from muscle development to cardio vascular heath due to the gentle resistance which water provides. It is good for all builds and ages, and even those with disabilities can benefit from learning swimming skills. There are plenty of excellent swim schools in every city and town and every country, but if you have your own pool, it can really rankle to have to gather up the children and trudge over to a public swimming pool for lessons. If you have a 2-3 year old, you might find that lessons can only be had by a professional if you don't need to come into the water with your child. Some children aren't ready to be separated from their parents at this age. In fact, it isn't that hard to teach your children to swim, and even if your children are taking professional lessons, you can significantly speed up the learning process by having a few teaching skills of your own. Berna Bennett is a teacher of more than 20 years experience, and her process is, as the title suggests, one which is gentle and affirming for both child and parent. Her book A Gentle Approach to Teaching Children to Swim. is both easy to follow and full of fun games which will certainly increase your child's confidence and ability in the pool, and ultimately, will teach them to swim.
The book is broken up into age groups, with chapters for babies as young as 6 months old to 24 months, water awareness for ages 2-3, real beginning swimming for ages 4-6, basic swimming styles like freestyle and backstroke for those ready to learn to swim "properly," and advanced swimming styles like breast stroke, butterfly, and diving from a board for those who can already swim. There is also a chapter for older children who are afraid to swim. Each chapter is well set out, with clear explanations, simple diagrams, and step by step progressive instructions. The book is also useful for adults wanting to teach themselves some of the more advanced strokes. Some of the early age group lessons can even be done in a blow up paddling pool.
Throughout the book, Bennett is always sensitive to the individual needs of her students, and implores teachers to observe, and gear training around those needs in the most positive and gentle of ways. For the youngest of learners, the book is full of games, and the learning process is really fun:
When a child first accomplishes something like jumping in the water, and is not sure he liked going under, Mr. Toad, Ducky Wucky, and Tommy Turtle start jumping for joy at the side of the pool to show their approval. The only way to stop them from jumping for joy is for the child to kiss them. This creates such a distraction that the child quickly gets over any apprehension he might be feeling, because of his absorption in the animals' antics. To continue the make believe, I give names to some of the exercises we do in class, like "kangaroo jumping," or "elevator."
Although the book is targeted towards potential teachers, and you could theoretically use these methods to teach other people's children to swim (although I would have thought professional accreditation was a must for anyone looking to charge for swimming lessons), this is a fantastic manual for parents wanting to teach their own children. If you have your own pool, the processes outlined in this book aren't only painless, they are positively pleasant. Bennett is as good a teacher of teachers as she is a teacher of students. With an inexpensive and easy to use book like A Gentle Approach to Teaching Children to Swim there is no reason why all children can't learn to swim at an early age. I personally tested chapter 4 ("Water Awareness") with my 3 year old, and have been watching her go from non-swimmer afraid of going past the steps to a happy confident swimmer, able to walk around the entire edge of the pool, be pulled around on a kickboard while kicking her feet, blowing bubbles, and doing kangaroo jumps, choo choo trains, and alligator kicks. As for me, my butterfly is coming along swimmingly.
For about the price of two lessons at the local public school, you can get hold of Berna Bennett's excellent book (the PDF version can be printed page by page as you need them, or just reviewed briefly online before heading out to the pool), which will help you give your children a gift of water safety and pleasure. The book's well structured layout will make this one you will turn to again and again, rapidly paying for itself.
Solitude of Self: Thinking about Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Vivian Gornick
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
www.fsgbooks.com
ISBN: 0374299544, $17.00, 144 pp.
Mona Lisa Safai
Reviewer
In the early 1800s, the feminist movement gradually began to take shape in America. Society was structured as a male-dominated, Christian believing, and overall socio-politically republic for the well being of all men without regard to women, African Americans or other minorities. Women were raised to be good wives and mothers. When faced with extenuating circumstances such as a failed marriage, they were legally unable to protect themselves. They were protected by their legal guardians; first, their fathers, then, their husbands. Few women raised objection to their sheltered lives. Many accepted without questioning the laws or consequences of such inequality. Finally, one such woman did. Elizabeth Cady (later Stanton) became a foremost leader in the feminist movement.
Vivian Gornick is a talented novelist whose focus on women's issues continues to spark any reader's intellect and imagination. In her latest work, SOLITUDE OF SELF, she depicts Elizabeth Cady Stanton who is by far one of the less heard about but most inspiring feminist leaders of women's rights in the 19th century. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a feminist determined to rectify the injustice of inequality between men and women by demanding suffrage, reform of marriage and divorce laws, recognizing the stronghold of religion, and challenging society's perception of women.
Gornick expresses that Stanton's arrival and involvement encouraged other women who were once silent on the many women's issues began speaking their minds. An entire intellectual world opened up and friendships were formed through correspondence amongst a network of women moving toward one cause - women's rights. Their history signifies the persistence and power which women have within them. Gornick's biography accentuates not only a life well spent to gain justified rights for her and others; but also to bring equality into a society that only spoke of the principle from its founding. She ignited a movement which turned the principle of "equality for all" into a reality.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) grew up in a socially conservative home in upstate New York. However, she had the radical blood to go against mainstream views even at an early age. In 1840, her intolerance of inequality kindled a slow blaze that would last for a fifty year struggle. She attended an antislavery conference in London where they refused to seat her because she was a woman. For the first time, she realized how the rest of the world perceived her - as only a woman. This incident began her crusade toward women's rights. In 1848, she met Susan B. Anthony, her friend, organizer, political ally, and champion in the cause. They never parted through the entire journey toward suffrage. Gornick includes their exchange of letters while campaigning across the states in churches, town hall meetings, convention centers, and Congress.
In the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, she formulated the Declaration of Sentiments which stated the grievances against women and demanded suffrage. As time progressed, Stanton's views shifted to marriage and divorce. She believed there needed to be a radical reform in marriage and divorce laws because the institution of marriage forces both genders to inevitably neglect laws imposed by custom or policy, break them to satisfy desire, or subjugate one gender to obey the other. In order to achieve political equality for women, laws needed to be created which encouraged the growth of inner lives.
As a modern feminist, Gornick embraced Stanton's wisdom and felt empowered by her words and philosophy. By the 21st century, the feminist movement underwent many transformations, defeats, and victories. Gornick and Stanton share a commonality which is the unwillingness to live with inequality. She continues to write and share unique perspectives of women's stories through intellectual and emotional integrity. Her latest books include The Situation and the Story: the Art of Personal Narrative and Fierce Attachments: A Memoir. It is not uncommon to recognize Gornick's descriptive words which play into a deeper analysis of the roles and discrepancies which exist in American society. Often, she reveals her own thoughts and feelings about the forces at play. However, the conclusion of fowl play or a just call is always left to the reader.
In 1865, the feminist movement had lost ground. The Civil War ended and African American men demanded their own right to vote. Elizabeth Stanton's stand on this issue split the women's movement in half. She believed in universal suffrage. While many within her movement were willing to wait longer, Stanton was unwilling to compromise. All must have suffrage, regardless of sex or color. Otherwise, a true democracy cannot exist unless everyone can be initiated into the governmental system.
When the 16th Amendment arose, many competing interests wanted in. Stanton wanted the amendment to enfranchise women. Unfortunately, the 16th went on to authorize income taxes. Women would have to wait until the 20th Amendment to receive their vote. Tragically, Stanton would not be able to see her long fought victory.
A few years before Stanton's death, she realized that until women release themselves from religious beliefs, they cannot attain the vote. For over fifty years of advocating, fighting, and persuading minds that women must have the right to vote, she now understood that she had made a miscalculation. Throughout the years, Stanton believed that women must have suffrage first. Then, they can break from the imposition of religiosity. After pondering the issue and carefully rereading the Bible, she concluded that religion holds the greatest obstacle for women to obtain the vote. They must free themselves from religion first so they can gain political equality.
Gornick is intriguing, intellectually stimulating, and true to her subject. Her work is based on letters, memoirs, notes, clippings, resolutions, and personal sources which add humanity to an individual larger than life. The writing is incisive, knowledgeable, and well-thought out. Readers of history, social movements, politics, and women's studies will enjoy reading this biography. Although this is a work about a remarkable feminist, I believe the biography is not only written for only one group, sex, or genre reader. I certainly know had Elizabeth Cady Stanton been alive today, she would equally welcome all readers. It is a book for the universal.
The Tender Bar: A Memoir
J.R. Moehringer
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10023
www.hyperionbooks.com (800) 759-0190
ISBN: 1401300642, $23.95 US/$32.95 CAN, 384 pages
Jennifer Redmond
Reviewer
Crossing the Bar
Most memoirs are like a straight shot of booze - there's very little nuance, even with the better brands. The author's story might be moving, even evocative, but it is seldom clear until long into the book what exactly he's trying to say with his narrative. It's not enough, after all, to have lived an interesting life - many people can make that claim, and a few could probably even relate their story well on paper, given time (and a good editor). But any story, fiction or not, is only as meaningful as its theme, which is why so few modern memoirs have both a general appeal and that elusive, eternal quality which marks a work of art.
It won't take readers many pages into J.R. Moehringer's The Tender Bar (Hyperion, Sept 2005, $23.95) to realize just where they are going - what the book is about, if you will - but that in no way keeps it from being an enjoyable ride. By enjoyable, don't imagine I mean simply humorous, though it quite often is, or kind, though it sometimes is that, as well. What makes this book work is that it's like life - funny and wrenching and sad, in equal measures - and often unexpectedly. That "cocktail" of potent ingredients is what makes The Tender Bar an instant classic.
The book is set in Manhasset, Long Island, "…a pastoral suburb…seventeen miles southeast of Manhattan," which Moehringer quickly informs us was the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald's fictional town of East Egg in The Great Gatsby. That great novel and this tale share not only a common setting, but a theme, that being the nature of illusion. Fitzgerald himself wrote, while working on Gatsby, that the "burden" of the novel was "the loss of those illusions that give such color to the world so that you don't care whether things are true or false as long as they partake of the magical glory"
Magical glory, when we first meet young JR, is a limited commodity - the Mets, The Voice, and Dicken's (The Bar). The Voice is the radio voice of his deadbeat disk-jockey dad, who was absent in every form but audio throughout the narrator's childhood. JR found a series of men to fill that vacant paternal role in the neighborhood bar, which was called a few different names over the years, but basically is The Bar. Each of the men showed him a measure of affection, or at least loyalty, and all of them taught him something important about life and love, if only by example.
The Tender Bar brims with characters - not those whimsical made-for-TV folk that populate so much modern writing, but actual people. I felt I already knew these guys, Uncle Charlie, Joey D, and the rest of them, when I encountered them in the dim splendor of Dicken's, on a Coney Island beach, or in JR's grandfather's miserable hovel. One remarkably animate character is that house itself, which goes by an unprintable nickname. A seedy, crowded, collection of rooms occupied by the patriarch's down-on-their-luck progeny, it never remotely resembles a home.
The least well-drawn of the main characters in The Tender Bar is JR's mother, the only ubiquitous feature of his erratic childhood. She's mostly known to us, and to him, by a blankly stoic expression and upbeat cliches. Her infrequent tearful breakdowns are followed by manic cheerfulness. (One scene that completely rings true - for his mother and mine - is her driving along in a beat-up clunker, admiring the rich people's nice houses and belting out show tunes). I think Moehringer's mom-myopia comes with the territory, for we never really know our parents until we ourselves are adults, if then, and often when it is too late to finally begin to completely understand or forgive them.
Needless to say, most of the action in The Tender Bar takes place in The Bar, where most of the working class populace of Manhasset gathered, ate and drank, celebrated everything from victorious ballgames to marriages, drank some more, laughed, and even grieved - over a stiff drink.
Taverns have such a bad name now, due to the handful of hard-drinking selfish losers that can be found in each one of them, that we've forgotten that bars can also be fine places to unite and commune with one's fellow man. A gathering place in which to study and savor the many differences (from sartorial choice to drink preference to favorite songs and books) that make the human race a hell of a fascinating tribe. They don't call them "watering holes" for nothing.
Moehringer's childhood was marked by the pervasive feeling of being outside - shut out of a world that might in fact be illusory, but feels and looks real enough, when seen from the outside. The illusion that having enough money will make one feel safe and included inspired generations of Gatsby wannabes and still inspires them today. Kids born on "the wrong side of the tracks" dream of money and fame because they long to belong. JR's dreams were much the same back then as theirs are now: Can I get there? Can I ever, really, get "inside"?
You might think that a bar would be a bad place to learn about illusions, but having been a bartender myself, I can tell you that a public house is a fine place to observe disillusionment firsthand, a nightly front-row seat in which to see dreams die and hopes be dashed.
By the book's bittersweet end, it's obvious that JR's college scholarship changed his life, helping to propel him (like so many of us) out of a lifetime of dead-end jobs. Moehringer, who won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing as a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, writes with simplicity and clarity about a subject that is neither simple nor clear - our country's economic caste system. For America's working poor, the number of potentially life-changing academic scholarships currently available to their children is small and ever dwindling; convenient labels like "us" and "them," still keep those without proper credentials, be they bloodlines or credit lines, from gaining access to the club.
The Fastest Ship
Larita Arnold
Lulu.com
ISBN: 1411639502, $9.95, 220 pp.
Shirley Roe, Reviewer
www.allbookreviews.com
Elena Williams, daughter of the Governor of Jamaica, is kidnapped by pirates in the mid 1800's. Her fiance searches frantically only to discover she has married another man. Elena now lives in England with Admiral Jack Ashbury and although she is expecting a child by her fiance Colonel Whitworth, she has no memory of her past life.
The Fastest Ship is a tale of swashbuckling pirates, true romance and high adventure in the Caribbean Sea. Pirate McGwyer is a privateer, hired by the English government to rid the seas of foreign vessels. He meets and falls in love with Christina, a brown skinned island girl. Author Larita Arnold spins a tale of intrigue and excitement as we learn how Elena was kidnapped by McGwyer in revenge for the death of his wife Christina and her unborn child. Confined to the caves of Barbados, she discovers the pirate's gold. How does Elena Williams become Angelica Ashbury? Will she return to Jamaica with her fiance or stay in England? What will become of the pirates treasure hidden away in the caves of Barbados?
Captivating colorful characters are endearing to readers as the tale unfolds. Faultless technological research of the HMS Warrior, England's first iron-clad ship, add realism and timeline to this novel. The pace will hold the reader's attention until the last page.
Author, Larita Arnold lives in Colorado with family and owns a silver jewelry company. Recommended for historical fiction and adventure buffs. Books may be purchased directly from the publisher or www.amazon.com
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
Simon & Schuster
Rockefeller Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, 10020
ISBN: 0671708635, $14.00, 358 pp.
Rohit
Reviewer
Stephen R. Covey, an MBA from Harvard University, having served as professor of Organizational Behavior and as the director of university relations, presents "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", the habits, which will change the way a person sees himself and the people around him, thereby, bringing a complete transformation in his attitude, his behavior, and eventually, his life!
This book revolves around the fact that there are two kinds of people in this world, ones who takes the responsibility for their actions, and the others who blame everything but themselves for their actions. The book encourages the reader to focus to get into the former category, so that they can mould their lives in the way they want to become more effective. The book start off by explaining the human paradigms, perceptions and the habits, and then, explaining the need to develop the seven habits and how to develop those habits. Each of the chapters begins with an inspirational quote which sets the tone for the chapter. Covey seems to be in no hurry at all to tell the seven habits. He gives enough time to the reader to understand a concept, absorb it in his mind and feel its importance. Before telling a habit, he makes sure that the reader realizes the need to inculcate the habit. He begins with a real life example, usually from his own family, where there is need to change the behavior to deal effectively with the situation and then explains how by developing the habit, the situation can be easily dealt with.
Metaphors have been used beautifully in the book to explain all the concepts. Covey begins to talk about something amusing and soon the reader finds himself learning an important concept which he could have never conceived to have come out of that situation. The seven habits explained seem to be very simple and yet very difficult to apply in the real life simply because these habits cannot be acquired in a few days but may take a lot of time to develop. But Covey explains them in such a way that the reader simply cannot resist himself to give them a try. The explanation of the habits is so vivid, so beautiful that the reader just cannot ignore them; he can feel the difference in his personality, his relationships, his thinking, by the adoption of these habits. Stephen has presented the habits in different parts, but still manages to let the reader feel interlink between the habits in an incredible manner. He explains the hierarchy of habits, how one habit can be developed effectively only when the previous one has been adopted; how some of the habits help a person to achieve the real independence; how some habits make a person interdependent, the true essence of the societal world; and finally, how can one sustain and enhance these habits, that is, he gives the reader an axe with the help of which he can continuously work on enhancing the cultivation of these habits. Another great thing about this book is the use of quotations of famous personalities, and how they affected the thinking of Covey himself, a person who has dedicated his life to teaching principle-centered living. This emphasizes the fact that there is always room for improvement, and this is what sets a person on the path of continuous learning, a learning which is going to teach the amazingly simple, but highly effective facts about personal change. While explaining the habits, Covey beautifully redefines some of the most common words. A wonderful thing about Covey is that when he talks about something, he simply doesn't give the message and move on to something else; instead, he goes into the minutest details of what he is talking about; he is passionate about what he is talking; and it is because of this zeal, that he leaves a strong impact on the other person. So, when he redefines a word, he does it in a graphic manner, thus leaving an impression on the reader.
In the end, Covey shares another of his personal experience, about the development of his relationship with his wife; and this experience gives a clear idea about the enrichment of a person by nurturing the seven habits. Finally, he gives answers to some of the questions which are often asked to him, which gives more insight into his thinking process. He shares his learning process and the difficulties faced by him in cultivating the seven habits. Another unique feature of this book is the Problem/Opportunity Index, in which Covey explains how a particular problem can be solved by applying the principles discussed in the book. This direct relation of the solutions to the real life problems with the application of principles discussed in this book makes the experience of reading this book all the more exciting. When you read this book, you find yourself in a completely different environment, an environment of rich learning, a place where you can see a very unique mirror, a mirror in which you can see what is inside you, and this self-realization arouse in you a deep desire, a strong wish- to change, to adopt, and to cultivate the magical "seven habits"! I invite you to enter the most enriching phase of your life- the cultivation of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People".
The Dragonfighters of Kulamain
Karen M. Penn, Lulu Press
P.O. Box 2344, Napa, CA 94558
ISBN: 1411645685, $13.62, 154 pages
Tami Brady, Reviewer
http://tcm-ca.com/home.html
Two ordinary boys, Tory Hastings and George Googles, are suddenly thrown into a very extraordinary world. Tory and George had been told that their fathers had been close friends, just like themselves. That their fathers had died in a freak boating accident in which George's father had tried to save Tory's father's life.
Then, a few months before Tory's birthday, he learns that his father was a dragonfighter in an alternate reality called Kulamain. The boy learns he is also destined to follow in his father's footsteps. At the same time, George finds out that he is meant to be Tory's protectorant as his father was to Tory's father.
The Dragonfighters of Kulamain is a fun and exciting adventure in a world full of dragons and magic. I really enjoyed the fact that dragonfighters actually ride real dragons protected from extinction centuries ago. I can see the potential for lots of exciting adventures for Tory, George, and their fellow dragonfighters. I look forward to these adventures.
Waiting for Beethoven
Laurel Yourke
Marsh River Edition
M233 Marsh Rd., Marshfield, WI 54449
ISBN: 0971890978, $8.00, 45 pages
Susan Tollefson
Reviewer
Communion with the World
I love Laurel Yourke's poetry because it captures the full spectrum of human experience, from joy to sorrow, from lightness to darkness. She told me this collection, "Waiting for Beethoven," was written with an audience in mind that included people new to poetry. She hoped to entice such readers into poetry's pleasures with her warm, accessible voice and poems of every day life.
She has accomplished her goal and much more, giving us jewels of apparent simplicity that yield rich layers of meaning. She achieves her effects by drawing heavily upon the natural world, and through her use of metaphor, sensory language, and the range of subject matter--from smiling flowers to a magical polar bear her narrator sees in her office. She also surprises us with darkness of various forms surfacing just when the language lulls us into thinking everything is fine.
Her effective use of the natural world's splendors varies from an impending rain storm in the opening poem, "Waiting for Beethoven," to the swans in "Lake Furen, Hokkaido," to the hawk patrolling her back yard in "Wallace Stevens and the Hawk."
A master of metaphor, Yourke works the metaphor until all its sides and angles are revealed. Whether it's a poem about metaphor, "Milking Metaphor," where she confesses "Milking is hard work: Early mornings,/tired twilights" or "The voice of the sea pounds in time with the pulsing of your heart" in "Voyage of St. Brendan," she illuminates meaning with her deft weaving of metaphors into the poems.
The opening poem, "Waiting for Beethoven," captures the universal moment before something happens, made rich by the comparison between the hush before a storm and the "pause between the movements of sonatas." And that moment is exquisite with longing, not only for what happens next but for relishing the layers of the wait. "The interlude expands, expansive as a sigh." It's a poem everyone can relate to for we've all felt the charged quiet before a happening, relished the richness of anticipation. "The moment stretches, swells, elongates into/a silence heavy with sound - ." The ending lines almost, but not quite, release us from our longing with the promise of fulfillment, "the long instant/before the soft splash,/and then the thunder." But she doesn't release us fully, we are left with yearning.
"The Minnow" is my favorite poem because the reader takes a magical trip with the narrator, a trip of transformation, on the literal level, into a fish-like creature, on the metaphorical level into a self freed of daily concerns and moving toward the water of pure consciousness. I believe it is a metaphor for the poet becoming a poet. The poem is full of arresting images. The fish, which at first appears in her dreams, is "Dark, small, slimy, it seems to leak foul juices," suggesting that muck is necessary in the creative process.
And then "One morning she finds the fish swimming directly toward the iris of her eye…" This line delights with its surprise and venture into magical realism. The narrator is fertilized by its penetration and transforms into a "breathless, weightless" creature that swims "without a splash" toward "the starlight and the sea." The beauty of the closing image sends a shiver through the reader, makes her imagine herself as free, and lingers just the way a good poem should.
"Better Than Sex Cake" surprises with its juxtaposition of the lightness of the title with the ominous undertone of a winter morning baking where "...the yolk stares back from the bowl,/angry as an eye…"The narrator's self doubt surfaces through lovely, lyrical writing describing coalescing clouds "like winter skin" and a sun "spilling everywhere,/coloring everything, dazzling/". But the narrator literally loses her grip and the bowl goes flying and she wonders "When they decided/you can't eat too many eggs/and why she thought/she could make this cake." Amidst the lyricism of a winter morning baking a cake is the moment when the narrator feels discouraged by the stricture of "they" and even doubts her own abilities to make a cake so bold as to declare itself better than sex.
Another beautiful poem is "Her Hands," because it captures the poignancy of a mother's limited ability to protect her child. In the poem she can't soothe the pain in his ears, but the closing lines show the baby and mother crying "for all the coming lessons/on the limits of what her magic hands can do." Again, Yourke takes a universal and important truth for every mother and child and makes it so real we each stop and think to a moment when we couldn't protect our child and wince at the painful memory, the wound lanced through the lyricism of the poem itself.
Yourke's poetry presents the moment we all yearn for: that instant of communion with the world in all its mystery and splendor. And we are made better for the contact.
Atwood's Bookshelf
Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales
Valerie Paradiz
Basic Books
387 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10016-8810
ISBN: 0738209171, $23.00, 222 pp.
ISBN: 0465054919, $13.95
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were prolific German scholars, yet the work they are best known for, the one that will eternally bear their name was not actually authored by them. The genesis of the Grimm's "Children's and Household Fairy Tales," is the fascinating subject of Valerie Paradiz's new book, Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales.
The brothers Grimm could have gleaned the bulk of the tales from the dusty old books they were wont to frequent, but, spurred by German nationalism in an era of Napoleonic domination, they were searching for something simpler, richer, something more quintessentially German. They believed that a "Volk" spirit (i.e., the spirit of the commoner) could more accurately be found in the hearts and souls of young German women, who had heard the tales from their mothers and nannies. Although there were some male contributors, the focus of Paradiz's skillful narration traces the assemblage of "Children's and Household Fairy Tales" to at least twenty core female collaborators who provided the Grimms with over half of their stories, including some of the collection's most memorable: "Sleeping Beauty," "Little Red Riding Cap," and "The Goose Maid."
The real genius of Paradiz's book is her ability to interweave the fairy tales with the biography. For instance, the"The Singing Bone," a grisly tale of fratricide, was communicated to Wilhelm Grimm by his future wife,. Dortchen Wild (one of the book's main collaborators), while she and Wilhelm were embroiled in what appears to have been a lover's triangle with Ferdinand Grimm. The chapter entitled "The Six Swans" juxtaposes a tale of sisterly self-sacrifice with Lotte Grimm's unwillingness to be a domestic slave to her four brothers.
Paradiz is a something of a social historian as well as a German scholar (she includes many quotes directly from original source material), and her feminist slant is well taken. In addition to portraying the domestic woes of Lotte Grimm and the lack of credited authorship for most of the collection's female collaborators, she also successfully illustrates how the tales themselves portray the social inequity of those that told them. It was as if, in telling these stories to the Grimm brothers, the young women were "giving a voice to their voicelessness." Clever Maids is a scholarly but immensely readable work, and will captivate anyone interested in folk history, German scholarship, or women's studies.
The Prince's Diary
Renee Ting
illustrated by Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Shen's Books
Fremont California
ISBN: 1885008279, $16.95
What was Cinderella's handsome prince doing while his future lady was toiling away at her work and wishing for a way to the ball? The Prince's Diary, a sweet new picture book from Renee Ting and Elizabeth O. Dulemba, answers that question. The book gives a charming and humorous flip side to the famous fairy tale, showing the prince bored stiff by his mother's marriage schemes and by all the young lovelies who would like to be his bride. What would he like to do instead? He wants to visit the whistling, rag-bedecked girl he keeps spotting.. He doesn't know her name, but he writes in his diary, "I think I'll call her Cinderella."
Does the book take some liberties with the fairy tale? Definitely. There is a ball, a glass slipper, a prince, and a toiling girl named Cinderella (I mean Cynthia), but that's about it. Which is absolutely fine: folk tales are intrinsically changeable. The famous Disney film took incredible liberties with the story: the Grimm's collected tale "Ashenputtel" contained no fairy godmother at all, but a magic tree (which hinted at the ghostly existence of Cinderella's dead mother) that shook down magical dresses from its enchanted leaves.
Although the step-mother's evil intentions towards Cinderella are creepily palpable in the Disney version of the story, the film actually sapped the original tale of some of its darker elements (in the original tale, the step-sisters don't just get their hopes dashed, they get their feet bloodied and their eyes pecked out). The Prince's Diary goes a step further in lightening the story and gives us a cheery, unflappable Miss, who although apparently barred from the ball by her step-mother (and who doesn't make a gown-decked appearance at all), never lets her spirits droop and who never stops smiling.
Smile or no smile, the big question we must ask any version of the famous tale is this: does Cindy get her man? If a horse ride, shared blackberry scones, and furious step-relations are any indication, then this "Cinderella" hints at a happy ending worthy of all its predecessors. Elizabeth Dulemba's comical, perky drawings and Renee Ting's sweet text make this picture book a wonderful addition to the Cinderella tradition.
Kathryn Atwood
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
Better Homes And Gardens Biggest Book Of Diabetic Recipes
Meredith Books
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
0696225816 $19.95 www.bhgbooks.com
The newest cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens, this culinary compendium of more than 300 recipes specially designed for the nutritional needs and restrictions imposed by diabetes is spiral bound, features easy-to-read type for comfortable cooking, is enhanced with 32 full-color photos, notes total carb counts for every recipe, offers "doable" strategies for managing diabetes from counting exchanges to tracking down hidden sugar, and is ideal for planning meals on a daily and weekly basis. From Asparagus & Potato Skillet; Spiced Pot Roast with Root Vegetables; Cilantro Chicken with Peanuts; and Spicy Jalapeno-Shrimp Pasta; to Acorn Squash Bisque; Lasagna with Zucchini & Walnuts; Southwestern Breakfast Tostadas; and Cherry Cobbler with Corn Bread Biscuits, each recipes comprising Better Homes And Gardens Biggest Book Of Diabetic Recipes, has preparation times, bake times, oven temperatures, number of servings, and "Exchanges" information. If you have a diabetic in your family, then your kitchen cookbook collection would be wonderfully enhanced for them and your whole family's dining experience with the inclusion of the Better Homes And Gardens Biggest Book Of Diabetic Recipes!
Grazing
Julie Van Rosendaal
Whitecap Books, Ltd.
351 Lynn Avenue, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7J 2C4
096875631X $19.95 1-888-980-9852 www.whitecap.ca
Julie Van Rosendaal began developing low-fat recipes with her father (a doctor with high cholesterol and an insatiable sweet tooth) at an early age. After years of researching and experimenting in the Kitchen, Julie began to create still delicious but nonetheless healthier dishes of high-fat, high-calorie dishes and baked goods. She also started to live a healthier lifestyle and dropped 165 pounds. In "Grazing", Julie has compiled the best of her easy-to- prepare, low-fat, portable, good and good for your recipes for "finger food" dishes that take less time than ordering a pizza. Eating smaller meals and snacks over the course of the day (rather than two or three big ones) is a standard eating pattern for today's busy men and women. With the help of "Grazing", this culinary life-style can turn out to be the healthiest and most convenient way to eat!
The Healthy Beef Cookbook
Betsy Hornick
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
0471738816 $21.95 1-800-225-5945 www.wiley.com
Betsy Hornick, with the assistance of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the American Dietetic Association, and Richard Chamberlain (owner and head chef of Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House in Dallas, Texas), has compiled more than 130 lean beef recipes and presents them within the pages of The Healthy Beef Cookbook. Lean beef is low in fat and an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals. When prepared properly, lean beef is as nutritious and healthy as it is tasty and delicious. From Dijon-Wine Steak Kabobs with Mushroom Wild Rice; Tenderloin, Cranberry, and Pear Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing; Mediterranean Burgers with Hummus; and Ancho Chili-Rubbed Beef Steaks; to Bow Tie Pasta with Beef and Beans; Beef and Broccoli Soup; Roasted Herb- Rubbed Beef Tri-Tip with Orange and Red Onion Salt; and Five-Spice Tenderloin Steaks with Creamy Polenta, here are recipes suited for any family or celebratory dining occasion. Enhanced with appendices ranging from "The Skinny on Beef and Health", to "Beef Basics from the Experts", "Easy Steps to Cooking Lean Beef", "Guide to Using Alternative Cuts of Lean Beef in Recipes", "Quick Guide to Matching a Beef Cut with a Recipe"; and "Measurements and Equivalents", The Healthy Beef Cookbook is a highly recommended and guaranteed popular addition to any personal kitchen cookbook collection!
Ajanta: Regional Feasts Of India
Lachu Moorjani
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
1586857770 $34.95 1-800-748-5439 www.gibbs-smith.com
A seasoned expert in the cuisine of India and owner of the Ajanta restaurant in Berkeley, California, Lachu Moorjani draws upon a lifetime of culinary experience in Ajanta: Regional Feasts Of India, a superbly presented and beautifully illustrated compendium of authentic Indian dishes made thoroughly accessible to even the most novice kitchen cook through clear, methodical, step-by-step instructions. With recipes organized regionally and ranging from side dishes like Baingan Bharta (Purred Roasted Eggplant with Onions, Tomatoes and Spices); to fancy breads such as Naan (Flat Bread made with Leavened Dough); to gourmet quality entrees including Marzwangan Korma (Lamb Cooked in Red Pepper and Tamarind Sauce), Ajanta: Regional Feasts Of India would make an elegant, sophisticated, and enduringly popular addition to both personal and community library kitchen cookbook collections.
Checkered Flag Cooking
Kent Whitaker
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
1893062767 $16.95 1-800-343-1583 www.quailridge.com
With "Checkered Flag Cooking: An Insider's Guide To Tailgating At The Races", Kent Whitaker has combined his passion for great cooking with his passion for race car events to produce an impressive collection of recipes ideal for tailgate dining, grilling, and race-day cookouts. Far more than just assemble of burger and rib recipes, Checkered Flag Cooking features dishes suitable for breakfasts, appetizers, includes dips and sauces, as well as beverages. Enhanced with profiles and photos of drivers, crew members, fans and officials, Checkered Flag Cooking also features "Top Ten Foods for Tailgating; "Racing Words Ya Gotta Know"; and a "Guide to Racing Flags. From Easy Breakfast Burritos to Zip-Close Messy Omelets; from Mini Pizzas to Smoked Sausage Bites; from Cajun Butter Grilled Shrimp to Mushroom Beef and Noodles; from Pancake Mix Cookie Bars to Peanut Butter Brownie Sandwiches, Checkered Flag Cooking is a "must" for anyone wanting to dine with delight and diversity as a part of their competition car racing experience.
The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book
Kymythy R. Schultze
Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
1401903517 $14.95 1-800-654-5126 www.hayhouse.com
The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book is an impressive compendium of delicious and "kitchen cook friendly" recipes for people and their animal companions. After the opening chapter "In the Kitchen and at the Market", Kymythy Schultze organizes and lays out her recipes into chapters devoted to Beverages; Dressings, Dips, Sauces, and Salsas; Fruit; Meat and Fish; Nuts and Seeds; Soups; and Vegetables. Beautifully illustrated with color photography throughout, the recipes range from the simple "Melon Mania" to the more complex "Great Pumpkin Soup". Of special note are the two appendices: "Shopping List" and "Resources". The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book is especially and enthusiastically recommended to those who like to prepare delicious meals for themselves, their friends and their families, that their animal companions would also find of interest and nutritional value.
The American Cancer Society's Healthy Eating Cookbook
American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
0944235573 $24.95 www.cancer.org www.amazon.com
Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, The American Cancer Society's Healthy Eating Cookbook is packed from cover to cover with more than 300 simple, nutritious, delicious, "kitchen cook friendly" recipes that reflect the latest research and recommendations for healthy eating and healthy living. Some of the dishes are from friends and celebrities in the worlds of entertainment, sports, and business. From appetizers like Ginge3r Steak Rumaki; to soups like Mock Sour Cream; to salads including Vivica Fox's Perfect Caesar Salad; to poultry dishes like Herb-Baked Chicken; to seafood entrees such as Ed Begley Jr.'s New Orleans Catfish; to pastas like Creamy Fettucini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes; to vegetarian dishes like Chinese Meatless Balls; to chili's and stews like Robert Hook's Hot Hollywood Chili; to salsas including Pineapple, Peach, and Jalapeno Salsa; to side dishes featuring Turkish Tomatoes and Rice; to magnificent desserts like Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake, The American Cancer Society's Healthy Eating Cookbook is a compendium of fine dining recipes that will satisfy any appetite and please any palate. Enhanced with "Simple Tips in the Kitchen", budget and "best buy" shopping tips, healthy eating ideas, even quick tricks for judging portion sizes, The American Cancer Society's Healthy Eating Cookbook is an important, popular, and enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal or community library's kitchen cook collection!
The Breastfeeding Answer Book: Pocket Guide Edition
Nancy Mohrbacher
La Leche League International
PO Box 4079, Schaumburg, IL 60168-4079
0976896915 $37.95 1-847-592-7554 www.llli.org
This handy, highly portable, and thoroughly "user friendly" edition of The Breastfeeding Answer Book by Nancy Mohrbacher (an accredited La Leche League Leader and international board-certified lactation consultant) is a core reference for anyone working in the field of lactation. The information is current, definitive, and organized for quick and easy reference. Nancy Mohrbacher has breastfed her own three boys for well over a year, and has been working with breastfeeding families since 1982. President of the Northern Illinois Lactation Consultant Association, she draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to compile, write and organize the best breastfeeding reference in the field today -- one which can confidently be recommended for anyone with an interest in medical, emotional, cultural, and familial breastfeeding issues.
Competitions for Talented Kids
Frances A. Karnes and Tracy L. Riley
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
1593631561 $17.95 1-800-998-2208 www.prufrock.com
Competitions for Talented Kids is a straightforward listing of more than 140 competitions in academics, fine and performing arts, leadership, and service learning. Each listing is 1-2 pages in length and includes details such as address, website, and contact information for the contest; a brief description; which children are eligible; how to enter; judging criteria; winner notifications; awards; general advice; and more. A small part of Competitions for Talented Kids is consumable, inviting kids to write down goals for a competition, lists of things they need, and more. A supplementary list of helpful resources rounds out this practical and useful reference guide for helping kids get involved in honing their talents and becoming the best they can be.
Hot Air Balloon
Vanessa Trien
c/o Waldmania!
130 Maywood Drive, San Francisco, CA 94127
CD $15.00 www.vanessatrien.com
Expertly produced, flawlessly engineered and mixed by Neale Eckstein at the Fox Run Studio, Hot Air Balloon showcases eleven original and lively songs written and performed by Vanessa Trien that are certain to delight, entertain, and even teach their young listeners as they embark on a kind of musical journey that draws upon a mix of blues, pop, bluegrass, acoustic folk, country, and old-time rock-n-roll! Enthusiastically recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library CD music collections, the pieces comprising this outstanding "feel good" CD include Hello World; Good Morning!; Rockin' Rocket; Backward Alphabet Craze; Bluenanas and Bananaberries; Dance Our Blues Away; Wyona Wide; End of the Line; Await the Day; Island in the Sun; and the title piece, Hot Air Balloon.
Smart Apple Media
c/o The Creative Company
123 South Broad Street, Mankato, MN 56001
"Action for the Environment" ($216.80 list, $151.60 library) is an eight volume series of books specifically providing accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of environmental threats, problems and issues. Enhanced with full-color photography, charts, and illustrations in full support of a 32-page "reader friendly" text designed for students with grade 4 reading skills and higher, this outstanding series consists of Clear Air (1583405941); Energy Supplies (1583405976); Food For All (1583405984); Garbage Disposal (158340595X); Protecting Habitats (158340600X); Saving Wildlife (1583405968); Transportation Solutions (1583405992); and Water Supplies (1583406018). Special "Action Stations" highlight the campaigns of various environmental organizations and suggest practical steps young readers can take to reduce environmental destruction. Additionally, each volume has its own table of contents, index, glossary, sidebars, and thematically appropriate Internet websites. Although each volume is available individually ($217.10 list; $18.95 library), school and community libraries would be well advised to acquire the entire set to accommodate their young patrons needing a good reference resource when writing papers or studying specific environmental issues.
The Pesky Bird
Marianne Markarian & Margaret Markarian Wasielewski
Pomegranate Publishing
PO Box 84, Carpinteria, CA 93013
0976737701 $16.00 www.pomegranatepublishing.com
Imaginatively written by Marianne Markarian for young readers ages 8 to 12, "The Pesky Bird" is an entertaining story with a theme about social acceptance, set in a small Armenian village in the early 1900s. Nicely enhanced with Margaret Wasielweski's softly drawn images, this is the story of young Marion, who loves to climb trees, but is forbidden to do so now that she has come of age. But tree climbing is a temptation that is hard to resist and Marion soon finds herself caught in a sticky situation. But it turns out to be one that clever Mariam can find a solution to. "The Pesky Bird" is a pleasantly told and highly entertaining picturebook story that would make an excellent addition to both school and community library collections.
On That Christmas Night
Mary Joslin & Helen Cann
Good Books
PO Box 419, Intercourse, PA 17534-0419
1561484946 $16.00 1-800-762-7171 www.goodbks.com
With "On That Christmas Night", children's author Mary Joslin retells the traditional Christmas story with due reverence, mystery, and awe in recreating for young readers that holy night when Baby Jesus was born. From Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay for the night, to the arrival of three wise men from the East who came bearing gifts for the newborn King, "On That Christmas Night" tells the complete story of the first Christmas. Enhanced with the charmingly memorable artwork of Helen Cann, "On That Christmas Night" is a very special and highly recommended contribution to family and community library Christmas picturebook collections.
The Legend Of The Christmas Kiss
Barbie Jenkins & Joyce Revoir
Howard Publishing Company
3117 North 7th Street, West Monroe, LA 71291-2227
158229450X $13.99 1-800-858-4109 www.howardpublishingdealer.com
The text of "The Legend Of The Christmas Kiss" by Barbie Jenkins is a poem, beautifully illustrated by the artwork of Joyce Revoir. This is the picturebook story of how the angels sent a beautiful snowfall on the very first Christmas when one little angel wanted to bless the newborn Jesus with the gift of her kiss. But something special happened to her kiss after passing through the clouds below. It became a glistening speck, drifting down and landing on the Christ child's cheek. Then a multitude of angels added their kisses to hers, and the earth is covered in a true winter wonderland. "The Legend Of The Christmas Kiss" is a unique and welcome addition to the growing library of Christmas theme picturebooks. for young children and their parents.
Misha and Marie are thrilled that Christmas is coming and there will be a party with dancing in the family barn. Marie receives a wooden nutcracker from her Uncle Nikolai as a present. On Christmas Eve, Misha and Marie are in bed and beset with nightmares. But then they are rescued by the Nutcracker Prince, swept up into the realm of the Snow Queen and come to the palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy for a night of wonders. A magnificent addition to any family, school, or community library Christmas picturebook collection, "The Nutcracker" is a classic Christmas story that is beautifully retold by internationally renowned ballerina Karen Kain and marvelously illustrated by the museum quality artwork of Rajka Kupesic.
Apple Tree Christmas
Trinka Hakes Noble
Sleeping Bear Press
c/o Thomson Gale
15822 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite C, San Diego, CA 92127-2320
1585362700 $16.95 1-800-231-5163 www.thomson.com
Originally published more than twenty years ago, "Apple Tree Christmas" is an entertainingly written picturebook by award-winning children's book author Trinka Hakes Noble which is enhanced with her watercolor artistry. The old apple tree on the Ansterburg family farm next to their barn had provided sweet apples for pies and apple butter. It's twining vines provided a place to swing and climb. And one special branch was Katrina's spot to sit and sketch and daydream of her future as an artist. But just before Christmas, an ice storm brought down the lovely old tree, and along with it, Katrina's special place to draw and create and dream. Christmas will be ruined this year and for many years to come! Until Papa did some very special things that enabled the old apple tree to continue as a part of an Ansterburg Christmas. Sweet, charming, entertaining, Sleeping Bear Press is to be congratulated for bringing Trinka Hakes Noble's "Apple Tree Christmas" back into print for the Christmas season enjoyment of a whole new generation of young readers.
Bethlehem Night
Julie Stiegemeyer & Gina Capaldi
Concordia Publishing House
3558 South Jefferson Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63118-3968
0758609078 $12.99 1-800-325-3040 www.cph.org
The New Testament story of Jesus birth as recorded in Luke 2:1-20 is deftly told by Julie Stiegemeyer for young readers preschool through first grade. Beautifully illustrated by Gina Capaldi, "Bethlehem Night" is inspiring, entertaining, ideal for parents reading to their children, and a simply lovely addition to any family, Sunday School, or community library Christmas picturebook collection.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
A Complicated Kindness
Miriam Toews
BTC Audio Books
c/o Goose Lane Editions
469 King Street, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 1E5
0864923279 $24.95 1-888-926-8377 www.gooselane.com
Driving aimlessly around the countryside with her pot-smoking boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Nomi Nickel rages against her runaway mother deserting her, the imposition of English assignments by her teacher, and fate in general. Brilliantly narrated by Cara Pifko, technically flawless production values, and a strongly recommended addition to community library audiobook collections, A Complicated Kindness is Miriam Toews' deftly written novel about a teenage girl going AWOL in Mennonite Country which is now available in a 3-disc CD format with a total running time of four hours.
The Gift of the Hawk
Randy Lundy
Coteau Books
2517 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK, Canada, S4P 0T2
1550503030 $10.95 1-800-440-4471 www.coteaubooks.com
The Gift of the Hawk is a collection of brief, free-verse poems that search for truth amid darkness, violence, and death, and rejoice in the joy of love amid a complex world. Some poems employ artful spacing to better convey their rhythm and impact, while others place stark meaning in a frame of few words. The Gift of the Hawk is best read in one fell swoop, yet its message reverberates with lingering complexity. "Epitaph for an Unwritten Poem": - a tiny fossil / from a prehistoric sea / locked forever / in my quiet heart - // cold stone.
Razor Digital Entertainment
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$14.99 each, color, www.411videoinfo.com
Three "Dance Inspired Yoga" DVDs from Razor Digital Entertainment demonstrate smooth, gentle workouts designed to relieve stress, improve flexibility, and leave the practitioner feeling relaxed and revitalized. Alive in Your Body (159552164X, 60 min.) offers a full-length, beginning workout to increase energy flow and promote improved balance and well-being in mind, body and soul. Rejuvinating Core Stretch (1595521658, 30 min.) focuses on simple, flowing movements, specific breathing techniques, and mind body focus to promote both internal and external harmony. 7 Essential Stress Relievers (1595521666, 60 min.) presents exercises that can be followed daily as an antidote to tension, many of which can be done right at one's desk. Hosted by choreographer and fitness expert Michelle LeMay, who personally transformed her own exercise regimen from heavy duty aerobics and weight training to this less stressful form of fitness that helped her alleviate pain from old injuries, the Dance Inspired Yoga series is highly recommended for men and women of all ages and fitness levels.
Dogwise Publishing
PO Box 2778, Wenatchee, WA 98807-2778
$29.95 each, 1-800-776-2665 www.dogwisepublishing.com
Dog conformation and gait expert Rachel Page Elliott, the first recipient of the American Kennel Club's Lifetime Achievement Award, presents two DVDs that carefully analyze the movements of different breeds of dogs with both black-and-white and color footage. Dogsteps: What To Look For in a Dog (1929242255, $29.95, 65 min.) is the companion to Elliott's award-winning book of the same name, and features canine subjects photographed in slow motion, performing various gates as well as tasks for which they have been bred. Anatomical diagrams and film clips of both still and moving X-rays offer an in-depth look at the bone and joint motion inside a dog. Canine Cineradiography: A Study of Bone and Joint Motion as Seen through Moving X-Rays (1929242263, $29.95) further supplement the Dogsteps book and DVD with an extensive examination of canine bone and joint movement, featuring individually selected, filmed, and fluoroscoped dogs moving on a speed-controlled treadmill in a specially designed laboratory. Plain text captions and graphic effects further enhance the explanation of a veterinarian as to how variances in canine structure help or hinder performance. Both DVDs are especially recommended for veterinarians, dog breeders, and dog show judges and enthusiasts alike.
Story Watchers Club Adventures in Storytelling: Keys to Imagination!
Sax Media Group
Andrea Blain Public Relations (publicity)
9750 Crawford Ave., Skokie, IL 60076
0977034305 $19.95 www.storywatchersclub.com
Story Watchers Club Adventures in Storytelling: Keys to Imagination! is the latest in a DVD series designed to introduce young viewers ages 5-12 to the amazing wonders of storytelling, as practiced by different cultures worldwide and used to entertain, teach, and bring laughter. A multi-cultural clubhouse for kids of all races and backgrounds forms the stage from which award-winning storytellers such as "Bob" of The Story Peddlers and Barbara Schutzgruber bring fanciful tales to life. From dancing polar bears to Cinderella from the Fairy Godmother's point of view to how amazing creations of folded paper or string figures can vividly bring a story to life, the tales in Keys to Imagination! are sure to captivate young audiences. DVD special features include a "meet the storytellers" segment, a sing-along music video, a behind the scenes vignette, and clips of children telling stories. A wonderfully stimulating exercise in creativity, especially recommended for families and youth clubs. 45 min, color.
Wonders of the Asian World: Cambodia, Thailand & Laos
Schlessinger Media
7 East Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-0580
141710337X $29.95 1-800-843-3620 www.schlessinger.com
The latest addition to Schlessinger Media's Wonders of the Asian World DVD series, Wonders of the Asian World: Cambodia, Thailand & Laos explores the most treasured sites of Southeast Asia, from the famous temples of the Khmer Empire at Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom of Cambodia, to the ancient capitals Sukhothai and Ayutthaya of Thailand, to the ages old capital city Luang Prabang of Laos, which features an amazing blend of traditional Lao and colonial European architecture. A beautiful tour of great architecture, Buddhist monasteries, and the rich traditions of cultures from centuries past, Wonders of the Asian World is breathtaking viewing and also suitable as an educational show for young people in grades 7 & up, with an available online teacher's guide, closed-captioning, sample discussion questions and activities on the DVD, and English and Spanish language tracks. Highly recommended. 62 min., color.
Photographs In The Mud
Dianne Wolfer & Brian Harrison-Lever
Fremantle Arts Centre Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
1920731202 $24.25 1-800-944-6190 www.isbscatalog.com
In 1942 war raged in Papua New Guinea between the Japanese army and Australian forces. There have been any number of excellent military histories and biographies on this particular facet of World War II. But Dianne Wolfer's "Photographs In The Mud" (superbly illustrated throughout by Brian Harrison-Lever) is the first and best attempt to show young readers the heartbreak and tragedy of war as seen through the eyes and family photographs of ordinary soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Jack said goodbye to his wife joined other Australian soldiers trying to halt the advance of the Japanese army. Hoshi bid his wife and baby daughter farewell and fought many battles with his comrades. War changes men. Sometimes for the worse. Sometimes forever. A strongly recommended addition to grade school and community library picturebook collections (especially in this time of global conflict that finds American men and women far from home on a number of foreign battlefields), "Photographs In The Mud" is an even handed and heart wrenching treatment alternating Jack and Hoshi's respective experiences, hardships, and loneliness as they were to eventual face each other in mortal combat.
Teachers, Change Your Bait!
Martha Kaufeldt
Crown House Publishing
PO Box 2223, Williston, VT 05495-2223
1904424619 $24.95 1-877-925-1213 www.CHPUS.com
Specifically written for classroom teachers and curriculum developers for grades K through 12 by Martha Kaufedlt (an experienced classroom educator, including the responsibilities of having been the lead teacher and restructuring coordinator for a demonstration brain-compatible school), Teachers, Change Your Bait!: Brain-Compatible Differentiated Instruction explains how teachers can apply brain-compatible learning theory in a practical manner to ensure that no child is truly left behind in the classroom. Chapters discuss how to develop accurate student profiles, how to adapt presentation and content to the different tastes of individual students, how to help students show what they know and have learned in order to best plan further instruction according to their needs, and much more. A cornucopia of valuable ideas for hooking student interest and helping a classroom full of dramatically different students function smoothly.
The Island: Ireland from the Air
Pop Twist Entertainment
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
www.poptwist.com
1568392664 $24.95 www.janson.com
The Island: Ireland from the Air is a gorgeous DVD tour of the Irish landscape, filmed entirely from the air to reveal how water, earth, and stone have formed the rugged character of "the island". Featuring many dramatic locations never before filmed on television or video, ancient tombs, medieval castles, and 5,000 year-old stone circles, sea cliffs, plunging valleys, remote mountains, and more, The Island is a breathtaking visual experience accompanied by an original music score composed by Brian Byrne and performed by the RTE concert orchestra. A commentary narrated by Cathal O'Shannon rounds out this dazzling tribute to the stellar beauty of the Ireland. 80 min., color.
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
Betty's Bookshelf
The Magdalen
Marita Conlon-McKenna
A Forge Book/Tom Doherty Associates:
New York, NY
ISBN: 0765305135, $14.95
Nowadays, children are conceived out of wedlock every day in this country and when the mothers decide to keep and raise them, as I did, no one even raises an eyebrow. But what was it like in Ireland in the middle of the twentieth century, when a woman got pregnant and didn't marry? Marita Conlon-McKenna's book, The Magdalen, paints a disturbing picture of life in Dublin's Holy Saints Convent, one of the homes to which "fallen women" (called "Magdalens", after Mary Magdalen, a fallen woman whom Jesus once befriended) were sent by their shamed families to live during their pregnancies. There, as they await the coming of their babies, the Maggies are nominally cared for by the celibate and childless nuns who look down on them and force them to work from morning to night cooking and cleaning in the convent and doing the laundry of the townspeople, who prize their work as they shun and mock the Maggies themselves.
The mothers only get to stay with their babies for a few weeks before being forced to send them to the orphanage. The lucky babies will be adopted by God-fearing Catholic women who are properly married and can offer a "good" home. The rest will be raised in the orphanage, with the girls who grow up there returning to the convent to work in the laundries until they die, without ever knowing any other life. What becomes of the Maggies themselves? Some of them, with no place else to go, stay there until they grow old and die. Others leave and go back to the lives that brought them there in the first place. Esther Doyle, the book's main character, is determined that she will be different. She will have and keep her baby and she will make a new and better life for herself - but first, she has to survive her pregnancy and the horrors of life as a Magdalen.
Conlon-McKenna's writing pulls the reader immediately into the sad, claustrophobic world of Esther Doyle and it doesn't let her up for air until the last page, at which point any reader with a heart will be rooting for Esther and the rest of the Maggies. An unwed mother with no family or husband to help her needs someone to turn to for support, and if she decides to give that baby up for a chance at a better life, she desperately needs someone who is willing to walk with her through that difficult decision without making her feel worse. All the women in the Magdalen homes found was sorrow and harshness. Reading this book made me remember again why the local crisis pregnancy center has my whole-hearted support - it offers practical services to needy pregnant women, services given free of charge, with gentleness, and in Christian love.
The Black Swan
Mercedes Lackey
Daw Books, Inc.
375 Hudson St., New York, NY, 10014
http://www.dawbooks.com
ISBN: 0886778905, $7.99, 416 pp.
Sci fi author Mercedes Lackey is more than just a writer. She is also intimately familiar with the habits of wild birds, due to her work as a licensed wild bird rehabilitator, and they tend to show up in many of her books. In The Black Swan, she shares with her readers her knowledge of swans, owls, and raptors as she retells the story of Swan Lake.
Odile, the sorceress daughter of Baron Eric von Rothbart (himself a master sorceror), is the black swan of the title. Appointed by her father to be the guardian of his swans, she struggles with her duty to the flock and her need to become a powerful sorceress in her own right (which she believes will finally earn her her father's love and approval). Von Rothbart's swans were all once human females. Now, they only exist in human form by the light of the moon, since each has been bewitched by Von Rothbart in revenge for unspecified acts of unfaithfulness that each girl is guilty of.
Lackey does not clearly state why von Rothbart is so bitterly opposed to faihtlessness among women, or why he is so sure that no woman (not even Odile) is in the end trustworthy, but the way he has all violets on his property rooted up and destroyed (the same violets that Odile faintly remembered perfuming her long-gone lady mother) makes one suspect that his wife had been less than true.
At any rate, his life mission now is one of revenge on all womankind, as he hunts down and collects faithless women for his enchanted flock, which he uses (along with his unwittingly drained daughter) for some of his magic power. Since he believes that no one can really be trusted to be faithful, he isn't worried about losing when he offers the flock one desperate hope for freedom: if one of them can entice a man to fall in love with her and pledge eternal faithfulness, despite knowing who and what she is and why she has been ensorcelled, and he can then remain faithful to her and to his pledge of loving none other for one full month, von Rothbart will set the swan-maidens free from their enchantment. If her suitor fails (or she does), the flock (amd the magic power they represent) will belong to von Rothbart until the end of time.
Then, a handsome prince, Siiegfried, stumbles upon the flcok at moonlight and falls madly in love with Odette. Siegfried is known for his womanizing and inability to stick to one owman for long, but this time he seems to be in love, and the flock believes their freedom is near.
However, Von Rothbart is not worried. He knows Siefried's character - indeed, he set up the meeting with Odette himself - and he has his own plans laid. and when they come to fruition, the swan-maidens will be his for all time.
However, a big part of his plan involves his daughter, Odile, and that might not be such a good idea. Once desperate for his approbation and love and approving of his treatment of the faithful swan-maidens, she has begun to rethink things on the long, stressful trip her father forces her and the flock to undergo. As the flock depends on Odile for protection and shelter, she comes to see them in a different light, and she and Odette forge first a grudging respect for each other and then, a reluctant affection. But when the trip is over, will their new relationship hold when von Rothbart's plans stand clearly revealed? Or will the Black Swan prove she is worthy to be her father's daughter?
Betty Winslow
Reviewer
Bob's Bookshelf
Girl Trouble
Christopher McDougall
Rayo/HarperCollins
ISBN: 006081909X, $12.95. 278 pages
Subtitled "The True Saga of Superstar Gloria Trevi and the Secret Teenage Sex Cult That Stunned the World", this is an account of how a chart-topping superstar ended up in a Brazilian prison for five years. In 2004 Trevi was cleared of rape and kidnapping charges and left prison but the damage was already done; her career was in shambles. McDougall's narrative charts the rise and fall of the Mexican pop star while also addressing the often disputed extent of Trevi's involvement in the sex-slave scandal. Although the focus is on Trevi, a larger issue McDougall brings into focus is the mindset of the music industry superstars who are guided and advised by svengalis whose wishes they follow to the last letter. Why these individuals are so easily manipulated is also discussed.
My Brother's Keeper
Patricia McCormick
Hyperion
ISBN: 0786851732, $15.99
Toby Malone's family is definitely in serious trouble. The boy's father has left and his mother is deeply depressed. Things go from bad to worse when Toby realizes his older brother Jake is becoming dependent on drugs just the way his father was with alcohol. Because he idolizes his brother, Toby tries to cover up for Jake but that only makes the situation worse. In this novel aimed at a teenage audience, Patricia McCormick investigates the real life issues of divorce, separation, divided loyalties, puberty, and drug abuse. Unfortunately, all of these things are factors in many youngsters' lives today.
The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy
Jay Bonansinga
Citadel Press
ISBN: 0806526483, $14.95, 280 pages
It was a disaster that claimed more lives than the Chicago Fire, yet the the sinking of the S.S. Eastland in the Chicago River ninety years ago has been overshadowed by many other disasters that actually claimed fewer lives . In this new look at the tragedy Jay Bonansinga chronicles the events leading up to the terrible event and its aftermath.
A city block in length and standing almost fifty feet high, the Eastland was Chicago's premier cruise ship which took people on excursions on Lake Michigan. On July 24th, as over 2,000 employees of Western Electric Company crowded on board the docked vessel, the doomed ship leaned back toward its dock, then plunged sideways and capsized. A total of 844 men, women, and children died as horrified bystanders watched and then launched a futile rescue effort.
Filled with the gripping stories of the survivors and rescue workers, Bonansiga's narrative also investigates the ship's history, providing an analysis of the how modifications of the vessel allowed it to carry more passengers at the expense of safety. Reading like a novel, this riveting account of the Eastland tragedy sheds light on an event that is pretty much unheard of outside of Chicago today.
The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape Your Creative Muscles
Edited by Peggy Can Pelt
Disney
ISBN: 0786855541, $15.95
Here's a fun way to stimulate the creativity while learning new ways to problem-solve tasks or assignments. The one page exercises in the book come from a host of Disney Imagineers who have made a career of turning fantastical ideas into magical realities. They point the way to creatively overcoming the challenges faced in not only the "creative" realm but also the everyday workplace. No matter the reader's age, the advice proffered by these experts is intended to assist in inspiring new approaches with interactive, ingenious, and practical methodology for creatively attacking a problem.
Bob Walch
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
Only Make Believe
Howard Keel with Joyce Spizer
Barricade Books, Inc.
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
1569802920 $24.95 1-800-592-6657 www.barricadebooks.com
The autobiography of the late Howard Keel (1919-2004), Only Make Believe: My Life In Show Business was written with the assistance of creative writing instructor and former private investigator Joyce Spizer. Keel was a star during the golden age of Hollywood musicals, yet he is perhaps most renowned to younger generations for his decade-long role of Clayton Farlow on the wildly popular television show "Dallas". From his rough beginnings as the sun of a coal miner who committed suicide when Keel was a young boy, to his first "big break" courtesy of Oscar Hammerstein II when he was cast in the role of Billy Bigelow in the Broadway production of Carousel, to his American film debut and unsteady personal life, affairs with Hollywood's leading ladies, and three marriages. The true story, in his own words, of an actor who saw his rising star fall with the decline in popularity of musicals, only to make it rise again.
White Justice In Arizona
Clare V. McKanna Jr.
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
0896725545 $27.95 1-800-832-4042 www.ttup.ttu.edu
Clare V. McKanna Jr. has been teaching Native American history at San Diego State University since 1987. In White Justice In Arizona: Apache Murder Trials In The Nineteenth Century, McKanne Jr. focuses upon how the judicial system of nineteenth-century Arizona denied Apaches justice. Apaches learned the hard way that their customs and methods for maintaining social control were drastically at odds with a new, alien, and mystifying legal system. Many did not know English, and the public defenders appointed to them were largely inexperienced or neglectful, as there was no money to be made representing indigent clients. White settlers and juries had been conditions to believe, through popular culture, word of mouth, and sensationalized newspaper headlines, that Apaches were the most dangerous and bloodthirsty of Native Americans; and so any Apache accused of killing a white person was likely to be treated as a blood enemy to be destroyed in the all-white courts, rather than innocent until proven guilty. A stark, sharply critical, and edifying look at the iniquities of false justice.
The War On Truth
Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed
Olive Branch Press
c/o Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
1566565960 $20.00 www.interlinkbooks.com
The War On Truth: 9/11, Disinformation And The Anatomy Of Terrorism by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed (Executive Direction of the Institute for Policy Research & Development, Brighton, England) is the sequel to "The War on Freedom" and provides the most comprehensive critique of the American government's official version of what happened when al-Qaeda operatives attacked the United States. The War On Truth draws upon government documents, whistle blower testimony, and the findings of official inquiries to analysis both the initial attack, its precedents (such as the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center in New York), and the subsequent "War on Terror" launched by the Bush administration and its allies. Written from a decidedly Islamic perspective, The War On Truth is informed and informative reading for anyone studying international terrorism, national security, and the clandestine machinery of Western power. Other highly recommended works by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed include "The War on Freedom: How & Why America was Attacked: September 11, 2001" and "Behind the War on Terror: Western Secret Strategy and the Struggle for Iraq.
The Devil and the Disappearing Sea
Rob Ferguson
Raincoast Books
9050 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6P 6E5
1551927373 $15.95 raincoast.com
The Devil and the Disappearing Sea or, How I Tried to Stop the World's Worst Ecological Catastrophe is the true story of the Aral Sea disaster - an ecological breakdown in Central Asia that has caused the world's fourth largest body of water to shrink to 20% of its 1960 size. Experts predict that it will vanish by 2020, to the lethal detriment of the many people who need its water to survive. Author Rob Ferguson went to work on an environmental project to save the Aral Sea in January 2000; at every turn he met corruption, bureaucratic obstacles, inefficient local environmental authorities who cared more about protecting their own pride than the vanishing sea, and the Russian mafia. By the time he was forced to leave Central Asia, he was under suspicion for murder. The Devil and the Disappearing Sea weaves the sad but true story with dark comic flare, and is wildly entertaining even as it is disheartening about hope for humanity's ability to co-exist with nature. Perhaps most terrifying is the author's measured predictions of a future global water crisis, as ecological mismanagement expands deserts and overwhelms fresh water supplies. Though The Devil and the Disappearing Sea is written to bring its message especially to lay readers, this cautionary tale is also emphatically recommended for ecological and environmental studies lists, and a "must-read" for anyone involved in an environmental conservation project, particularly those taking place in unfamiliar cultures overseas.
Top Shelf Productions
PO Box 1282, Marietta, GA 30061-1282
1-770-425-0551 www.topshelfcomix.com
Six new titles from Top Shelf Productions are especially recommended to the attention of comix and graphic novel enthusiasts. Rick Koslowski's "The King" (1891830651, $19.95) is a unique story of an enigmatic Elvis impersonator who's making his reputation in the Vegas strip and in the world. A mystery man who hides his face behind a golden helmet, his performances are mesmerizing, so much so that his fans start believing he really is Elvis Presley. When a former tabloid journalist makes it his personal mission to find out The King's true identity and debunk this strange performer's comeback as Elvis, he runs into more than he bargained for! Alex Robinson's "Tricked" (1891830732, $19.95) follows the lives of six unusual people in a story structure that is as complex as it is innovated! Also by Alex Robinson, a new edition of "Box Office Poison" (1891830198, $29.95) is a 608-page graphic novel for the mature reader with its themes of dreary jobs, comic books, love, sex, messy apartments, girlfriends, undisclosed pasts, and crusty old professionals. Aaron Reiner's "Spiral-Bound" (1891830503, $14.95) is a deftly drawn and written graphic novel featuring memorable and occasionally outrageous ensemble cast. Part of his "Girlfriend Trilogy", Jeffrey Brown's "AEIOU" (1891830716, $12.00 explores the subtleties of relationships with emphasis on the differences between knowing someone and loving them. The collaboration of Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, "The Surrogates" is the first issue of a five part science fiction action/adventure miniseries for mature readers. Set in 2054, life has been reduced to a data feed. There has been a fusion of virtual reality and cybernetics. It's a perfect world where it's no longer necessary to leave home. But it's also a world of techno-terrorists and detectives Harvey Greer and Pete Ford of the Metro Police Department must stop them before they ruin a "perfect world".
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
Realistic Model Railroad Building Blocks
Tony Koester
Kalmbach Publishing Company
PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187
0890243689 $19.95 1-800-533-6644 www.kalmbachbooks.com
One of the newest additions to the "Model Railroader" book list, Realistic Model Railroad Building Blocks: An Introduction To Layout Design Elements by model railroading expert Tony Koester focuses upon how to apply Layout Design Elements - that is, visually and operationally recognizable models of small parts of a full-sized railroad - to create a more realistic and aesthetically pleasing model railroad. LDEs work for full-sized railroads; and so they work just as well for hobbyists. Chapters cover how to select and model towns, junctions, yards, engine terminals, industries, ports, bridges, "signature" scenes, and much more. Offering practical techniques that break down the steps of using LDEs to the simplicity of assembling a picture puzzle, Realistic Model Railroad Building Blocks is enthusiastically recommended for serious model railroad connoisseurs.
Moon Handbooks: Florida Gulf Coast
Laura Reiley
Avalon Travel
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
1400 - 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1566915716 $17.95 1-800-345-5473 www.avalonpub.com
One of the newest additions to the justifiably acclaimed Moon Handbooks series of "user friendly" travel guides, Florida Gulf Coast by local travel writer Laura Reiley is a blend of in-depth regional and local information, along with strategic advice for the traveler. Complete with suggested routes, activities, and a wealth of practical, accessible, up-to-date information arranged by those counties located along the gulf coast of Florida, this handy and highly portable little compendium offers things to see and do from birding, to parks, to museums, to emergency resources, to nightlife entertainments, to food and lodging ideas. Especially in the wake of the worst hurricane season in recorded history, those traveling to and through the gulf coast region of Florida will appreciate what Moon Handbooks: Florida Gulf Coast can offer them to help make their trip successful and memorable.
Sacramento Valley Fishing Paradise
Ray Rychnovsky
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
1571883169 $22.00 www.amatobooks
