The 4 Hundred and 20 Assassins of Emir Abdullah-Harazins
Joseph DeMarco
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
888-519-5121
1418441031 $18.75 140 pp.
Barry Allen
Reviewer
This is a book about a hash smoking assassin, one of the followers of the infamous Hassan El
Sabbah (The Old Man of the Mountain). Sabbah was an entrepreneur of sorts using the assassin
as a
tool to gain political influence throughout the Middle East during the Middle Ages. The story
follows one of Sabbah's assassins through deserts, jungles, and strange enchanted towns, on his
way
to kill the king of his country. The assassin who is named Anazasi seems fairly oblivious
throughout
the book and spends most of his time stoned to the bejesus on hash, weed, blow, reefer, dope,
bud,
whatever you want to call it.
This is a book for stoners and college students. If you have never enjoyed a toke before or do not
smoke religiously, you probably will not enjoy this book. The background of the story centers
around the legend of Hassan El Sabbah's Garden of Earthly Delights, which is the carrot dangled
in
front of the assassins. Sabbah would supposedly allow young men to enter his Garden of Earthly
Delights, which was filled with exotic flowers, luscious fruits, strange animals, and many alluring
naked women. After the young men were satisfied with food, drink, and sex, they were expelled
from the garden and told if they did not carry out Sabbah's murderous wishes, they would never
be
allowed back. This is the story of only one of his Hashishiyyins (Assassins).
Stop Picturing Your Audience Naked (Beating the Fear of Public Speaking)
Scott Ann Setzer
Setzer & Associates
2580 Sierra Blvd. Suite C, Sacramento, CA 95825
http://www.StandUpAndTalk.com 800-767-6316
ISBN: 0976825007 $12.95 32 pp.
Bonnie Jo Davis
Reviewer
People all over the world, of various ages and different cultures suffer from Glossophobia (the
fear
of speaking in public.) Seventy-five percent of all Americans including celebrities such as Carly
Simon, Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kidman admit to having a fear of speaking in public.
If you type the phrase "fear of public speaking" into a search engine or on Amazon.com you will
find
thousands of overpriced books, seminars and unbelievably expensive coaching. Chances are that
unless you know Scott Ann Setzer you will throw away hundreds of dollars and waste hours of
research in the hope of learning to overcome your fear of speaking in public so you can make that
sales presentation next Tuesday.
Luckily you can stop throwing away your hard earned money and save yourself valuable time
because you are about meet Scott Ann Setzer. Despite her own paralyzing fear of speaking in
public,
Ms. Setzer built a career giving presentations to thousands of clients both big and small, for profit
and not-for-profit. One of her most popular presentations loved by audiences worldwide is "Stop
Picturing Your Audience Naked." This presentation has been captured on CDs, DVDs and in a
new
soft cover book by the same title.
Anyone suffering from a fear of speaking in public (including celebrities) can benefit from reading
"Stop Picturing Your Audience Naked." The size of this charming book makes it clear that good
things do come in small packages that don't waste your precious time and money. As you open
this
slender book you immediately realize that overcoming your fear is going to be fun and stress free.
Gorgeous colors are used throughout to emphasize text and the hilarious cartoon illustrations.
The
book opens with facts, figures and anecdotes to educate the reader and help them to realize that
they
are not alone in their fear.
Clearly laid out throughout the book are the tips, techniques and strategies you need to get ready
for
your next big presentation. Ms. Setzer covers physical preparation, mental preparation, your
voice,
body image, your audience, your presentation and more.
This delightful, funny and helpful book should be in every high school, college and public library.
Entrepreneurs, business owners, management and employees should have a copy of this book on
their desk in order to refresh their memories before they stand up to present. Speaking skills are a
critical success factor in the business world and in other places such as churches and clubs. Buy
this
book, read it from cover to cover, and take it with you when you need to make a speech. You'll
find
yourself having fun with your audience while you grow your business or promote your
cause!
Also available from the publisher is the book combined with a CD of the presentation by the same
name for $24.95 or the book combined with a DVD for $32.95. These combination packages
would
make a great gift idea for a colleague, friend or family member.
Billie's World
Kim Grossman Finkel
My Journey Books
P.O. Box 1169, Olney, Maryland 20830-1169
www.myjourneybooks.com www.billiesworld.com
ISBN 097662950X $8.99 143 pp.
Charisse Floyd
Reviewer
"My mom likes to tell me I'm wise beyond my eleven years. 'Billie, you have a keen sense when it
comes to knowing how other people feel,' she once told me. Right now, my keen sense says
there's
trouble in the air."
The first day of any school year is always difficult for eleven-year-old Billie Louise Kramer, but as
she approaches the first day of middle school, her anxiety level is off the charts! Billie not only
faces
the first-day unknowns, but her heart awakens to a mighty crush on a boy in her advanced math
class, she delivers the right answer to the right question at the perfect time, and she mends a
broken
friendship with her best friend Sarah. All of this pales, however, as she realizes something at home
is
just not right. Doors are closed, whispers are heard, and moods are shifting. Divorce! Billie never
saw it coming.
Finkel, a graduate of Ohio State University's School of Broadcast and Journalism, explores the
ups
and downs associated with divorce and the uncertainties tossed into the mix of familial
relationships.
By giving Billie a voice through the first-person point-of-view, the author establishes an instant
connection between the reader and the main character. The reader literally feels her foundation
crumbling in a most believable way. Her twinges of embarrassment, her humiliation, and her
overwhelming desire to be understood, all pull the reader into the delicate tangle of her
complicated
story. For an even more candid peek into Billie's internal dialogue, Finkel gives Billie an
immediate
forum through straightforward diary entries placed at the beginning of each chapter. These entries
reveal the dire unrest in the tornado's spiral and hold nothing back!
The author approaches the issue of divorce with honesty and clarity. The family's disintegration is
a
true and ominous threat. Billie experiences each and every nuance this unwanted change brings
into
her life as any other girl her age might in the same situation. Finkel's treatment is especially
sensitive
to the maturity level of her readership, but she doesn't shy away from the realities at hand. Billie's
emotional turmoil reads like an open wound. The author, however, consistently offers hope by
empowering her main character with forward movement and a charming sense of humor. Her
secondary characters and plot lines work in concert to actively support her heroine's powerful
struggle to make sense of it all. Through this struggle, the reader experiences Billie's remarkable
spirit and applauds her personal victories. In the end, Billie is safe. She learns there is still solace
to
be found in the loving relationships in her life, that there are lessons to be learned from those who
have been in her shoes, and that her precious inner voice will never lead her astray. With these
realizations, both Billie and the reader discover a new definition of family.
Billie's World, a glowing debut novel written for ages 9-12, would be a sound choice for
classroom
discussions about divorce, family dynamics, and emotional coping skills. Finkel, a resident of
Rockville, Maryland, writes with raw intensity, allowing her characters room to feel and express
what boils within. The dialogue is refreshing, and the arc is as strong and determined as Billie's
will.
The Stowaway
Robert Hough
Random House Canada
One Toronto St, Unit 300, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5C 2V6
1559707453, $24.00, 232 pp.
Coletta Ollerer
Reviewer
The reader will be gripped by this story of escalating fright on three levels: severe anxiety felt by
the
stowaway, worry and trepidation experienced by those who determined to help him putting
themselves in harms way and disquietude encountered by those in authority who wished to
exterminate the perpetrator along with the problems he might introduce. I read it in a very
enjoyable
and exciting two days
The book opens with the cold decision of the captain of a huge cargo ship to put two stowaways
overboard onto a palate hastily fastened to steel drums. The bosun, Rodolfo, is horrified to find
himself ordered to prepare the primitive float knowing full well that the probability of its finding a
welcoming shore in the churning sea miles from land is certainly dim. "Seeing this, the stowaways
drop to their knees and begin pleading in loud, panicked voices." (p13) The remainder of the
Filipino
crew stare in appalling disbelief as they see the two stowaways being ordered to get onto the
makeshift raft. The crew return to their duties shaken and aware that under the authority of these
brutal men their own lives have little value.
The crew settles down but a few decide they must inform the authorities and set forth on a course
to
do that by confiding in a priest they met in a seafarers establishment in the port at Houston. They
compose a letter to him and surreptitiously find a way to get it into the mail when the ship pulls
into
another harbor. All they know is the letter is mailed. They are unsure if it has achieved its
intent.
Some months later at the same seaport where earlier stowaways came aboard, two more slip onto
the ship and remain hidden until far out on the ocean. The crew members who discover one of
them
don't want to experience the same stress the first incident provided; they don't know what to do.
Their indecision allows time for the officers to find the trespasser. Those same begin to assault the
intruder, the four of them pushing him further and further toward the gunwale where they push
the
unfortunate overboard. The crew watches this terrifying event while peering from portholes and
doorways held slightly ajar and their memories fill them with dread. While recovering from this
episode, Rodolfo comes upon the last stowaway, Daniel. He determines he will hide this one and
save his life. Seven of the Filipino crew agree to help. Rodolfo knows every square inch of the
ship
and finds a suitable place to hide Daniel. "Yet as he (Daniel) follows the sailor down flights of
stairs,
bypassing all of the container holds, he wants nothing more than to turn back. As they burrow
deeper and deeper the air becomes hot, and stale, and thin, and if there's any place he doesn't want
to
be it is here, in the tomblike depths of the ship." (p162) The stress on the crew and Daniel
builds.
Robert Hough bases his story on real events using the narrative form. His tireless research into
actual facts allows the reader to gain insight concerning life aboard a ship at sea where rule of law
is
in the hands a few with scant restrictions if those few are without personal integrity and
morality.
Openings to Lighten the Way
John Sorrell
World House
available from OpeningsUnlimited.com
ISBN 1897107994, $22.95 US, $29.95 Canada 222 pp.
Ella Kilpatrick
Reviewer
Empowering Enlightenment
Openings to Lighten the Way is that rarest of finds - a creation so startlingly unusual that it keeps
taking you by surprise, but at the same time so universal that page by page, Opening by Opening,
it
feels like coming home.
Light enough to take easily to heart and carry wherever you go, each Opening fuses inspiration,
prayer, and poem in just a few charged lines, breathing from the inside out to unfold our own
truest
gifts. Over and over, we come home to ourselves, finding our own power to grow - grow
luminously, boundlessly - from right here and now.
This empowering enlightenment ranges wide as our lives. Over 200 Openings here embrace both
the
big and the small, from just washing the dishes to taking on our greatest challenges. A colleague
of
mine even says that the more we face here in this ever more turbulent world, the more this book
can
lighten our way.
Sometimes crossing the trails blazed by such explorers of the soul as Buddah, Saint Francis, and
Rumi, these Openings always take their own unique turns. Most turns feel as though they have
always pulsed deep down inside us but for the first time here find light. While others may seem
strange at first, these often grow on you the most, opening up even wider inside. Surging with
wisdom we can use every day, this book brings us home to what truly matters, at the same time
casting bright beams away from the beaten track to show a whole world of new paths we can
forge.
Critics call author John Sorrell "a master," but mastery here overflows into living mystery. As
these
Openings reach ever deeper through body, spirit, soul, we breathe them in, lifting closer to
ourselves, each other, and the world without end.
Bursting with not only enlightening but exhilarating empowerment, this book belongs in the hands
of
us all who reach for the richest life and growth we can know.
Judy Nichols' "Caviar Dreams" is a tale of seduction and murder with an element of class conflict
thrown in as a wild card. The story follows the interaction of several people from vastly different
backgrounds, and explores what happens as they each, in turn, attempt to use one another for the
purposes of gaining love or money. The story reaches its first dramatic peak when the spiral of
human emotions gets out of hand resulting in several crimes of passion and greed.
For the first half of "Caviar Dreams" I have to admit that I found the novel quite captivating. The
characters were all extremely real and compelling. Of special note was the character Derek who is
the catalyst for virtually every significant moment of the book. Derek is a handsome drifter and
con-artist, and the best parts of "Caviar Dreams" are when he embarks on one of his grifter
schemes.
These schemes involve everything from blackmail; to credit-card fraud; to clever ways to make
other
people pay for your dinner. There is just something delightfully compelling about a character who
is
so self-absorbed and evil that s/he thinks it is completely justified to rob every innocent party that
happens to cross his or her path.
Unfortunately, at the midpoint of the novel the focus changes dramatically. The book stops being
a
study of character and social class and descends, instead, to the rather weary format of mystery.
This
is not to say that the second part of the novel isn't handled well; it is. But in comparison to what
came before, the second act is certainly a let down.
In a way, the second act sabotages itself from the get go. The book is structured so that the
reader
sees the crime in question. It then becomes rather anti-climatic to watch as various police
detectives
and other characters arrive at revelations that the reader already knows. A better way to do it
would
have been to leave the crime scene as a revelation at the very end of the book.
Were I an editor at a major publishing house, I would accept Judy Nichol's work in a heart-beat.
However, this acceptance would be based more on the talent she shows as a writer than on the
finished product "Caviar Dreams," and would require a massive re-write. Her characters are
marvelous and fully-developed, and she constructs believable scenes of true conflict. I would very
much like to see her re-imagine "Caviar Dreams," and focus on Derek as the main character. As it
stands, "Caviar Dreams" is an interesting and compelling novel, and a good read. However, I
think
Judy Nichols' has the talent to write something truly spectacular.
Waiting for Beethoven
Laurel Yourke
Marsh River Editions
M233 Marsh Road, Marshfield, WI 54449
ISBN 0971890978 $8.00 45 pages
Karla Huston
Reviewer
In Waiting for Beethoven, Laurel Yourke composes poems about music, about rooms, about
writing, poems written about sonatas, little love songs filled with the magic that is part, no matter
how difficult, of the world she weaves. There are no barriers in these poems. "Everyone is
welcome
at this party." All the reader needs is here:
Don't bother searching under the mat,
behind a bush or somewhere you can't reach.
You need not push - just lean.
This door is always open.
"The Rooms of Poetry" 3
While the title poem suggests the narrator waits for the storm of Beethoven's music to create
within
her a sure rapture, the rapture for the reader comes from opening the poems' doors, entrances
(and
exits) to rooms in which it is sometimes too painful to stay. In "Walls and Closets," the narrator
plasters her walls thick to create a barricade from what she fears: "The more she fears the wild /
the
thicker she plasters her walls." Yet in other poems, the narrator confronts the "wild" and enters its
dangerous spaces only to find that in entering, there is deliverance, a release from fear not unlike
Gretel who goes into the woods to pursue her own magic: "Hope drives her deeper into the
forest, /
searching for a talisman all her own."
The doors to the poems' rooms open to reveal a yellow school bus which discharges two,
angst-ridden teens, a cat hungry for spring and suspended in a canoe high in a garage, and even a
woman who searches for a moon that seems to have gone impossibly missing. There are minnows
and frozen ponds, Casey Stengel and St. Brendan, and the sweet memory of a Jewish girl's wish
for
of a gift of Christmas from Macy's Santa when she finds what she seeks: "The real gift / is her
mother's smile."
Many poems in this collection address gardening and writing, both of which - like opening a door
-
might be considered acts of faith.
Follow your heart, which can bring you
petals in snowflakes,
bird of paradise plumes of sunset,
acres of carelessly sown star.
"Green Things" 10
Even the act of tending the garden takes on sensuality: "Like a lover / the garden whispers / how
good / a touch / would feel here / and oh here."
In carefully crafted metaphors, Yourke creates poems filled with light and memory and sometimes
loss. These are poems about fathers and mothers and others who occupy the narrator's rooms,
halls,
closets, imaginary letters, and even empty glass bottles. The narrator addresses the "empty bottle
[that] guards her kitchen table" and considers the need "to stay ever vigilant" with evil as she
considers the "dangers you create yourself." "He's taught her all she knows of light, bottles, /
emptiness." In another poem the narrator pictures letters filled with praise that she never received
from him. In another, she imagines him sleeping downstairs on a sofa. Yourke chooses words that
contribute to a distinct tone: words of danger: "sunlight stabs her kitchen" and "sky's half-streaked
with blood" and "a sun pale and bitter." In spite of the risk inherent in her word choices, there is
always something hopeful--like the clear decanter, empty save for the light that enters it.
Light is present in these poems; it enters abundantly, leaks into the most unexpected places, as in
the
chess game where the boy considers that he's been trapped by the master, and to get out his snare
and win, he must understand that: /"You can take all the joy from it / or get all the joy from it.
Simple." /And it is simple, really. In these poems, Yourke's narrators' room are open, the doors
are
always open. To these small songs, she brings "her insides out," no fancy dresses and no artifice.
No
matter how difficult, there is always the chance of light from an improbable moon, the possibility
of
blossom and of music to carry her to ecstasy.
Grown Folks Business
Victoria Christopher Murray
Touchstone Publishing
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0743270975 $14.00 425 pp.
Kathleen Jackson
Reviewer
After 17 years together, Quentin Hart, announces to his wife, Sheridan, that he's in love with
someone else - a man. Sheridan is then faced with many obstacles in her life - her 16-year old
son's
rejection of his father, and his fear that he will become gay also, her best friend and parents
reaction
to Quentin's announcement, her father's prostate scare, and having to learn how to live without
the
only man she's ever loved. Through all of this turmoil in her life, Sheridan Hart's faith never fades.
This is a story about love lost, love found, forgiveness, and most importantly, a family's faith in
the
Lord.
With or Without You
Lauren Sanders
Akashic Books
P.O. Box 1456, New York, NY 10009
ISBN 1888451696 $14.95 280 pp.
Keith Potempa
Reviewer
"Your eyes found mine and for the brief seconds we connected I felt a series of convulsions
charge
up my legs as if your spirit had invaded my flesh... What happened on that set between us was too
big for the rest of the world. It had to remain between us. For better or worse, till the end of time,
world without end."
Summer of 1987 in New York, Lillian Ginger Speck is waiting in a prison cell for her next appeal,
where she tells her story of puberty, isolation, a neglecting family, struggling with concepts of
friendships, relationships, sexuality, and fitting in. She asks the reader what it truly is to be alone
and
misunderstood. But most of all, she tells the story of how, on one afternoon in New York, she
murders her one true love; soap opera star Brooke Harrison.
Meanwhile, Brooke's mother Mildred weaves a different voice into Lillian's story, relaying a third
person story all of its own about the life of her daughter. Mildred watches from the sidelines as
Brooke grows up, gains popularity and stardom, struggles to advance into the film industry, and
mourns as her ashes are scattered in the backyard. Through Lillian and Brooke, both sides of the
narrative unfold. They're growing up before the reader's eyes, one beautiful, charming, and
destined
for stardom; the other homely, antisocial, and driven to obsession. Sanders employs two very
distinct voices and styles of writing while she intricately winds the stories of murderer and victim
together, crossing Lillian and Brooke's paths countless times with great skill.
Sanders also has a very powerful eye for imagery, drawing out small details to their fullest extent
to
be used later in deeper metaphors. She pulls together a net of interwoven strings of these images
and
metaphors, connecting them all together in their own way as they are repeated throughout the
book.
No detail lingers on the page without its own purpose.
But one thing should definitely be said about Sanders's method; it's very graphic. Her image of
love
and sex may not be the same as the reader's, but it is the one that will prevail within the novel.
Because not much is left to the imagination during passionate scenes, it may be seen as offensive
to
the more sexually conservative individual.
Lauren Sanders stunned readers and won a Lambda Literary Award in 2001 with her strange
portrayal of love and sex in her debut novel Kamikaze Lust. But With or Without You draws on a
different illusion of love society has made for itself: obsession. She addresses the many obsessions
of
our modern age: money, love, status, fame, celebrities, beauty, crime, and even obsession itself.
With two clashing plot lines detailing two very distinct lives, the reader sees the struggles of
human
existence differ greatly but spawn from the same pool of obsessions. Lillian's apology/love letter
drives the reader's heart to ache for her but at the same time condemn her. Mildred's tale drives
the
reader to tears as we learn every beautiful detail about her beloved daughter, only to be swept off
our feet at the end. Compelling to the very end, With or Without You pulls from a pool of every
human emotion until we are left dry and tender.
In Lieu of Heaven
Kevin Archer
Xlibris Books
ISBN: 1413421865 $30.99 155 pp.
Garrie Keyman
Reviewer
Kevin Archer's first-person allegory of disenchantment with his spiritual journey is an ultimately
enjoyable tale, drawing in the reader with smooth prose and accessible protagonists. Interest is
sustained by thought-filled examinations of biblical precepts all of which are artfully couched in an
entertaining fictionalization of what might be called an atheist's apologetics.
A lone drifter, wandering a parched desert, happens upon an oasis occupied by a single inhabitant
we soon discover is no other than the original Adam. The ensuing conversations between Adam
and
our drifter become a veritable deconstruction of biblical teaching, Adam insisting all the while that
our drifter's quest to encounter God will never be met, since God is dead. Adam knows; he claims
to
be the one who killed Him, committing the murder as revenge for His having allowed Eve to
die.
Exactly why Adam never died is not made clear, but the crux of the tale - aside from pointing out
many of the ironies and hypocrisies of biblical teaching - centers around our waiting to have Adam
explain precisely how it was he murdered God.
Enter the book's main flaw, stage left.
Archer's denouement involves Adam and Judas being one, a resolution that had a difficult time
gelling in my brain. Perhaps if Archer's Adam had conspired with Judas and claimed complicity in
the death of Jesus I might have found In Lieu of Heaven slightly more cohesive. Of course,
reading
any manner of speculative fiction requires that the reader applies a hefty dose of what in drama
has
been dubbed "suspended disbelief." This doesn't mean, however, once the speculative fiction
author
has established the parameters of her "universe," that she can change them at any turn -- or toss
them wholesale out the window -- without losing the reader's acceptance of said universe.
The other problem is, of course, that we all know Jesus died, but His death has never been
equated
with the death of the triune God. In Archer's work, the concept of the Trinity is not first
deconstructed, as is so much else in biblical teaching, and therefore to accept the death of Jesus as
equivalent to the annihilation of God requires a leap of, shall we say, faithlessness, that Archer has
not wholly prepared us to accept.
He has, however, set us up to accept much, and has done it well. As a former missionary, his
knowledge of the bible would seem fairly thorough, and he footnotes his references (citing
chapter
and verse) for the reader's convenience.
I first selected In Lieu of Heaven because I mistakenly thought it was going to be a scholarly
approach to biblical deconstruction; I didn't realize I had ordered a novel. But if anything, In Lieu
of
Heaven was better than I anticipated precisely because it was a work of fiction. I say this because,
in
fictionalizing his thoughts, Archer's appeal becomes accessible on multiple levels and his
intellectual
acuity proven the keener for his approach. And yet by no means is to characterize In Lieu of
Heaven
as a scholarly work off the mark. Archer knows his subject well and evokes in the reader frequent
and introspective thought-provoking pauses. I suspect this was one of his goals and he achieves it
almost poetically.
In Lieu of Heaven is a brief 155 pages that will give readers more than 155 pages worth of
impact,
at least for those valuing well-written prose packing a punch that teeters on profundity. Over all
well
done. Earns three out of five possible stars.
Worm Story
Morris Gleitzman
Puffin
ISBN 0143301969 $14.95
Like all good characters, Wilton has a problem. Not only is he overweight, but he's fallen down
his
hill and can't get back up, there are terrible storms and everyone seems to be having headaches.
Wilton is no ordinary character though. He's an intestinal worm with an inferiority complex, doing
battle with teasing microbes and dangerous fungus. Despite his lowly status, Wilton is a heroic
worm and, with the help of a tiny parasitic microbe named Algy, goes on a quest to find out the
cause of his world's malaise, and to uncover who he is and where he fits in the overall scheme of
things. In other words, Wilton is the Ulysses of the inner world, and his search no less dangerous,
magical, or arduous.
Wilton is the perfect character for children--he's heroic, despite not fitting in, and kind, despite the
many obstacles in his path. Squeamish parents and teachers may object to the rather graphic
setting,
which is the internal workings of one slightly overweight girl named Janet, complete with
microbes,
bacteria, fungus, and slime--the local name for faeces. At one point, Wilton falls out into Janet's
underpants, and looks over the great hills of her bottom, after fighting his way through a tough
sludge blockage. On the other hand, if you have boys under the age of fifteen, you are probably
fairly used to a fair amount of potty talk, and the setting will help endear this story to children,
encouraging reluctant readers to keep going to see how far Gleitzman will go in his descriptive
setting, or to see whether this little but chubby intestinal worm will be able to save his host.
As Gleitzman points out, children don't generally feel like they are in complete control of their
world, and at places like school, they can often feel strange, singled out, and unimportant, and will
likely identify with Wilton. As a character he is kind, and the story is full of important themes. The
symbiotic friendship between Algy and Wilton provides a positive example. Other important
themes
such as appearances being misleading, judging by character rather than by role or appearance, and
even the importance of good food are all presented in a lighthearted fun way which children will
enjoy. The persistence with which Wilton overcomes his emotional and physical challenges is
inspiring, and his good natured wonder as he discovers his world is a pleasure to follow.
Gleitzman has done his research, and this story will also teach children about the inner workings
of
their body, and to respect themselves , and to view life in all its layers and diversities from a
number
of different perspectives. The respect for life, even parasitic life, is obvious in the writing. What is
also obvious is that Gleitzman allows himself to have quite a lot of fun while writing his books.
That
fun is passed on to the reader, who will also enjoy the underlying exuberance.
'Don't feel bad, Wriggles,' said Algy. 'I understand how much you want to meet your lot. But the
world world's in a mess. We're up to our tendrils in sick sludge and killer fungus and wild storms
and
headache epidemics. We've got to find out what's causing all this bad stuff.' Wilton wanted to
suggest that as there were two of them, perhaps they could do both th i ngs at once. Meet worms
and save the world. He didn't. Algy obviously felt very strongly about this. Wilton knew friends
were meant to support each other as much as possible, and even though being a friend was a very
new experience for him, he wanted to do it right.(44)
Worm Story is a lighthearted and very easy to read book which is surprisingly pithy in its morality
and its sense of the beauty of life at all levels. This is a lovely, refreshing and enjoyable story
which
will appeal to everyone but the stuffy, and is highly recommended to encourage reluctant readers
with a love of all things relating to the toilet. Anally retentive adults, however, should steer
clear.
Light in the Storm
Margaret Daley
Steeple Hill Books
233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
www.SteepleHill.com 716-684-1500
ISBN: 0373873077 $4.99 251 pp.
Martha Robach
Reviewer
38-year-old Beth Coleman is used to serving others. At the age of 19, after her father deserts the
family and her mother dies of breast cancer, Beth raises her three young siblings alone, plus
guiding
hundreds of students as a teacher. But now it is her turn, and Beth knows exactly what she wants
to
do. She plans to throw a dart at a map of Central and South America, and where the dart lands is
the
place where she will apply for missionary work. The promise of this exciting adventure somewhat
deflects the empty-nest ennui that has settled in after her brother Daniel leaves for college.
But Beth's plans begin to go awry when she meets Samuel, her new minister, a handsome
widower
with three children. Jane, his oldest daughter, is a student of Beth's who is struggling with a
learning
disability. Beth, always caring where others are concerned, offers to tutor Jane, bringing her in
close
regular contact with Samuel. Awakened by Samuel's evident admiration and attention, Beth sheds
her dowdy clothes as well as the poor opinion she has of her physical appearance. But after all she
has been through, can she, should she, give up her dream of missionary work to marry Samuel
and
once again take on motherhood and a settled life?
Unlike many novels, Light in the Storm deals in a genuine way with people we could meet any
day
in the "real" world. Beth Coleman is not 21, gorgeous and willowy, but she is a caring, faith-filled
woman worthy both of love and the reader's attention. Margaret Daley is a teacher and a mother,
and it shows in the lifelike, and not always perfect, relationships children have with their parents
and
teachers. This is not escapist literature but a warm rendition of good people who must struggle
with
life's problems and occasionally with their faith.
The story takes place in the fictional town of Sweetwater Lake, and this novel is part of The
Ladies
of Sweetwater Lake series written by Margaret Daley. Additional novels in this series are Gold in
the Fire and A Mother for Cindy. And although Beth's friends can be snoopy, teasing her and
match-making furiously, their obvious affection for Beth and each other is palpable and
heartwarming. As Beth tells Samuel upon his arrival in Sweetwater Lake, "This is a good place to
forge a new beginning," with friends that will hold onto you with their hands and with their
hearts.
Light in the Storm is a uplifting slice-of-life story with endearing characters who handle life's
challenges with courage and love; a highly recommended read.
The Loony: a Novella of Epic Proportions
Christopher WunderLee
Picaro Editions
ISBN: 1411624505 $10.00
Miyo Baird
Reviewer
The Loony Fakes the Moon Hoax
What exactly happened that day in 1969, when a rocket launched three Americans into space and
took them to the moon? Did anything really happen? Did humanity actually visit another
world?
Anyone who has a television, reads, listens to the radio, or goes on the internet knows there have
been questions concerning this seminal event since it was first broadcast into many of our living
rooms more than thirty years ago. It is one of the great conspiracy theories of our time - did the
United States fake the lunar landings of the Apollo program?
If that sounds crazy, welcome to The Loony, Christopher Wunderlee's novella of epic
proportions,
in which one Doctor Albert Lochner is your guide, and a strange guide he is. And this, the great
mystery, the uncertainty, the points when it just has to be a hoax, when it just has to be true, when
nothing could possibly be true, when maybe everything is true, is the compelling structure behind
Wunderlee's sprawling tome. His unwound prose-style and intimate narrative voice puts readers
into
the fray so immediately, so perfectly, you emerge in more wonder, as uncertain/certain as you
began.
Wunderlee creates a creepy, almost lingering, atmosphere of doubt - doubt in the events, doubt in
the protagonist, doubt in the world, doubt even in the narrator telegraphing the story. There's
Albert
Lochner's version, complete with recruitment and playing a key role in the conspiracy. There are
the
They of the black government, those peripheral figures invisibly maneuvering events behind the
scenes. There's the love interest, a private/sex spy/ghost named Harris, who remains such a
mystery,
she conjures up a nearly Dulcinea-like aura. There are the references to repressed sexuality,
previous
hoaxes and conspiracies, there are the holes in Albert's biography, the questions about his
relationship to Harris, the latent paranoia, the psychology of lies and the psychoanalysis of
delusion.
And, the moments of absolute clarity it just has to be true - Albert helped fake the lunar landings.
But then, there's the official story and Wunderlee ensures we never forget it.
The Loony is a psychological page-turner that epitomizes lunacy, explores perception, our
conspiracy culture, and individual consciousness. How is the world constructed by our own
perceptions of it? Can one live within a world constructed completely out of a unique
perspective?
How do conspiracy theories play into this personalized world? Are they a universal construct
accepted by a minority to alter the truth into their perception? Or, are they kernels of truth hidden
by
group-minded world in fear of possibilities that we are lied to, that we don't know
everything?
Eventually, the reader must decide. In the end, there is no definite answer.
Wunderlee's writing is fresh, unbound, and stirring, with hints of taunting, and whiffs of erudition.
In
a short novel like The Loony, it is surprising to find oneself so wrapped up, so perplexed, so
involved. Excellent narrative experimentation is rare, making this novel a potential conspiracy
theory
in and of itself.
In Defense of the Christ: Why Jesus Would Disown Christianity
Shawn Patrick Thornton
Publish America Publishing
www.amazon.com
ISBN: 1413746136 $19.95 188 pp.
Shirley Roe, Reviewer
www.allbooksreviews.com
Mysticism versus organized Religion! Any theological dissertation must find a balance between
criticism and understanding to be effective. Shawn P. Thornton has succeeded.
Without sympathy and understanding, it would be impossible to adequately explain why people
believe what they do. Without a critical attitude, one would abandon the ability to probe and ask
"why?" In other words, to exercise one's "Free Will."
In Defense of the Christ attempts to explain the reasoning behind organized religion, the needs of
the
fundamentalist and what can be gained by blind acceptance. Author, Shawn Thornton freely
admits
that he was raised a staunch Roman Catholic. He attended a Jesuit University as a philosophy
major
and did not begin to question his religious upbringing until his life was threatened by a serious life
threatening illness.
The author adopts the point of view of the mystic, touting the belief that man and God are "One"
rather than separate. The book takes the reader chapter by chapter through the doctrines and
teachings of the Bible making several comparisons to Zen Buddhism and mysticism. The doctrines
of the Roman Catholic and Protestant Christian religions are closely examined. Each chapter leads
the reader, intelligently and knowledgably, step by step through the dissertation. The author has
researched his subject well.
As the title suggests, it is the author's premise that Christ would "disown" modern Christianity,
which has wandered far from the original teachings of Christ himself. A Twelve Step program,
Spiritual Confusion Anonymous, fashioned after the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, is laid
out
in the book as a possible solution to today's religious quandary. The author describes his own
personal spiritual journey towards Nirvana and the realization that man is "One" with God.
An in-depth look at organized religion from the point of view of a modern day mystic, this book
offers some interesting questions. Seekers of "Spiritual Truth" will find the explanations and
scientific/historical arguments fascinating. Recommended reading for anyone searching for
answers
with an open mind.
Push
Sapphire
Knopf
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 USA
ISBN: 0679446265 $20.00 192 pages
Akua Sarr, Ph.D.
Reviewer
Push is the disturbing narrative of Claireece Precious Jones, a sixteen year old, illiterate,
overweight
African-American girl from Harlem, New York. When her story begins she is pregnant with a
second child by her father. After years of abuse by her parents and neglect by the educational and
social welfare systems, Precious begins a journey toward literacy and self-understanding when she
enrolls in an alternative school. Journal entries, written in the form of a dialogue with her teacher,
help Precious tell her life story, expose the abuse shes suffered, and come to an acceptance and
love
of self. The writing process for Precious is a testimony that allows her to transform her private
shame into dignity. Giving testimony is not only a means of transformation but a way in which she
(re)writes her life. Testimony has a double connotation; it contains objective, public aspects, as
well
as subjective, spiritual, cathartic, and private aspects. Her dialogue discloses intimate secrets to a
confidant but at the same time is a public testimony. Her narrative allows introspection and
self-examination but simultaneously discloses publicly the shame and humiliation inflicted by
dominant others: her mother and father
Themes of violence against black women and girls are apparent in the black male literary tradition,
but always shadow predominant themes of alienated black men and the psychological effects of
racism on the black male psyche. Ralph Ellison's True Blood incident in Invisible Man depicts
incestuous rape, but the novel's primary concern is the male protagonist's quest for self-identity.
Nathan McCall's participation in gang rape in his autobiography Makes Me Wanna Holler is
another
example, but again, the central focus of the text is a black man's coming of age in America. In
Richard Wright's Native Son, Bigger Thomas kills his black girlfriend Bessie but is neither tried
nor
convicted for the crime. Instead, he is sentenced to death for the murder of Mary Dalton, the
daughter of his white employer. Sapphire's protagonist Precious is a response to Richard Wright's
Bessie. Bessie is killed without us ever hearing her voice or her story. By having Precious write
her
story, Sapphire responds to Wright's missing narrative of Bessie. The character of Precious
suggests
a possible story for Bessie. In this sense, she can be viewed as a re-Wrighting or a revision of
Wright's silent and tragic figure.
Sapphire's first novel Push is controversial because of its graphic language and revelations of
incest
and abuse. She joins Ntozake Shange, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison as she
speaks about the unspeakable: incest, domestic abuse, HIV, prostitution, homosexuality, and drug
addiction. Where this novel differs from this tradition is that it carries a message of hope as
Precious
finds salvation through literacy. Writing, or what Precious calls talkin' on paper, enables her to
revise
the dominant male narrative, and define herself.
The Hostel
Liana Metal
http://liamet.tripod.com
e-book at http://www.ebookad.com
ISBN/e book ID: 0016, $5.99 pp.119,
Bill Savanis
Reviewer
Very Highly Recommended
THE HOSTEL is set in London, UK, in the 70s and is about a young student, Nina, who strives
to
adjust herself to a new lifestyle so different from her own culture's.
The story unfolds in West London, at a nuns' hostel where Nina stays and gets to know her new
friends. Soon a serious dilemma turns up in her life and implications start. Nina falls in love with a
man who is her best friend's dad. She stubbornly refuses to accept him in her life, but nothing
seems
to be easy for her from the moment she meets him. What will happen in the end?
THE HOSTEL is a fresh story full of unpredictable turns that will entertain all ages. The readers
who lived in that era will probably recognize certain events mentioned in the story or even identify
themselves with some of the characters, while, the younger generation will get to know certain
aspects of that time and feel how it is to 'live' in the 70s. It is a novel that includes old fashioned
romance and elements of truth throughout the plot, merged with real events of that time. It is a
successful hybrid of fiction and non fiction that will appeal to a wide audience.
A Call to Faith and Freedom
Shirley A. Roe
Grizzly Bookz Publishing
420 Wal-Mart Way, Suite 136, Dahlonega, Georgia, 30533
www.grizzlybookz.com
ISBN: 0974963445 $12.95 USA, $15.95 Canada 202 pages
Shawn Patrick Thornton, Reviewer
www.christbestseller.com
A Call to Faith and Freedom, by master storyteller and poet Shirley Roe, is one of the very rare
books that can be referred to as a 'world-class novel'. The story takes place in seventh-century
feudal
Scotland. Invading Christians, using savage and barbaric torture and executions, try to force the
conversion of the native Celts whom these Christians consider as Pagans. And, the Celts fight
back
to retain their land, their way of life and their religion, which is centered on a goddess.
Throughout
the book, which is rich in Celtic lore, Shirley Roe demonstrates a detailed knowledge of Celtic
mores, customs, philosophy and religious practices.
One of the qualities that make this book a 'world-class novel' is the ability of its author to hold the
reader totally spellbound from the first to the very last page. She writes from a deep personal
spirituality, a tender compassion, a profound understanding of human nature and with a poetic
grace. I was unable to put the book down. I hungrily devoured it in just over twenty-four hours.
There were battles between knights on horses, deaths, traitor's plots, medieval castles, deep dark
forests with fairies in them and sunny green meadows with clear streams and wildflowers of every
color. There was music and singing, love affairs and feasts with great tables filled with mutton,
wild
game and tankards of ale. There were myths about the Arch Druid and High Priestess rising
magically, mystically out of the early morning sun. Every conceivable human emotion is explored
in
an ever moving action setting. Only an author with the most vivid of imaginations could conceive
of
such a rich plot! It's the kind of book that you will want to share with your family and
friends.
In conclusion, if you liked the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, or The Good Earth by Pearl Buck,
you will love this book. It holds you spellbound like the Da Vinci police chase in France and
explores every human passion in a simple, lovely pastoral setting; like the old rural China of The
Good Earth. This book is destined to be a run away best seller. My advice is to buy it now so that
you can immediately enter the magic kingdom of Shirley Roe and for 20 or more hours be far
from
your cares. And, before it is republished as a hardback for $32.50!
Quality of Care
Elizabeth Letts
NAL Accent
ISBN: 0451214102 $12.95 288 pages
Terez Rose
Reviewer
Quality of Care, Elizabeth Letts' debut novel, should come with a warning: do not attempt to
begin
this novel prior to undertaking an important task. I brought the book home one evening, opened it
to
the first page and stood reading for five minutes, coat still on, dinner unprepared. Then I sat and
read until my son came in and asked if I was going to make his dinner since it was past
eight-thirty.
Letts takes an irresistible premise - what happens when you are unable to save the life of the
person
who saved yours? - and delivers a riveting, fast-paced story with compelling characters and
polished,
highly-charged writing.
Clara Raymond is an obstetrician. One night a pregnant woman arrives at her labor and delivery
clinic with minor complaints. The woman turns out to be Lydia, a childhood friend who once
saved
Clara's life in a horseback riding accident. Their reunion, however, ends in unspeakable tragedy,
with
the ensuing days a distorted echo of Clara's unresolved past. Temporarily suspended from her
practice, Clara decides to return to the root cause of the pain in her life - the place of her
childhood,
and the haunting events she's tried to put behind her.
When Clara arrives at an estate in the coastal California community where she grew up, its
dressage
facility throws her back immediately into the world of competitive horse riding. The owner of the
property is wealthy Eleanor Prescott Norton, the dressage judge who disqualified Clara from a
pre-Olympic equestrian trial competition when she was fifteen, as well as being the chairman of
the
hospital board of trustees who contributed to Clara's father's professional downfall. Eleanor
mistakes
her for a stable hand applicant and offers her work. When Clara catches a glimpse of a dressage
horse named Benedetto, reminiscent of the beloved horse she once owned, she decides to stay for
a
few days.
Clara's pain and confusion over Lydia's death are further complicated by the fact that Lydia's
grieving husband is Clara's first love, as well. Gordon - orphaned at nineteen, charismatic yet
adrift
at the university they both attended, who alone could understand her silent grief, and she, his. A
local memorial service for Lydia has now brought him back. Will their sorrow, loneliness and
electric attraction once again draw them together?
Quality of Care weaves a tapestry of past and present, accident and fate, choices made and their
consequences. Is Clara willing to hear what Eleanor knows about Clara's deceased father's
demise?
Is Eleanor as cold-hearted as she appears, or does she care that Clara's fellow stable hand, a
teenager
named Jazmyn, is heavily pregnant, her health and security at risk? The story asks the question,
"Where is the line between trying to help the people you love, and letting them go to act out their
own destinies?" Letts, a practicing certified nurse-midwife has a keen eye for detail - both
technical
and physical. Her knowledge of horses and obstetrics makes the descriptions ring with authority,
yet
without ever burdening the reader with unnecessary terms or lingo.
Letts is at her best when describing the coastal scenery ("The hillsides were variegated, some
fields
of tall grass scattered profusely with goldenrod, others a harmonious blend of dense low-lying
chaparral, bluish green to grey, like a natural patchwork") as well as in flashbacks to Clara's
developing relationship with the brilliantly-drawn Gordon ("I was drowning in him, plunging
somewhere deep and fast - on that same speedy trajectory that a car would take when the land
beneath it disappeared, or an icy airplane that decided to drop from the sky"). These stirring,
evocative and sensuous flashbacks with their undercurrents of grief and mystery kept me reading,
hungry to stay inside the story.
Letts delivers her story, much like the nurse-midwife she is - with deft hands, coaxing the reader
on
with absorbing dialogue and narration; providing them with a protagonist who never succumbs to
excessive sentimentality, which helps the reader follow Clara through her painful journey to the
story's ultimately uplifting resolution. The novel is not perfect - there are a few inconsistencies in
characters' voices, and plot developments often rely on coincidence. The prose occasionally lacks
the
smooth veneer of a seasoned novelist, but even this works to bring us closer to the flawed but
loveable Clara. Chosen as an alternate selection for the Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club and
Rhapsody Book Club, Quality of Care is a novel that will appeal to women, to horse lovers, to
anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a powerful, heartfelt story.
Bright Clouds
Pat Dwyer
Guajira Publications
Oaklawn, Ballyfin Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland
Phone: 00-353-502-20387
ISBN 0954869303, $TBA 221 pages
Tom Geraghty
Reviewer
Up to now Pat was better known as a poet and in 2002 he launched his first book of poetry 'From
Thurles to Cuba with Love'. This latest book marks his first foray into prose. It is not so much a
chronicle of Pat's experience of the disease as a personalised guidebook drawing on his experience
and written in his inimitable style, typified by the book's sub-title 'Smiling in the face of adversity
and
coping with Multiple Sclerosis'. In it, he touches on subjects as diverse as the excellent health-care
provided in Cuba, the role of humour in dealing with disability, Ryanair's despicable attitude to
people with disabilities - if I can insert a personal prejudice, perhaps that phrase should have read
'Ryanair's despicable attitude' - his religious faith, the sexual needs of people with disabilities and
many more. If, as I have said, this is a guide-book it is highly individual one, full of knowledge
and
personal reminiscence. Above all, it is a book devoid of the self-pity that few could begrudge Pat
if
he was so minded. As they say, with experience comes wisdom!
There is a convention that when people in full health hear of another's difficulties we claim that 'It
puts everything into perspective'. In truth, it may but we don't. We experience sympathy and then
get back to our own daily worries. To paraphrase a quote used by Pat in the book, we are very
brave with other people's illnesses! This is a book that should not just be read by MS sufferers and
their families. Books that are warm, witty and wise are worthwhile for all to read and are rare
enough to be found. I would describe this one as life-affirming except that Pat would probably tell
me that it makes me sound like a bloody hippy! Sail on Pat.
With publishers falling over themselves to publish trashy novels and vacuous dissertations on the
lives of forgettable 'celebrities', it is a mystery why the big publishing houses did not beat a path to
Pat's door to get their hands on this work.
The Original Country Bob's Cookbook
Country Bob's Inc.
Favorite Recipes Press
ISBN: 0975444107 $22.00 96 pages
Jennifer A. Wickes, Reviewer
http://home.comcast.net/~culinaryjen/Home.html
"The Original Country Bob's Cookbook" is a wonderful cookbook utilizing the fantastic products
from Country Bob's! The recipes are creative and delicious.
Country Bob's was founded by Bob Edson in 1968. He perfected his steak sauce which began
being
sold in 1977 as Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. What came afterwards was a barbecue sauce, a
seasoning salt and employee shares in a company that has continued to grow.
There are some delicious photographs at the start of each chapter, which includes: Appetizers,
Soups and Salads; Grilling; Main Dishes; and Desserts. There are no complicated culinary terms
here
as this is just great country cooking!
The products available made by Country Bob's were even tested and recommended by Cooking
Club
of America! These products can be found directly at Country Bob's website, or you can go to
their
site and see which Wal-Mart carries the product. By the way, if you order through Country Bob's,
they will ship for free!
The recipes in this book are easy-to-read and understand. They are creative and tasty. When I
tried
out some of the recipes on my very finnicky family, they rejoiced at me finally finding a cookbook
that they like! The absolutely loved the products! Some of my family favorites are: Grilled
Chicken-in-a-Pocket, Southwestern Black Bean Stew, Slow-Cooker Orange Honey Chicken and
Butternut Cake!
This is a great cookbook and the products were a hit. Go to their site today and order up a gift
pack,
it's worth the price!
A Woman in Amber
Agate Nesaule
Penguin
ISBN: 0140261907 $14.00 288 pages
Zinta Aistars
Reviewer
Being of Latvian heritage myself, perhaps it is impossible for me to read Nesaule's book as anyone
else of a different heritage might. I have grown up on stories that are but variations on a theme to
this one. My first language was Latvian, my first book was Latvian, my own first efforts in
creative
writing were in the Latvian language. Indeed, I have just participated in a literary reading of
Latvian
authors at the 11th Latvian Song Festival in Chicago, Illinois, where I had the honor of sharing
the
podium with Agate Nesaule. Is it possible for me to turn the pages of "Woman in Amber" without
a
deeply ingrained bias? Perhaps not. But I can say that these pages, these words, these memories,
resonated profoundly with me. The war experience in many ways, however, is a suffering and a
horror that crosses all lines of ethnicity, all borders of nationality. For this reason, I believe this is
an
important account for a far larger audience than just the Latvian reader; I am thrilled that this
book
was written first in English, then translated into, I believe, seven other languages.
Latvia is a tiny but beautiful country on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The Latvian language is one
of
the oldest still in existence. The country's history is one of the most war-torn and ravaged of any
country anywhere - although it has existed for many, many centuries, Latvia has been
independent,
free of occupation by other armies, for only a wink in time. If this nation can be proud of
anything, it
can be proud of its ability to survive even the cruelest and most oppressive conditions. This
memoir,
"Woman in Amber," opens a small window of light shed on how such a people survive. Even
more
precisely, it gives an account of how a very young girl can survive - losing her home, losing her
family, conditions of hunger, rape, pillage, exile, and the terrifying experience of being a stranger
in
an immense and completely alien country where the culture and language are all new and strange.
Most memoirs of war and battlefields are written by men. It is particularly interesting to read a
different kind of account, from the perspective of a woman. If soldiers on a battlefield suffer,
there is
a quieter, less evident suffering that happens behind the front lines, and this memoir reveals,
painfully
and movingly, the no less violent and scarring battles that happen there.
Agate Nesaule's memoir is a couragous sharing of the experiences she endured - not just during
World War II, but for many years following the war. Long after the sounds of war have died
down,
the wounds are still bloodied and pulsating with pain. Healing can often take a lifetime. My
respect
to this author for sharing her experience, and my hope that it has offered her healing. This is a
book
I am proud to recommend to both my Latvian friends as well as my non-Latvian friends.
Alisa's Bookshelf
Haunted
Kelley Armstrong
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com
Spectra
ISBN: 0553587080 $6.99 496 pp.
Haunted by Kelley Armstrong, is another fantastic adventure in the Women of the Otherworld
series. Haunted has a very unusual main character - Eve Levine, Savannah's mother and a ghost.
Eve
was a black witch and a half-demon when alive. She believed witch magic had been corrupted and
diluted, as Paige discovers in Dime Store Magic. Eve has done many murky things to gain
sorcerer
and witch spells that she was able to use. This quest for greater power made Eve careless, which
lead to her death before the events of Stolen occurred. While her death was a peripheral plot line
in
the series, the consequences where far reaching for Savannah. Much of Dime Store Magic was
the
result of Savannah coming to terms with her mother's death.
Haunted gives a great deal of insight into how Eve and Savannah are so much alike. Eve will not
let
go of Savannah and spends a great of her time in the afterlife checking up on her. Eve has been
reunited with Kristof, Savannah's father, but will not allow him to be more then a friend. Kristoff
is
not your average Cabal sorcerer. He has regretted not pursing Eve and Savannah for 15 years and
is
determined not to make the same mistake a second time.
The Fates, overseers of the supernatural afterlife, have decided to call in the favor that Eve
garnered
at the conclusion of Industrial Magic. Eve is being sent on a mission to track a Nix, a Germanic
demi-demon nymph who feeds off chaos. This particular Nix has been jumping from woman to
woman giving them the necessary drive to murder. The Nix feeds off the chaos and anguish these
murders create. Eventually she grows weary of her partner and devises a way for them to be
caught
and create even more chaos. The Fates have sent three previous hunters to catch the Nix and
return
her to hell. Each has failed leaving the Nix to continue her reign of terror.
The Fates hope Eve, with her unusual talents will be successful is catching the Nix. With the help
of
Kirstof, an angel named Trsiel, and the infamous necromancer Jamie Vegas, Eve sets out on a
course that changes everything.
Haunted starts out slow and is hard to relate to at first since all the main characters are not
corporal
beings. Once the plot with the Nix begins to unfold, the characters transcend death and the
afterlife
they live in begins to make sense. Kelley Armstrong is author to be lauded. Instead of cranking
out
another adventure using werewolves, witches, or sorcerers, she has created an entire mythological
inspired afterlife that exists as another layer to the series. The world Eve and Kristoff inhabit is
fascinating to read about. The living and the afterlife are connected, but the dead cannot touch,
feel,
or communicate directly (except through a necromancer) with the living. Eve has been desperately
searching for a way to influence and protect Savannah - at the cost of her sense of purpose. The
afterlife is supposed to be a nice retirement of the worries of the living. Eve is definitely not ready
for any sort of retirement.
Haunted is well worth reading. Kelley Armstrong has created an entertaining novel and stretched
her
wings. Many writers in her position simply rest on their laurels, but Kelley has instead decided to
create something entirely different. And it works as an entreating piece of fiction.
Kelley Armstrong currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her family. She has published five
books
in the Women of the Otherworld series; Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, and
Haunted. The sixth in the series, Broken, will revisit Elena, Clay, and the werewolves and is to be
released in May 2006. A mainstream novel titled Exit Strategy is forthcoming in 2006. She has an
extensive website at http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/ Her website contains original novellas and
short stories from the Women of the Otherworld series.
Dreams Made Flesh
Anne Bishop
http://www.annebishop.com/
ROC
ISBN: 0451460138 $16.00 448 pp.
Dreams Made Flesh is a wonderful addition to the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. The four
stories contained in the anthology are "Weaver of Dreams," "the Prince of Ebon Rih,"
"Zuulaman,"
and "Kaeleer's Heart."
"Weaver of Dreams" is a brief history of the creation of the Spinner of Dreams, spiders. The
evocative, rich, mythological inspiration for Draca's relationship to the spiders is fascinating to
read
about.
"The Prince of Ebon Rih" is Lucivar Yaslana and Marian's story. Many of the customs of Eyrien
race are explored along with the intricate love between Lucivar and Marian. This story takes place
at
the conclusion of Heir to the Shadows.
"Zuulaman" is the story of the lengths Hekatah went to try and control Saetan. We learn a great
deal
about Hayll's Hundred Families and how Saetan became the ruler of the Dhemlan Territories. This
story of treachery shows just how far Hekatah was willing to go to get her way.
"Kaeleer's Heart" is the long awaited story of what happened after the conclusion of Queen of
Darkness. Janelle is healing, but not fast enough for Daemon. The real question is if Janelle wants
to
be all that she once was. Also addressed is the significance of Twilights Dawn, the jewel Janelle
now
wears. Many of the vibrant characters seen in the Black Jewels Trilogy make appearances in the
story.
Dreams Made Flesh is a nice addition to the Black Jewels Trilogy. "Zuulaman" explains much of
Saetan and Hekatah. "Kaeleer's Heart" puts a wonderful spin on the ending to the Queen of
Darkness and gives a much more satisfying end to the series. The weakness of this anthology is
that
is not a stand alone. This book is primarily for fans of the series.
Anne Bishop is the author numerous fantasy books, the Black Jewels Trilogy; Daughter of the
Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of Darkness. Invisible Ring is set in the same world as
the
Black Jewels Trilogy. She is also the author the World of the Fae series; Pillars of the World, the
Shadows and the Light, and the House of Gaian. Bishop won the William L. Crawford Memorial
Fantasy Award for the Black Jewels Trilogy. Please visit her website,
http://www.annebishop.com/
for more information.
A Stroke of Midnight
Laurell K. Hamilton
http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345443578 $23.95 366 pp.
Cover Artist: Judy York
A Stroke of Midnight is Laurell K. Hamilton's fifth installed in the Merry Gentry series. While the
plot-line moves forward in the series, A Stroke of Midnight is not a strong piece on its own.
At the conclusion of Seduced by Moonlight, Merry and her guards have survived numerous
assassinations, violent encounters with other Fae, and lots of sex. Merry should be ready for sleep,
but instead she is the focus of a press conference. It would appear the media is very interested in
her
life - each and every titillating tidbit they can glean from Merry herself and those around her.
During
the press conference, a double homicide occurs - a lesser Fae and a human reporter. Merry insists
that a human investigation be done, and manipulates Queen Andais to this end. The importance of
this investigation is never completely clear, other then as a way for Merry to avenge her father's
murder.
A Stroke of Midnight has a great deal going on when the characters are not engaged in sexual
encounters. We learn much about Merry's father and how his death affected her. With each Fae
that
Merry brings into godhead, the Sithern Farie Mound begins to regain its power and renew life.
The
story takes place during one night, but the Sithern has altered time so one night lasts a very long
time.
In the scope of the book, A Stroke of Midnight is much stronger then Seduced by Moonlight. The
plot is continued, but much is left out. Too many characters are introduced with not enough time
for
the reader to become attached to them. The sex scenes are less numerous then previous books,
but
they are not erotic. Merry is a woman who can do things a Tijuana whore would be unable to do.
While I recognize this is fantasy and hence anything can happen, I wish for a little more realism.
The
sex acts themselves dominate so much storyline, it is impossible not to wish for more character
development. A Stroke of Midnight will satisfy those Hamilton fans that have embraced the sexual
tone of her recent works.
Laurell K. Hamilton is the St. Louis author of twelve Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series books
and
four novels in the Meredith Gentry series; A Kiss of Shadows, a Caress of Twilight, Seduced by
Moonlight, and A Stroke of Midnight. She has published numerous short stories and novellas in
various anthologies along with a novel which was recently re-released, Nightseer.
Dead as a Doornail
Charlaine Harris
http://www.charlaineharris.com/
Ace Hardcover
ISBN: 0441012795 $22.95 304 pp.
Cover Artist: Lisa Desimini
Dead as a Doornail is the fifth installment in Charlaine Harris' dynamic Sookie Stackhouse series.
Sookie, the buxom, blond, barmaid from Bon Temps is once again thrust into things that she
should
not be. Her psychic abilities make her a magnet for the supernatural world.
At the conclusion of the Dead to the World, Eric has regained his self, but remembers nothing of
his
time with Sookie. Jason, Sookie's brother has been found, but is now a werepanther. Dead as a
Doornail opens with Jason experiencing his first full moon as a werepanther. Amazingly enough,
Jason embraces his new life and enjoys shifting. As much of a relief as this is for Sookie, trouble is
looming. Someone is killing shifters and Jason is the prime suspect. To add to Sookie's turmoil,
Eric
does not remember his time with Sookie, but knows something important happened. In another
twist, Debbie's family is desperately searching for her. This search finds its way to Sookie's
doorstep
once again.
In Dead as a Doornail we get a much clearer picture of the shifter communities - the werewolves
and werepanthers. Sookie is drawn into the political struggles within the werewolf pack structure.
The outcome is not a happy ending for Sookie or werewolves. Calvin Norris, the head of the
werepanthers in Hot Shot continues to attempt to woo Sookie. Another love interest is most
certainly not something Sookie needs in her already complicated love life.
I enjoyed reading Dead as a Doornail immensely. Sookie and her adventures are always a treat.
The
only drawback to this book is that Sookie and the reader become very disappointed when
knowledge of certain character defects becomes evident within those close to Sookie. All of the
characters, old and new, add flavor to the series and make Sookie's madcap adventures even more
entertaining. On the whole, Dead as a Doornail is a fun read.
Charlaine Harris is the author of four previous Sookie Stackhouse novels; Dead Until Dark,
Living
Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, and Dead to the World. She is also the author of two popular mystery
novel series, the Aurora Tegarden series and the Lily Bard Shakespeare series.
Alisa McCune
Reviewer
Alyice's Bookshelf
Living In A Locker Room: A Mom's Tale of Survival In A Houseful Of Boys
Paula Schmitt
Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
15115 Why 36, Deadwood, OR 97430
http://wymacpublishing.com paula@paulaschmitt.com
ISBN: 1932279156 $12.95
What reads like a series of newspaper columns, written by one distraught, yet hopeful mom is a
book filled with motherly insight. And not those pretty, painted pictures you're often fed in other
parenting books. Schmitt lays it all out on the line - sometimes serious, sometimes funny - but
always insightful.
Thinking about tackling the role of motherhood? Already a parent, but tired of all the useful
advice?
Just want someone to say, "been there, done that. I understand. Here's how it really happens!"
Then
order a copy of Living In A Locker Room.
I Want My Dinner Now!
Renee Pottle
Hestia Hearth Publishing & Design
PO Box 7059, Kennewick, WA 99336
info@hestiashearthpublishing.com
ISBN: 0976013711 $12.95
Today's busy parents don't have the time, energy, or desire to cook healthy meals. But they long
for
the family to sit around the dinner table, together. They long for healthy, home cooked meals, and
they long for cost-effective recipes. I Want My Dinner Now! solves these problems and more. In
less time than it takes to drive to a fast food restaurant, order, and bring home a meal, parents can
have a simple, low-cost, nutritious meal on the table!
While I found the recipes simple enough to prepare, I couldn't help but enjoy reading Pottle's
basic
cooking tips. They were like a mini-refresher course on many of the ingredients used in this
cookbook, as well as, actual cutting and cooking tips.
I'd have to say my favorite recipe is the Tamale Pie. Anyone who has ever tried to or has
successfully prepared homemade tamales knows it's not only an all-day affair, but it requires lots
of
helpers. Now, I don't have to trot off to my favorite Mexican restaurant, I can make them with
ease
- at home!
Alyice Edrich, Reviewer
http://thedabblingmum.com
Ann's Bookshelf
Catherine de Medici
Leonie Frieda
Phoenix
ISBN: 0753820390 A$24.95 512 pages
A "merchant's daughter"; an Italian duchess without a duchy; a "barren wife"; an "eclipsed
consort".
Caterina Maria Romula de Medici was called all of these things but she was a most powerful and
influential woman, Queen of France for eleven years, and Queen Mother, regent and de facto ruler
for thirty more. She was one of the "Monstrous Regiment of Women" against whom John Knox
fulminated in the sixteenth century. And, because of her involvement in the Saint Bartholomew's
Day Massacre in Paris, she came to be know as 'The Maggot from Italy's tomb', 'The Black
Queen'
and 'Madame la Serpente'.
Leonie Frieda sets out to show that such judgments were mistaken and bigoted and that Catherine
de Medici was, in fact, a remarkably courageous and pragmatic woman whose sole purpose in life
was to ensure "the survival of her children, her dynasty and France". Overall, Frieda succeeds in
her
purpose.
Catherine may have been a merchant's daughter, but what merchants! She came from the rich and
powerful Medici family, which traced its ancestors and their banking business back some two
hundred years to Giovanni di Bicci de Medici. Her close relatives were some of the most
influential
secular and religious figures in Italy. And, on her mother's side, she was descended from Louis IX
of
France.
Catherine may have been a duchess without a duchy, but she did have significant wealth and
property. Consequently, marriage negotiations began when she was a child and she had many
suitors, including at one time Henry VIII's illegitimate son, the Duke of Richmond. Her eventual
marriage to Henry, Duke of Orleans, second son of King Francis 1 of France, was therefore not
too
surprising.
Leonie Frieda describes Catherine's route to power, her intense love of her husband, the
three-cornered relationship which soured her marriage, and her occult premonitions of her
husband's
bizarre death. Frieda is good, too, at providing curious details to spice the dry historical facts,
such
as the measures Catherine took in order to become pregnant: prayers, medicine, magical potions
which included draughts of mule's urine and stinking poultices and, finally, spying on the sexual
antics of Henry and his mistress in order to find out what she might be doing wrong. Clearly,
something worked, for Catherine went on to give birth to nine children.
Both Catherine and her husband, Henry (who became King Henry II of France in 1547) had
insecure
and traumatic childhoods. Neither enjoyed a normal family life and both were made aware at a
very
early age of the dangerous power struggles which threatened their lives and those of their families
and friends. Both learned early to dissemble, to hide their true thoughts and feelings, to scheme,
and
to fight in every possible way for survival.
Catherine lived to see her beloved husband and all but one of her children die. She survived eight
religious wars and continuous plotting against her and her sons' positions of power. She
constantly
sought to reconcile the religious differences which were dividing people, states and countries. She
was a formidable negotiator, an astute player of international games of diplomacy and, at the same
time, she loved hunting, embroidery and the latest Italian fashions.
Leonie Frieda has done meticulous research to back up her claims about Catherine and, not
surprisingly, given the number of contenders for power and the turbulent times through which
Catherine lived, there are quite a few dry pages which seem just to be list of plots, people, events
and changes. Nevertheless, the French court under Catherine's influence and, especially during the
reigns of Catherine's sons, was something to be wondered at for its opulence, its decadence and
the
blatant sexuality of the royal siblings Francis, Henri and Margot.
When Catherine's son Henri was elected King of Poland, Frieda's descriptions of the contrast
between his exotic, cross-dressing, sexually ambiguous gallants and the bearded, booted, macho
Polish gentlemen, and of his clandestine escape from that country when he finally became King of
France, stir the imagination. So, too, does her description of Henri's visit to Venice, where, on his
way home to France to claim his throne, he was given a royal reception and his own lavish
spending
made him "a veritable one-man fillip to the economic life".
She is good, too, in her careful account of the events which led up to the terrible Saint
Bartholomew's Day massacre of Huguenots, and of Catherine's unavoidable part in this
terror.
All-in-all, this book is a readable account of the life of a remarkable woman living in remarkable
times. You may not end up liking Catherine, - she was a product of her times and she had learned
hard lessons well - but you have to admit that she was impressive. A gentler, less determined
woman
could never have supported her family through such public and personal dangers and disasters, or
played such an active part in international affairs, as successfully and for as long as Catherine de
Medici managed to do.
There are some nice illustrations in this book, but parts of the index are impossible to use.
Moon Zoo
Carol Ann Duffy, author
Joel Stewart, illustrator
Macmillan
ISBN: 1405020490 A$26.95 14 pages
Moon Zoo is a delight.
Carol Ann Duffy's humour, her empathy with small children and her versatility as a poet, provide
exactly the right words to stir the imagination. And Joel Stewart's colourful, funny and very
attractive illustrations make this book as much fun to look at as it is to read.
Mr four-year-old, in my family, found the idea of moon baboons flashing their bottoms at the
human
race suitably rude and hilarious. His six-year-old brother listened and grinned, and tried to pretend
he was too old for this kid's stuff - but he wasn't really.
Carol Ann Duffy, like Ted Hughes before her, clearly believes that children's poetry is important
and
that they deserve the best. And rightly so, for how else can we foster the imagination, fun and
delight which our children need to sustain them as they grow older?
Moon Zoo gives children a wonderful new world to explore. The zoo-keeper is an eight-armed
alien
who clanks her buckets along the Milky Way. The penguins float about playfully in the Sea of
Tranquility. Polar bears, hippos and elephants are airborne in zero gravity. And space craft zoom
around them all. There are even some strange, nameless creatures lurking behind rocks or peering
over the edges of pages.
Words and pictures - perfect food for the imagination. And not just for the kids, either!
Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com
Arlene's Bookshelf
UnderCover
Laurinda D. Brown
Strebor Books
PO Box 1370; Bowie, MD 20718
ISBN: 1593090307; $15.00; 234 pp.
Laurinda D. Brown's novel, UnderCover, tells the story of Chris Desmereaux, a professional
woman
who has recently survived a violently tempestuous relationship. While surfing the net and
attempting
to get her life back on track, she meets Amil, a doctor who is soon to marry a successful
entrepreneur. The immediate friendship between these two women begins to develop into
something
more without their having actually met. Then, when Chris and Amil actually meet by chance at a
business meeting, they realize their attraction goes beyond mere words on a computer screen.
Prior
to this event, Chris' friend Nathaniel, a former drag queen, has put his past behind him and now
has
assumed the role of loving husband to Chris' sister. However, when financial problems arise,
Nathaniel resumes his former occupation and must now come to terms with his sexuality. The
lives
of these people entwine and overlap until, inevitably, each will discover what genuine love,
acceptance, and compassion truly are.
Brown has written an unusual opening for this novel, a scene in a drag club. Nathaniel's lover,
Patrick, has decided to honor a promise to his dying mother and is giving his life over to God.
Hurt
and confused, Nathaniel accepts this decision and walks away from Patrick and his performing
career. The story then moves forward five years, and the reader is privy to the chat room
conversation between Chris and Amil. These two brief vignettes manage to pull the reader into
the
plot and definitely makes one want to discover more about these people. It is always rewarding to
see some ingenuity in story construction, and the initial pages of this novel reflect that.
The main characters are well developed and mostly credible in both their actions and dialogue.
One
can sense the anxiety and uncertainty each has experienced. The winning secondary characters are
also written well, and the reader is easily engaged in their subplots. This reader found the
Nathaniel
storyline to be somewhat more captivating. At times Chris tends to over verbalize and display less
than ideal traits, but one can overlook this as it does not affect the storytelling in any major way.
To
breathe life into the characters on the page, the author must create a dilemma, a problematic
situation which will propel the narrative and thereby create within the reader a need to learn more.
Brown achieves this through the writing of an absorbing and entertaining scheme. Her characters
grow, expand, fail yet again, and accept others and themselves in a credible and intriguing
progression.
Both explicit and implicit themes are dealt with in UnderCover. Understanding the importance of
one's past, being true to oneself, tolerance, if not acceptance, of others and their ideologies, and
recognition of both sincere and faithful love are dealt with, not through any proselytizing on the
part
of the author, but through the actions and nuances of speech. Amil's realization of where her
future
should be and with whom is conducted in a subtle and affecting fashion.
The tone of this novel is quite different from Brown's previous work, Fire & Brimstone. There is a
maturity of writing and characterization not quite as evident in the latter. The overall story is
much
more compelling and thought-provoking. The evolution of Chris is well worth waiting for; she is a
much more sympathetic figure here. One can care more deeply about a positive outcome
developing
for her. There appears to be a less vociferous snarl in her attitude and actions. This reader found it
much easier to empathize with a more mature Chris.
UnderCover is a novel which will provide several hours of both entertaining and attentive reading;
it
is a novel which could certainly provoke serious discussion. Brown has stated that she writes
about
life and not lifestyles. This novel creates a portrait of people in crisis, of people with real hopes
and
aspirations, and of people who want to do the right thing even at the expense of others. Isn't that
what life really is?
Shared Winds
Kenna White
Bella Books
P.O. Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302
ISBN: 1594930060; $12.95; 215 pp.
Kenna White's novel, Shared Winds, begins soon after the devastation caused by an Oklahoma
twister. Lan Harding's lake marina of the title's name has been completely destroyed, and her
future
and livelihood are becoming bleaker with each passing day. Unless Lan can find a contractor to
rebuild her business in time for the new season, she will have to give up her dream of the perfect
place to be. Unfortunately, many others have suffered structural and economic casualties as well,
and Lan is not high on the priority list of the already over-extended contractors. Enter Emma
Bishop, the daughter of a prominent local builder, who wants to perform the task Lan needs done
in
order to validate for her skeptical father that she is indisputably ready to take over the family
business. As these two women begin the task of rebuilding the marina, they begin to experience
feelings that go beyond the usual employer-employee relationship.
Since White's story begins with the aftermath of a tornado, the author must capture in the first
few
pages the extensive physical devastation to the marina and the emotional upheaval and turmoil
with
which Lan must now cope. The reader needs to be drawn in as quickly as possible, and White has
achieved this with ease. "Eight years of work and reinvesting every penny into the business now
seemed perilously close to vanishing" (p. 5). The dilemma in which Emma finds herself is written
succinctly and clearly. The reader is shown the problematic situations these two women are
experiencing in a forthright and direct fashion. Much of the narrative maintains that crisp
expression
which makes the novel especially readable. The main conflicts both implicit and explicit have been
clearly determined, and the remainder of the story leads the protagonists toward logical
resolutions.
The setting plays an important role in the book. One must be able to visualize the lake, the
surrounding forest, and the spectacular views as Lan does in order to relate to this woman's
commitment at any cost to re-build and start anew. Although the forces of nature and the heart
can
be capricious and indiscriminate, both Lan and Emma display the tenacity and self-reliance to deal
with whatever fate has in store for them.
Telling the story through the use of the third person enables the reader to see beyond the
superficial
aspects of the personalities of Lan and Emma and into the psyches of these characters. Each
woman
has some vestige of past heartache, and White is able to show that through the use of subtly and
deftly crafted dialogue and realistic interactions. The utilization of humor throughout much of the
novel adds to the overall enjoyment level. Lan's attempt to share her Cherokee heritage with
Emma
is done in a lighthearted not heavy-handed manner. This proves to be equally enlightening for the
reader.
Kenna White's debut novel, Shared Winds, is a charming and lively story of two determined
women
who must overcome adversity and self-doubt. Both Lan and Emma are attractive and appealing
characters who succeed in capturing the reader's attention and empathy. It is not difficult to
understand each woman as she endeavors to assert her independence and to establish a productive
livelihood. An agreeable blend of Native American, in this instance Cherokee, philosophy and
appreciation of nature adds veracity to Lan's characterization. It establishes her focal point from
which all her actions radiate, thus making Lan a rather unconventional character archetype. The
narrative is not too complex; the storyline has a leisurely ebb and flow throughout the book. If
one is
looking for tension-filled complicated scenes of character interaction, the reader will not find them
here. However, what the reader will experience and appreciate is a satisfying and restorative novel
that spins an unpretentious and emotive tale of recovery, renewal, and romance.
Hunter's Pursuit
Kim Baldwin
Bold Strokes Books
1020 Livezey Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119
ISBN: 1933110090; $15.95; 315 pp.
Kim Baldwin's novel, Hunter's Pursuit, Author's Edition, is set during a raging blizzard in the
northern Michigan wilderness just a few miles south of Lake Superior. Living in a secluded
bunker is
Kat Hunter, an introspective, solitary, and lethal woman who is contemplating retirement from her
job as a paid assassin. Determined to bury the past, she has forsaken her violent world and former
associates. However, her tranquil days of music and photography are interrupted when she
rescues a
mysterious woman from a serious car accident. Upon bringing the woman back to the bunker, Kat
discovers that the woman has no recollection of who she is. To further complicate the situation,
there are several nefarious and ruthless people who are doggedly pursuing Kat for the
million-dollar
dead-or-alive bounty which has been offered by the one individual who knows Kat all too well. As
the storm rages outside her hideaway, Kat will be tested as never before, and along the way, she
will
awaken feelings she thought were long dead.
Baldwin has created a gripping, fast-paced, and suspenseful wilderness adventure that reads easily
and enjoyably. The two main characters, Kat and the injured amnesiac, Jake, are intelligent and
appealing. The deft characterization displays the multi-faceted personality of the charismatic
protagonist, Kat. As the reader begins to peel away each layer and proceeds to uncover the events
that have molded Kat into the woman she has become, the reader is subtly made aware that
nothing
should be taken at face value. Jake is a character that immediately evokes one's concern and
sympathy, yet Baldwin always manages to keep the presence of mystery and inscrutability in the
forefront. Is Jake who she appears to be? Could she be a ruse perpetrated by Kat's enemies? Does
she know Kat's Achilles' heel? Baldwin has indeed created memorably inventive and compelling
characters. In the hands of an author with a less stylized technique, Kat could have come across as
an extremely unsympathetic character who had committed despicable acts. However, through the
use of fluid substantive dialogue and an impressive narrative depicting the inner conflicts of this
main
character, Baldwin has succeeded in creating a very realistic portrayal of a woman who displays,
despite all odds, an intrinsic decency and compassion. It is for those very reasons that the reader
genuinely cares for and about her.
This novel has some of the best action sequences this reader has experienced. They are animated,
vigorous, and exciting. The reader can virtually experience the sensory world of the somber
winter
and its uninhabited forest. Baldwin's fast-paced sentence structure effortlessly sweeps the reader
along at practically breakneck speed. The chapter endings make wonderful use of the familiar
cliffhanger technique. Baldwin's chapter conclusions are extremely precise and definitely
suspenseful.
The juxtaposition of various plotlines, the evolving focal points of reader interest, and the realistic
dialogue hurtle the reader forward at an ever increasing rate. Hunter's Pursuit is most definitely a
page turner.
Kim Baldwin's novel, Hunter's Pursuit, Author's Edition, takes the reader on a dangerous,
heart-pounding rollercoaster ride brimming with intrigue, betrayal, deliverance, passion, and
ultimately, self-less love. From the stark setting to the character of the anti-heroine to the
possibilities of redemption, Baldwin has managed to write a novel which is memorable not only
for
its energetic detail but also for its appealing and perceptive portrayal of a woman conditioned, but
not held captive, by her past.
Jane
Maggie Nelson
Soft Skull Press
71 Bond Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
ISBN: 1932360719, $13.95, 224 pp.
Maggie Nelson's Jane is an original approach to the memoir genre. The author has used poetry,
police accounts, dreams, news articles, diary entries, and personal reflections to tell the story of
her
aunt, Jane, who was brutally raped and murdered in 1969. Although the case was never officially
solved, it was thought to be the third murder during a string of seven serial killings near the
University of Michigan. Although Nelson never knew her aunt, this is her attempt to better
understand her mother's sister, in both life and death. Nelson shares with the reader how this
incident
affected all who knew her aunt as well as family members who came after the crime.
When one first begins reading this book, it is a bit difficult to become acclimated to the use the
poetic structure. However, soon the reader is so fully engaged in the subject matter that the
rhythm
flows easily from one form to another. The long-term devastation caused by a crime so many
years
before the author's birth is tellingly reflected through her interactions with family members,
especially her mother. There are examples of irony and the juxtaposition of what was and what
now
is strikes the reader immediately. The simple lines offered, "Here is just where/ he dumped her, on
a
night of cold rain/ and where my mother and I stand today, / listening to the birds" (p. 217). So
much heartache in so few words, but they serve to affirm that life does go on. Always reminded
that
she is so like her aunt, Nelson recalls her grandfather making the same slip of the tongue countless
times. As he stares at her, he states, "Well Jane/ he says, I think I'll have/ another cup of coffee"
(p.
37).
Jane is a book that long remains with the reader and causes one, when finished reading it, to think
about those darker elements of life. The gamut of emotions experienced by Nelson vividly comes
to
life as she endeavors to solve the mystery of her aunt's death and to better comprehend how this
horrific event affected her own psyche. This novel is upsetting as well as inspiring and certainly
one
not to be missed.
What makes this book especially absorbing is the author's innovative and unconventional format.
It
brings a fresh insight and an arresting technique to tell the story. The intertwining of prose of
various
forms and original poetry makes for a compelling read. This is certainly not a feel good book, not
a
beach read. What it does offer the serious reader with a discerning eye is an in-depth look of a
fragmented life, family, and eventually understanding and reconciliation, if not redemption.
The Kookaburra Gambit
Claire McNab
Alyson Books
P.O. Box 4371, Los Angeles, CA 90078-4371
ISBN: 1555839045, $13.95, 226 pages
This novel is the second installment in the Kylie Kendall private detective series, and as Kylie
herself
would say, it is certainly bonzer! Having inherited a fifty-one percent interest in her father's
detective
agency, Kendall & Creeling, Kylie wants to become more involved in actual case solving and has
begun her training. When her cousin back in Australia recommends her Los Angeles-based agency
to
twins Alf and Chicka Hartnidge, Kylie is grateful for the business and for the chance to conduct
an
investigation under the tutelage of Bob Verritt and the watchful eye of Ariana Creeling, her
business
partner and object of her unspoken love and passion. The boisterous twins arrive and are about to
embark on a joint business venture with Lamb White, a film company owned by the highly suspect
evangelist Brother Owen. However, it seems someone has been smuggling valuable Australian
opals
inside the Hartnidge brothers' plush toy characters from their popular show The Oz Mob. Unless
Kylie can discover the identity of the culprits, thousands of dollars, the Hartnidges' reputation,
Hollywood's charismatic guru, and jail time may all prove to be the common denominator. This
important investigation is made even more difficult by Kylie's inability to resist the magnetic pull
she
senses from Ariana, her secretary Melodie's endless acting auditions which leave the office in
chaos,
and her fractious Aunt Millie who has arrived to drag her niece back to Oz where she
belongs.
McNab has created a strong protagonist in Kylie Kendall. She is a genuine and captivating young
woman who possesses just enough vulnerability and emotional insecurity with which the reader
can
readily identify. Through Kylie's speech and actions, we understand what motivates, elates, and
exasperates her. By using a variety of Australian vernacular and sensibility, McNab has
constructed
an intriguing opposite for the typical Los Angelino woman. McNab often magnifies the inherent
cultural differences in a most amusing manner. Although Gambit is a mystery, the author has
included a fair amount of wit, humor, and sexual tension which propels the reader along at a fast
pace. The characterizations are deftly drawn and engrossing. Kylie and Ariana are attractive
intelligent women who initially appear to have little more than business in common. However, this
second series book further develops and explores their personal relationship. The reader is well
aware that Kylie finds Ariana to be simply and totally irresistible, and now through the nuances of
word and action, Ariana's veil of mystique is slowly beginning to descend. One evening, upset by
what her aunt may have told Ariana, Kylie fears she is about to cry. "Ariana put an arm around
my
shoulders I couldn't help it. I leaned forward and kissed her" (p. 128).
There are no corpses falling out of closets, no shoot-outs in dark alleys, no superhero antics. The
Kookaburra Gambit is an entertaining and real depiction of a woman trying to come to grips with
her new home, a challenging job, and inexplicably intense feelings for her enigmatic partner. What
is
especially satisfying about this novel is the sense of realism surrounding Kylie's attempt to begin
her
new life with a rather ordinary case which is further complicated by the everyday routines of the
workplace, associates, and family. These are regular people going about their daily lives while
trying
to attain that which will make them ultimately happy and content.
McNab has created in Brother Owen all that embodies the slick exploitative con man operating
under the guise of pious religiosity. One can easily infer parallels with several church groups of
today. His type with his bombastic tenet to believe in him or die has been seen too often on cable
television and in the headlines. The reader has an immediate distaste for this man and his cohorts;
McNab has succeeded in creating an antagonist worthy of that loathing.
The Kookaburra Gambit is a wholly rewarding and satisfying reading experience. Amiable,
appealing, and assertive protagonists, emerging character revelations, and a most compelling and
enjoyable cast of secondary characters keep the reader engaged and immersed. McNab has
created
an amusing and delightful new series with Kylie Kendall. As an added bonus, there is also
included
at the end of the book an excerpt from the soon to be released third book in the series. This reader
strongly recommends that you read The Kookaburra Gambit. You too will find it a bonzer
experience.
The War Between the Hearts
Nann Dunne
Intaglio Publications
PO Box 357474, Gainesville, FL 32635-7474
ISBN: 1933113278, $17.95, 292 pp.
Sarah-Bren Coulter's mother asks, "Why can't you act like most other women" (p. 67)? Sarah
responds with "Because, Mother...I'm not like most other women" (p.67). Thus, the thematic
point
in Nann Dunne's latest novel, an historical romance entitled The War between the Hearts, is
established. The setting is the Civil War, and Sarah desperately wants to do her part rather than
remain at home and help her brother run a factory. She has no doubts that she can pass for a male
given her build, voice, and strength. With an additional bit of costume make-up, Sarah looks very
much like the typical soldier. Because she knows the geographical area so well, she convinces the
commanding officer that spying behind enemy lines would be a worthwhile endeavor. So begins
her
new career as a Confederate soldier/Union spy. It is not long after that Sarah witnesses the
brutality
firsthand. "shooting a man face to face ending his life with my own hand. That's a heavier
burden than carrying messages back and forth. God, I hate this war" (29)! As the story
progresses,
Sarah suffers an injury and finds herself recuperating in the home of an attractive Union woman,
Faith Pruitt. Unable to reveal her true identity and not quite understanding her attraction for this
young woman, Sarah begins her recovery. However, this quiet interlude is soon interrupted with
her
capture by a squad of Union soldiers. Believing that Faith has turned her in because she is a
Confederate, Sarah, feeling both angry and completely betrayed, is led away to an uncertain fate.
As
the title implies, many battles will be waged before these two women can realize what destiny has
in
store for them.
Dunne has captured this historical period quite effectively. The premise is based on fact; there
were
many instances, and not just in this particular conflict, where women assumed the male warrior
role
and fought for what they believed. Sarah is a three-dimensional character and one with which the
reader will empathize and certainly will admire. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary
measures,
and Sarah rises to the occasion with bravery, intelligence, and cunning. This woman has set goals
for
herself, and though they are beyond the mainstream of behavior for the times, she is nonetheless
undaunted in her quest. Sarah's vulnerability is evidenced as she experiences every woman's worst
nightmare at the hands of her own Union soldiers who stubbornly refuse to believe that she is not
the
enemy. Despite all the trials and hardships Sarah encounters, her spirit, although sorrowfully
tested
at times, never wavers. She makes heart wrenching decisions whose consequences impact her
greatly, but through it all, she has few regrets. Dunne has created a compelling and original
character
with Sarah. It is particularly arresting and riveting to read the scenes where she and her twin
brother
Scott heatedly discuss her abnormal feelings for the woman she loves. Sarah-Bren Coulter is a
genuinely memorable multi-faceted character
Faith Pruitt is also a well-crafted round character who displays a quietly steadfast and tranquil
demeanor. She is a loving and kind woman who aids Sarah in her time of need. Her unquestioning
willingness to take her in and nurse her back to health has nothing to do with politics. Faith reacts
to
the individual; it is of no consequence to her if that person be a Union or a Confederate soldier.
There is an immediate conductivity between Faith and Sarah, one with which Faith is familiar,
even
if Sarah is not. As the storyline progresses, the reader senses that beneath that cool and tranquil
exterior that she presents to the world, Faith is indeed an intriguing and sensuous woman who will
give of herself, body and soul, only to the one she believes to be her true soul mate. There is a
smoldering sexuality about Faith which this reader found to be both captivating and enthralling.
This
is a self-reliant woman raising a child by herself who knows what and whom she needs and wants
to
enhance and complete her life, and Faith is willing to risk being profoundly disappointed and
possibly emotionally scarred by rejection.
The War between the Hearts is a wonderfully written tale of suspense, passion, betrayal, and
forgiveness. Original and striking characters take the reader on an unforgettably remarkable and
fascinating journey. The novel is powerful in its depiction of two distinctive and assertive women
who challenge the tenor of the times to pursue their goals and dreams and to establish a niche for
themselves. The War between the Hearts is certainly a commendable contribution to the genre of
historical romance.
Arlene Germain
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
The Good That I Should
Gwyn Borcherding & Vincent Nguyen
Concordia Publishing House
3558 South Jefferson Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63118-3968
0758603924 $9.99 1-800-325-3040 www.cph.org
A picture book adaptation drawn from Romans 7:19, The Good That I Should by Gwyn
Borcherding is the story of a little boy who tries very hard to do the right thing but sometimes
fails.
The delightful rhyming text is nicely enhanced with the artwork of Vincent Nguyen. Young
readers
will learn that regardless of how often we fail to do the right thing, we can be forgiven because
Jesus
took the punishment for all of our sins. So it is always possible to start again, to do the right thing
again, to not give into temptation or misbehave or neglect responsibilities. The Good That I
Should
is a welcome addition to family, Sunday School, and community library picturebook collections
for
Christian young readers.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Christopher L. Webber & Preston McDaniels
Morehouse Publishing
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
081921986X $9.95 1-800-877-0012 www.morehousepublishing.com
In The Lord Is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 For Children, Episcopal priest Christopher L. Wepper
adapts the text of one of most well-known and best-loved religious devotions in the Bible for
preschoolers and early readers. Enhanced with Preston McDaniel's colorful illustrations, this
picture
book rendition of the sacred psalm provides a text of the Psalm that is less abstract than the
versions
commonly read in the Bible while remaining true to the original meaning and accessible to the
minds
and understandings of children ages 3 to 7. Ideal for family, Sunday School, and community
library
picture book collections, this edition of The Lord Is My Shepherd is ideal for parent-child "read
aloud" bedtime storytelling.
Bless My Child
Julie Cragon
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
1594710147 $9.95 1-800-282-1865 www.avemariapress.com
Bless My Child: A Catholic Mother's Prayer Book by Julie Cragon offers mothers a rich variety of
prayers for every occasion. Herself a mother of six (ages 3 through 16), Julie Cragon draws from
the
vast treasury of Catholic prayer to create new expressions of many beloved devotions. Offered are
"Novenas for My Child"; "A Rosary for My Child"; and Stations of the Cross for My Child".
Prayers
to the saints reveals that we are not alone in parenting, while prayers for growth in virtue aid the
realization that the Holy Spirit is always at work in the lives of our children. Bless My Child is
especially recommended for new and expectant mothers within the Roman Catholic communities
of
faith.
Mom PhD
Teresa Bell Kindred
Howard Publishing Company
3117 North 7th Street, West Monroe, LA 71291-2227
1582294240 $14.99 1-800-858-4109 www.howardpublishingdealer.com
Mom PhD: 6 Steps To Mastering Leadership Skills For Mom by Teresa Bell Kindred (Christian
author, public speaker, high-school teacher, monthly "Kindred Spirits" columnist for Kentucky
Living magazine, wife and mother of five) is written to assist other wives and mothers to create a
vision for themselves and their families that will inspire to faith by knowing when and how to ask
for
help, being consistent in decisions and behavior, dealing with teens, requiring respect from others,
setting clear boundaries for family members, instilling courtesy and manners, "catching children at
being good", debunking the "supermom" myth, and tapping into the power of prayer for life
guidance and family problem solving. Wonderfully readable and of immense, immediate, and
practical value, Mom PhD is enthusiastically recommended reading!
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
Quotable Texas Women
Susie Kelly Flatau & Lou Halsell Rodenberger
State House Press
McMurray Station, Box 637, Abilene, TX 79697-0637
1880510898 $12.95 1-800-421-3378
From pioneer days down to the present day, the women of Texas have had a great deal to say. In
Quotable Texas Women. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Susie Kelly Flatau and Lou
Halsell Rodenberger, Quotable Texas Women is a collection of several hundred statements by
Texas
women on a variety of topics ranging from Electra Waggoner Biggs who recalls her mother's
advice
"to always be able to look at myself in the mirror with no regrets", to Artie Stockton's quip that
"A
good time to lie to yourself is that first look in the morning's mirror." From Molly Ivins opining
that
"If Texas were a sane place, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun."; to Babe Didrikson Zaharias'
observation that "The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration, then more
practice
and concentration." Highly recommended reading, Quotable Texas Women would also well serve
as
a template or example of what can be done with recording and showcasing the wit, wisdom, and
observations of women in other states and regions of America.
The Goddess Of Happiness
Debbie Gisonni
Inner Ocean Publishing
PO Box 1239, Makawao, Maui, HI 96768
1930722486 $12.95 1-800-916-3308 www.innerocean.com
With Debbie Gisonni's The Goddess Of Happiness: A Down-To-Earth Guide For Heavenly
Balance
And Bliss, readers will discover how to make their life increasingly pleasant and personally
rewarding
at work, at home, and in their relationships. The Goddess Of Happiness is a compilation of
stories,
insights, and humor revealing how happiness is a choice and a practice that anyone can achieve
including finding a personal balance, giving up guilt, enhancing self respect, rising above fear, and
so
much more. Of special note are "The Goddess of Happiness's 10 Steps to a Happier, Healthier
You". If you only have time (and the energy) for one self-help, self-improvement book for
personal
growth, then make it Debbie Gisonni's The Goddess Of Happiness!
Homeschooling the Challenging Child
Christine M. Field
Broadman & Holman Publishers
127 Ninth Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37234
0805430784 $14.99 1-800-251-3225 www.broadmanholman.com
Former trial lawyer turned homeschool mother Christine M. Field presents Homeschooling the
Challenging Child: A Practical Guide, written especially for parents who turn to homeschooling
because their children cannot thrive in a traditional educational environment due to special,
physical,
or emotional needs. Chapters address how to deal with issues stemming from various learning
disabilities, attention disorders, personality clashes, learning styles, discipline problems, managing
stress and discouragement, how to plan a program, the importance of keeping in mind the tenets
of
God's love and forgiveness, and much more. Hands-on tips for managing a successful home
education program, as well as how to obtain professional help from support groups and other
such
resources round out this superb guide for home schoolers or would-be home-schoolers of all
persuasions - not just those whose child faces special obstacles.
The Student's Federal Career Guide
Kathryn Kraemer Troutman & Emily K. Troutman
The Resume Place
89 Mellor Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21228
0964702568 $21.95 1-888-480-8265 www.resume-lace.com
Enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM offering case studies and samples, The Student's
Federal
Career Guide: 10 Steps To Find And Win Top Government Jobs and Internships shows students
just
how to utilize networking to discover the availability of federal jobs, how to identify and locate
the
relevant federal agency; what internships; federal pay scales; researching federal job listings
on-line;
writing a federal job oriented resume; writing cover letters showcasing knowledge, skills and
abilities; the federal job application process; tracking and following-up job applications and
interviews; and conducting oneself in the interview process. Of special note is the accompanying
website at www.TenStepsForStudents.org offering samples, internships links, job prospect
information, and tips from actual government agency recruiters. Specifically designed for college
students and recent graduates entering the job market, The Student's Federal Career Guide is also
very highly recommended for men and women of any age seeking a public service career with the
federal government.
The Complete Idiot's Guide To Quick & Easy Low-Carb Meals
Tod Dimmick
Alpha/The Penguin Press
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1592573134 $18.95 1-800-847-5515 www.us.penguingroup.com
Packed from cover to cover with easy-to-make, mouth-wateringly delicious, low-carb recipes that
can be prepared by even the most novice kitchen chef in twenty minutes or less, The Complete
Idiot's Guide To Quick & Easy Low-Carb Meals is one of the most "user friendly" cookbooks
that
anyone could ever hope to encounter on their search for low-carb lunches, dinners, snacks, or
desserts. With ever recipe being accompanied by a complete nutritional analysis (including carbs,
proteins, and glycemic index data), the dishes range from Blueberry-Vanilla Breakfast Yogurt;
Tuna-Stuffed Tomatoes; Curried Pork; and Moroccan Lamb Kebabs; to Sauteed Mushroom
Enchiladas; Ham Steaks with Sweet Mustard Sauce; Lightning Chicken Stew; and Almond
Chocolate Parfaits. Enhanced with a glossary, an extensive list of resources, a glycemic index and
carbohydrate list, and a comprehensive index, The Complete Idiot's Guide To Quick & Easy
Low-Carb Meals is a welcome and highly recommended addition to any and all family cookbook
collections!
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
Betty's Bookshelf
Yankee Girl
Mary Ann Rodman
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
0374386617 $17.00
In Yankee Girl, Mary Ann Rodman's semi-autobiographical story, eleven-year-old Alice Ann
Moxley and her family move from Chicago to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964, when her FBI agent
dad
is sent there to protect the Negroes who are trying to vote. At her new school, racial integration is
just beginning. It is not going well. Her father is in constant danger from the Ku Klux Klan. The
popular white girls scorn Alice for not knowing how to treat the Negroes she meets and nickname
her "Yankee Girl". And to top it off, when Ann gets put into a class with Valerie (one of the
Negro
girls who have been bussed in under protest), Ann's friendly overtures to the girl are turned
down.
Already bewildered by unwritten rules dealing with proper behavior between whites and Negroes
and wanting to "fit in", she finally decides that the wisest thing to do is to ignore both Valerie and
the cruel things that are done to her by the popular girls. Then, Valerie's father (one of Martin
Luther King's right-hand men) dies in an act of violence, and Alice finds out what following the
crowd really means.
Rodman knows her stuff. Her father was one of the 150 FBI agents who were sent to Mississippi
in
1964 by President Johnson, to protect the Negroes who were trying to vote. In the midst of those
days, Rodman's mother told her, "You know, someday you'll be glad you lived in this time and
this
place. You are seeing history in the making. You can tell your children and grandchildren about
it."
Rodman chose to tell a wider audience, though, and Yankee Girl (based on Rodman's own
experiences as well as historical events) tells all of her readers, "I was there, and this is what it
was
like."
The Silver Crown
Robert C. O'Brien
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020
068984106X $17.00
Like many little girls, Ellen Carroll likes to pretend she is a queen and she spends many hours in a
wooded park near her home holding court and ruling over her imaginary kingdom. All the
grown-ups in Ellen's life pretend to believe her, except for her Aunt Sarah. Aunt Sarah knows she
isn't pretending. Ellen really is a queen.
When Ellen wakes up on her tenth birthday to find a silver crown on her pillow, she isn't really
surprised. For a real queen, it's the perfect gift. Slipping out of the house while the rest of the
family
sleeps, she takes it to the park. As she plays, wearing the crown, she notices it makes her feel
different. Smarter. Able to think more clearly. Is it a magic crown? And did Aunt Sarah send it to
her? There was no note with it.
Soon she hears sirens and smells smoke. When she goes to investigate, she discovers that her
house
has burned to the ground and there is no sign of her family. Although onlookers tell her no one
could have gotten out of the house alive, she senses something odd is going on. Kindly bystanders
keep offering to help her, but each one ends up trying to take her captive instead, and soon she
can't
trust anyone.
When she overhears that something called the Hieronymus Machine wants her and her crown in
its
power, she decides to head for Aunt Sarah's house in Kentucky. Her aunt will believe her and
maybe
she'll be able to help. But it's a long way for a ten-year-old to travel alone, even if she is a queen.
Will the followers of the machine catch her before she gets there? Will Aunt Sarah really be able
to
help? And why does the Hieronymus Machine want Ellen's crown so desperately? Read the book
and find out. You won't be disappointed.
Betty Winslow
Reviewer
Bob's Bookshelf
Sir Walter: Walter Hagen and the Invention of Professional Golf
Tom Clavin
Simon & Schuster.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
ISBN 0743204867 $26.00 370 pages
He ushered the game of golf into the modern era, was the first American golfer to top $1 million
in
career prize money, and battled with amateur Bobby Jones on numerous golf courses throughout
his
playing days.
Biographer Tom Clavin writes, "Hagen was the player most responsible for creating the
occupation
of professional golfer during the 1920s. Crucial to the explosive growth of golf in America during
that decade, from 1923 to 1930 the Haig played in twenty-one professional major tournaments,
winning seven During the rapid rise of golf in the Roaring Twenties, it was Hagen who carried the
gold torch week after week and year after year, especially in the high profile events."
Before Hagen came along golf was considered a gentleman's game played at posh country clubs.
Taking home the trophy from tournaments like the U.S. Open or British Open brought amateur
golfers prestige but no money.
Professionals who did earn their livelihood on the course were generally looked down upon and
considered just a notch above caddies. This caste system between amateurs and pros began to
break
down in the 1920s, and the flamboyant and talented Hagen was the first "pro" to transcend the
"pro"
stigma.
Beginning as a caddie for ten cents an hour when he was eight years old, Hagen became the head
pro at the Rochester (NY) Country Club when he was nineteen. He seriously considered
becoming a
professional baseball player but all that changed in 1914 when he won the U.S. Open.
The "Babe Ruth" of golf, Hagen captured the public's attention not only because of his skill on the
links but because of the life he led away from the golf course. He hobnobbed with Charlie
Chaplin,
Al Jolson, Warren G. Harding and the Prince of Wales. His playing partners for recreational golf
included Hollywood notables like Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire, and Bing Crosby.
Although his personal life made occasional headlines just like his athletic exploits, Walter Hagen's
enduring legacy is to the game he loved so dearly. A charter member of the PGA, Hagen was
proud
of all he accomplished and how he raised the professional status of the game.
"I think Walter Hagen contributed more to golf than any player today or ever," noted former golf
professional Gene Sarazen. "He took the game all over the world. He popularized it here and
everywhere. Walter was at the head of the class. Walter should not be forgotten."
Sports writer Tom Clavin agrees with Sarazen, hence this entertaining account of Hagen's life.
Drawing on interviews, press reports, and the memories of those who knew Sir Walter, Clavin
brings the great and beloved golfer to life.
A key component of the Hagen story is his battle with amateur Bobby Jones. Clavin contrasts the
personal and athletic styles of both these golfers who shaped the game during the Golden Age of
Sport.
Here Comes Eloise!
Kay Thompson
Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
0687871546 $6.99
This Lift-the-Flap book finds the indomitable six year old "helping out" all her friends at The Plaza
Hotel in New York where she lives. Whether she's sorting out the boxes in the package room (and
making a mess), lending a hand in the kitchen (and creating chaos) or making the patrons ride in
the
elevator a memorable one, Eloise always attracts attention. Fortunately, her nanny is there to sort
out things and smooth over any hurt feelings Eloise's antics might have caused.
Lifting the flaps to see what kind of mischief little Eloise gets into will keep the youngster
engaged
in the story as mom or dad reads it. With art by Hilary Knight, this picture book is appropriate for
children three years of age and up.
A Chocolate Moose
Fred Gwynne
Aladdin / Simon & Schuster
0689878273 $4.99
Children can often take things very literally; hence, certain expressions can be the source of
confusion or, in this case, humor. Fred Gwynne assembles some of these expressions and then has
some fun with them as his illustrations show what a child might think of.
For example, having a "chocolate moose for dinner" is portrayed with picture of a little girl sitting
at
the table opposite a very large moose. A "gorilla war" shows the large creatures decked out in full
combat gear. Now that you get the idea, imagine what the author has come up with for "the arms
race", "a new wing on the house", "airplane hanger", and "car pool".
This delightful paperback may drive you up the wall (yes, there's an illustration for this too!) but
youngsters love this type of nonsense. Once they get the idea of how the game is played try
coming
up with other expressions not used in the book. You could begin with "cat's pajamas".
In case you wondered, yes, the author is the same Fred Gwynne who starred on "The Munsters"
television series. He was also a very accomplished artist and writer of children's books.
Part of the Stories to Go! series published by Aladdin, this picture book is appropriate for children
ages 4-8. (Actually older children and adults will find it amusing as well.)
Fannie in the Kitchen
Deborah Hopkinson
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
0689869975 $6.99
Subtitled "The Whole Story from Soup to Nuts of How Fannie Farmer Invented Recipes with
Precise Measurements", this children's picture book features Nancy Carpenter's artwork.
Set in the nineteenth century, the story introduces Marcia Shaw whose mother hires Fannie
Farmer
because the woman needs help in the kitchen. Resenting the new cook's presence because she was
her mother's helper, Marcia is soon won over by Fannie's kindness. Not only is Marcia introduced
to
new culinary skills but the reader will also find "Fannie's Hints" sprinkled throughout the
story.
There's also a simple recipe for griddle cakes at the end of the story if the reader feels the urge to
rush into the kitchen and emulate Marcia and Fannie.
Although recommended for children 4 to 9 years of age, "Fannie in the Kitchen" will appeal more
to
youngsters in the higher end of this range who show an interest in helping out in the kitchen.
Wait! I Want to Tell You a Story
Tom Willans
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
068987166X $15.95 www.simonsayskids.com
This quirky tale about a muskrat in danger of being consumed by a tiger illustrates how being able
to
think quickly on your feet (or paws) can be a lifesaving quality.
When the hungry tiger says, "I'm going to eat you," it appears the muskrat is in big trouble. But
the
endangered critter responds with, "Wait! I want to tell you a story."
Poor Tiger says, "Okay, but make it quick!" That hesitation or curiosity turns out to be the big
cat's
undoing and the muskrat's salvation as you see when you read this delightful story. Aimed at an
audience of children three years of age and up, there's probably a moral here about clever
storytellers
but don't ex
