Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books
-- Library Journal, 8/15/2007
Week of August 14th
Fiction | Nonfiction | Graphic Novels | A Civil War Round-up | Audio Reviews
Fiction
Dibdin, Michael. End Games: An Aurelio Zen Mystery. Pantheon. Aug. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-375-42521-9. $23.95. M
Italian police detective Aurelio Zen’s 11th outing—and, sadly, his last, since Dibdin died in March—is a lively caper, displaying the best of the series’ attributes. Given temporary command of the police force in Calabria (the incumbent having shot himself in the foot), Zen, a native Venetian, finds himself a virtual foreigner: the locals have long memories and grudges, a code of silence, and an unfortunate tendency to put tomatoes in pasta sauces. But Zen does more than just warm his seat after the American advanceman for a movie to be filmed in the area is brutally murdered. When the victim turns out to be a Calabrian and the movie just a ruse, Zen carries the investigation to a conclusion that satisfies all but local authorities. This Zen, with a home and wife in Lucca, is less dour than in previous books (Back to Bologna) but just as worldly wise, ever mindful of political realities and sensitve to the mores of southern Italy, while longing for the cuisine of the north. Laced with humor amid the violence, this is a masterful ending to a fine series.—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA
Francis, Dick & Felix Francis. Dead Heat. Putnam. Sept. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-399-15476-8. $25.95. M
The first murder in this mystery coauthored by Edgar Award winner Francis and son Felix occurs at the British Two Thousand Guineas Stakes. The night before the race, Max Moreton, a rising culinary star and owner of a popular Newmarket restaurant, has been accused of poisoning his guests at dinner—food poisoning them, that is. The next day, Moreton is catering a lunch for Delafield Industries, a U.S. tractor company, when a bomb goes off and kills several of his staff and the Delafield party. The police make no connection between the two events, believing that the bomb was targeting an Arab attending the race, but Moreton, a typical Dick Francis protagonist (funny and brave), does. While enduring various attempts on his life and being sued by one of the food-poisoned victims, Max manages not only to survive but also to fall in love and to solve the murders. Recommended for all public libraries.—Patsy E. Gray, Huntsville P.L., AL
Keillor, Garrison. Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon. Viking. Sept. 2007. 247p. ISBN 978-0-670-06356-7. $25.95.
Keillor’s latest Lake Wobegon novel starts with a death, flirts with a marriage, and ends in chaos, introducing many interesting individuals along the way. Evelyn is the Wobegoner who dies in her sleep as the story begins. Barbara, her devastated daughter who found the body, discovers a side of her mother she didn’t know existed and makes changes in her own life. Debbie Detmer returns from California, where she runs a lucrative pet aromatherapy business, to reunite with her estranged parents and conduct an elaborate commitment ceremony with boyfriend Brent. The ceremony is to include a pontoon boat, a hot air balloon, an exotic menu, and a couple of duck-shaped paddle boats on Lake Wobegon. Realizing that the marriage isn’t going to work out, Debbie, however, calls the whole thing off and leaves the remains of her party plans in her wake. What’s left behind—the food, the pontoon boat, the balloon, the big ducks—converges with Evelyn’s family’s attempt to dispose of her remains according to her instructions. Fans of Keillor’s Lake Wobegon tales and Fannie Flagg’s novels of small-town life will surely like this engaging, action-packed story. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07.]—Karen Core, Detroit P.L.
Kuipers, Alice. Life on the Refrigerator Door: Notes Between a Mother and a Daughter. HarperCollins. Aug. 2007. c.240p. ISBN 978-0-06-137049-6. pap. $15.95. F
Kuipers’s readable and touching first novel is told through notes between an overly busy single mother and her 15-year-old daughter. Their correspondence begins as a grocery list on the refrigerator door but soon evolves into a chronicle of the most challenging year they will face together: while Claire longs for more independence and time with her new boyfriend, her mother suddenly is diagnosed with breast cancer. Although mother and daughter’s notes are brief, Kuipers does an excellent job of developing her characters; it only takes a few pages to flesh out Claire and her mother (who is never named) and to become emotionally attached to both women. A wide range of female readers will be drawn to this book; the tenderness, emotion, and literary skill make it hard to put down. Highly recommended for public and secondary school libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07; Kuipers lives with Life of Pi novelist Yann Martel in Canada.—Ed.]—Dora Wagner, Northwestern Coll., Saint Paul
Nonfiction
Corfield, Richard. Lives of the Planets: A Natural History of the Solar System. Basic Bks: Perseus. 2007. c.352p. photogs. ISBN 978-0-465-01403-3. $30. SCI
Corfield is a visiting senior lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research at the Open University, UK, which oversaw both the Beagle 2 Mars mission and the Huygens mission to Titan. But instead of writing a textbook, he imparts his personal, witty style to chronicle the transition of planetary science from a largely descriptive realm to one that is increasingly experimental. Corfield puts current understanding in historical perspective, exploring the mythology and the knowledge that humankind has built since asking those first questions about the night sky. In discussing the sun, Earth and its moon, the planets, asteroids, and the Kuiper belt, Corfield demonstrates his considerable knowledge of space missions and data collection, and with personal anecdotes and an almost conversational tone, he manages to convey a lot of serious science in a page-turning narrative. As enjoyable as Dava Sobel’s The Planets but with more detail on current research and less focus on cultural context, this book is highly recommended for public libraries of all sizes and undergraduate science libraries.—Denise Dayton, Jaffrey Grade Sch., NH
Dully, Howard & Charles Fleming. My Lobotomy: A Memoir. Crown. Sept. 2007. c.288p. illus. ISBN 978-0-307-38126-2. $24.95. PSYCH
This intriguing book relates the troubling story of a baby boomer family whose afflictions were tragically handled by a complicit medical establishment. Born into a seemingly ordinary family, Dully first suffered the death of his beloved mother when he was four; his difficulties mounted when his father remarried. A combination of psychological problems and bad behavior, his stepmother’s cruelty, and his father’s lack of involvement led to Dully’s profound marginalization. With parental approval, Dr. Walter Freeman performed on the 12-year-old a transorbital lobotomy, which entails entering the brain through the eyes. The foremost authority on the procedure, Freeman had similarly treated Rosemary Kennedy and about 10,000 others in his career. Co-written by Fleming (Three Weeks in October), this memoir is a readable, well-crafted integration of Dully’s own life and hospitalizations and mental health conditions of the era. Now a California bus driver, he courageously confronted his own personal demons and traumas in a public way on NPR in 2005. The book raises important issues about juvenile psychiatric treatment even today. Intense and moving, it is strongly recommended for public libraries and mental health collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/07.]—Antoinette Brinkman, M.L.S., Evansville, IN
Dutton, Donald G. The Psychology of Genocide, Massacres, and Extreme Violence: Why "Normal" People Come To Commit Atrocities. Praeger Security: Greenwood. Aug. 2007. 216p. index. ISBN 978-0-275-99000-8. $49.95. PSYCH
Other studies have attempted to analyze the rationale behind horrific crimes perpetuated against humanity, but no effort has been as comprehensive as this stimulating and well-written work, especially regarding 20th-century events. Dutton (psychology, Univ. of British Columbia) undertook this study after reading Roméo Dallaire’s Shake Hands with the Devil, the author’s descriptions of the horrors experienced in his trying to save the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. In the first chapter, Dutton draws relevant comparisons between 20th-century atrocities and the events associated with the 11th- and 12th-century Crusaders. This is followed by chapters detailing events associated with 20th-century genocides, military massacres, lynchings, rapes, and serial killings. Dutton presents fascinating psychological insight into these tragic events for the purpose of helping humans become "more mindful [in] preventing [their] recurrence." Suitable and recommended for all academic libraries and larger public libraries.—Steve Dixon, Mildred and Louis Resnick Lib., SUNY at Delhi
Gelly, Dave. Being Prez: The Life and Music of Lester Young. Oxford Univ. (Popular Music History). Sept. 2007. c.192p. photogs. discog. index. ISBN 978-0-19-533477-7. $23.95. MUSIC
Of the jazz instrumentalists who bridged the gap between the aesthetics of the swing and bebop eras, Lester Young has received perhaps more than his fair share of attention. Lewis Porter’s A Lester Young Reader, Douglas Henry Daniels’s Lester Leaps In, and other titles present either analyses of Young’s performances or details of his colorful biography. Here, British music critic Gelly (Stan Getz) attempts to integrate the music and the biography, explaining the development of Young’s unique approach to the saxophone and his subsequent changes of style in the context of Young’s life and times. Despite a helpful select annotated discography and an assessment of the current availability of Young’s recordings, the book feels thin at fewer than 200 pages; Gelly provides lots of detail about selected recorded performances and places each into biographical context, but more examples would have been beneficial. While some American readers will find the British spellings and turns of phrase cumbersome, this is a worthwhile read for Young fans and more casual fans of jazz of the 1930s–1950s; an especially helpful complement to Porter’s collection of essays. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.—James E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH
Gregg, Jennifer & others. The Diabetes Lifestyle Book: Facing Your Fears & Making Changes for a Long & Healthy Life. New Harbinger. Aug. 2007. c.240p. ISBN 978-1-57224-516-7. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
Approximately 20 million Americans have diabetes and about 41 million have prediabetes; about 90 percent of those people have type 2 diabetes, which can often be managed with diet, exercise, medication, and monitoring of blood sugar. That’s where this four-part, easy-to-understand guide comes in. Psychologists Gregg (San Jose State Univ.), Glenn M. Callaghan (San Jose State Univ.), and Steven C. Hayes (Univ. of Nevada, Reno) aim to help people manage the disease, and they offer up acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as a useful approach, showing how they successfully implemented it with type 2 sufferers at a low-income health care clinic. ACT focuses on helping people cope with and accept diabetes, as well as their thoughts and feelings associated with it. There is also information about diabetes education, diet basics, exercise, and medications. Readers are encouraged to keep a diabetes journal and participate in exercises included throughout the book. Recommended for public and consumer health libraries.—Briget Livingston, Univ. of South Carolina, Sch. of Medicine Lib., Columbia
Johnson, Paul (text) & Karl Petzke (photogs.). Fish Forever. Wiley. 2007. 438p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7645-8779-5. $34.95. COOKERY
Seafood has become more popular among Americans as fish’s benefits are touted and the cuisine has changed. With this new-found popularity, health and environmental concerns have also surfaced. Johnson (owner, Monterey Fish Market; coauthor, The California Seafood Cookbook) provides a seafood guide for average Americans, but it is not comprehensive; it leads consumers to the most common seafood available at most American markets. He discusses how to buy the seafood (look and feel), the environmental concerns (habitat, depletion, and sustainable fishing methods), and the healthfulness each kind will provide to one’s diet. For each fish, the author offers a few recipes as well as any special cooking and preparation techniques. All the dishes are uncomplicated and aimed at average cooks. For anyone trying to sort out the confusing messages about seafood, this is a good overview. Highly recommended for all public libraries.—Ginny Wolter, Toledo-Lucas Cty. P.L., OH
Thompson, Anita. The Gonzo Way. Fulcrum. Aug. 2007. c.112p. ISBN 978-1-55591-622-0. $14.95. LIT
In 1999, Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s fetching and exuberant 25-year-old editorial/research assistant Anita Bejmuk ignited her considerably older employer’s imagination, to say nothing of his libido; three years later, they married. This work is written from her perspective as well as from the perspectives of her late husband’s closest, heavy-hitter friends, including historian Douglas Brinkley (who writes the foreword) and novelist Tom Wolfe. Thompson’s widow distills, in her own to-the-point style, her late husband’s primer for leading a life worth living into seven lessons (e.g., "never apologize, never explain"). In his flamboyant, drug-enhanced rebelliousness, Thompson was as much a self-aware child of early 21st-century conformist America as Ralph Waldo Emerson was of his own mid-19th-century materialistic and land-grabbing homeland. What Emerson hoped in his most deeply optimistic, deeply American essays was that his young, still unaffiliated readers would keep their innocence, curiosity, and inner freedom. And this, despite a somewhat different social context, is precisely what Thompson taught his wife and, through her discipleship, all his would-be readers. Recommended with lukewarm enthusiasm for all open-minded adults. [See also Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour’s Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson.—Ed.]—Dr. Charles C. Nash, formerly with Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO
Yasko-Mangum, Jamie. Look, Speak, & Behave™ for Men: Expert Advice on Image, Etiquette, and Effective Communication for the Professional. ISBN 978-1-60239-025-6.
Yasko-Mangum, Jamie. Look, Speak, & Behave™ for Women: Expert Advice on Image, Etiquette, and Effective Communication for the Professional. ISBN 978-1-60239-026-3. ea. vol: Skyhorse, dist. by Sterling. 2007. 212p. $19.95. ETIQUETTE
Yasko-Mangum is a certified image consultant on a mission: to help men and women fine-tune their professional identities. As president of Successful Style & Image Inc., she works with individuals and corporations. She has a strong web presence as well, maintaining a blog for her company and hosting numerous how-to videos. Both versions of Look, Speak, & Behave offer practical, realistic advice for building and projecting a positive, professional self-image. The author begins by asking readers to think about their occupational images as comprising age, profession, and position. These facets of one’s identity are then considered in relation to Yasko-Mangum’s four elements of self-image: self-esteem, appearance, speech, and behavior. The books mirror each other, repeating much of the same information. Only the chapters on style and dress vary, offering gender-appropriate suggestions about appearance, with pictorial examples of suitable professional dress. While some of the information about speech and behavior may seem like common sense, the books serve as reminders of not just proper business etiquette but of the importance of manners and conducting oneself respectably in general. Recommended for larger public libraries or those where similar materials are in demand.—Meagan P. Storey, Virginia Wesleyan Coll., Norfolk
Mihara, Mitsukazu. The Embalmer. Vol. 3. Tokyopop. 2007. 200p. tr. from Japanese by Beni Axia Conrad. ISBN 978-1-59816-648-4. pap. $9.99. F
According to an October 2004 article in Japan, Inc. magazine, the door was opened in Japan for American-style funeral practices, including embalming, after an earthquake in Osaka in 1995. The topic has provided fodder for manga, including the supernatural Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service as well as the realistic depiction in Mihara’s work. The embalmer engages in a slightly shady, possibly despicable practice, an opinion that the manga-ka plays with in this series by asking: Is it loving, dignified, or disreputable to invigorate temporarily the corpse for viewing? Shinjyurou, the embalmer of the title, is initially wholly disapproving of his father’s profession as a mortician, but this volume reveals Shinjyurou’s change of heart and his travels to America to become an embalmer. With her previous series, Doll, Mihara explored animation and love, sometimes quite pitilessly, and she brings that incisive vision to mourning, regret, and reconciliation with loved ones. It may disappoint readers looking for a gothic depiction of death and loss, since this series is her most realistic; however, it could win over readers who enjoyed Mary Roach’s Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers or Jessica Mitford’s The American Way of Death and who are interested in thanatology. Not suitable for school libraries because of sexual content in earlier volumes but recommended for adult public libraries.—Christine Gertz, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton
Parker, Alan. Will Write and Direct for Food. Southbank, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Sept. 2007. 224p. ISBN 978-1-904915-12-6. pap. $19.95. F
Parker provides the ultimate insider’s view of Hollywood and the film industry in this ingenious collection (which was originally published in the UK in 2005) of cartoons and sketches recalling moments and impressions from his 30-year film career. The director of notable films such as Midnight Express, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and Mississippi Burning, Parker has a clear love-hate relationship with the industry; a deep vein of cynicism pervades the work. But instead of bringing readers down with his frustration with directors, actors, and agents, Parker’s style and conspirational wit invite readers to join him in looking down our collective nose at the vapid and artificial creatures who inhabit Hollywood. His technique also creates a sense of immediacy in the cartoons, many of which feel like they were quickly scribbled down out after a heated confrontation on the set or in the boardroom. Parker’s bare-bones artwork also contributes to this feeling—recalling newspaper editorial cartoons, the stark images capture the essence of a moment and provide just enough detail to drive each cartoon’s point home convincingly. But this immediacy also leads to one of the problems with the volume: many of the jokes are so industry-specific that noninsiders will have no idea to what Parker is referring, which limits the work’s audience and appeal. Because of the highly specific topic of the work, this collection is primarily recommended for academic libraries and other libraries with film collections or those supporting film studies programs.—David Ward, Univ. of Illinois Undergraduate Lib., Urbana
Shimizu, Aki. QWAN. Vol. 4. Tokyopop. 2007. 208p. tr. from Japanese by Mike Kiefl. ISBN 978-1-4278-0235-4. pap. $9.99. F
Shimizu continues to construct successfully an impressive epic tale that creatively weaves fantasy into an exquisitely rendered landscape based on ancient Chinese history. In this installment, the story spirals forward as protagonists Shaga and Qwan are spared from death on a mythical island when the sorcerer Ukitsu assists them in a narrow escape that ends with their return to earth. Upon their return, Shaga and Qwan are met with a number of unanticipated revelations: 17 years have elapsed since they last left the world of humans, the Han dynasty nears an absolute collapse, and they discover that Qwan has lost all of his powers. These three revelations propel the plot forward, as Shimizu continues to reveal slowly Qwan’s connection to China’s dynastic cycle and introduces a cast of new dreadful and deadly characters who are intent on stopping the boy from fulfilling his destiny. Fans of this series will be pleased with the continuation of tension-filled, imaginative storytelling, creative character development and designs, and overall solid artwork, which is consistently clean, clear, sharply drawn, well shaded, and, at times, beautiful. However, fans should be aware that this volume is a bit on the slim side owing to the inclusion of two experimental historical tales that focus on an ancient Chinese general and aristocrat. Ironically, the shortness of the book and its unexpected conclusion will definitely have readers anxiously awaiting the release of Vol. 5. With brief nudity, fantasy, and realistic violence, this series is recommended for grades 11 and up.—Raphael E. Rogers, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
A Civil War Round-Up
Bendis, Brian Michael (text) & others (illus.). The New Avengers. Vol. 5: Civil War. Marvel. 2007. 120p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2446-7. pap. $14.99. F
A revolving cast of illustrators and artistic style does not prevent this book from telling a good story. Writer Bendis, along with various artists, provides a compelling complementary arc to the gigantic Marvel event titled Civil War. These issues present additional background information and details about the brewing conflict between Iron Man and Captain America—which becomes the main event in the Civil War event. Cap’s followers, including Falcon, Power Man, and Daredevil, combat Iron Man, Giant Man, government soldiers, and others—and not always in the physical sense. Rallying the troops and mustering forces take up a good portion of these pages—actions that serve as an intriguing buildup for fans appreciative of Bendis’s sometimes convoluted narrative style. Spider-Woman’s allegiance remains unclear owing to her confirmed status as a triple-agent; her battle with Hydra agents in issue 23 is spectacular. Issue 24 features a surreal encounter on the moon with the Sentry (an ally for Iron Man, for now) and another group of Marvel stalwarts, the Inhumans. A sort of stalemate between these two factions ensues. The final issue, returning the setting to New York, is a pulse-pounding nail-biter replete with political intrigue wherein a disgruntled former employee of Tony Stark disables the Iron Man armor (and Stark), threatening to kill him and the Avengers’ butler, Jarvis. Typical superhero action adventure tales, with nothing overly objectionable. A great addition to collections catering to superhero fans.—Jeff Hunter, Royal Oak, MI
Civil War: Companion. Marvel. 2007. 236p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2576-1. pap. $13.99. F
A completist’s dream, Civil War: Companion collects four of the crossover’s tie-in volumes, providing some interesting background and reference material to supplement the series’ story line. Viewed side by side, these collected works are somewhat of a mish-mash, comprising two volumes of author/artist interviews, two encyclopedic works on the characters involved, and a fake issue of the Daily Bugle describing the series’ events from the "normal" person’s perspective. While the heterogeneous nature of the work makes it difficult to read straight through, there is something of interest about each piece to draw the reader in. The character entries from Civil War Files, for example, are authored by Iron Man, providing his subjective perspective on each hero/villain’s origins, powers, and loyalties (although the descriptions of powers/abilities and other background info from Civil War: Battle Damage Report should just have been combined with Files into one volume). Additionally, from a fan standpoint, the interviews with Mark Millar and Brian Bendis provide intriguing insights into the role of the series in the overall continuity of the Marvel universe, as well as the creative process involved in designing such a massive comic book event. Taken as a whole, however, this dense, text-heavy volume mainly has appeal for Marvel fanboys—most casual readers will probably put this down after reading a few hero bios. Not recommended for most libraries, except for those where interest in superhero titles is high or those collecting the entire Civil War crossover.—David Ward, Univ. of Illinois Undergraduate Lib., Urbana
Gages, Christos N. & others (text) & Jeremy Haun & others (illus.). Civil War: Iron Man. Marvel. 2007. 112p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2314-9. pap. $11.99. F
In the summer of 2006, Marvel held a massive crossover event titled Civil War. The event saw two groups of heroes fighting each other—one group was led by Captain America and the other by Iron Man. As with most Marvel crossovers, the action spilled into many different Marvel books, with almost every title being affected in some way by the war. Civil War: Iron Man collects various Iron Man comics from the crossover event. Three of the four issues in this collection have different creative teams of writers and artists, and each team does an excellent job. In two of the stories, Iron Man secretly meets with Captain America to negotiate an end to the war. In both cases, the meeting ends with a physical altercation. The final story shows Iron Man dealing with the grief he feels over the death of Captain America as a result of the Civil War. While this collection is not essential to understanding the overall Civil War story line, it does a phenomenal job of exploring Iron Man’s motivations for battling his friend and former teammate. If you are looking for titles to add to your Civil War collection, pick this up along with Civil War: Amazing Spider-Man.—Michael Powers, Robert Van Wyck Jr. H.S., Queens, NY
Gray, Justin & Jimmy Palmiotti (text) & Billy Tucci & Francis Portela (illus.). Heroes for Hire. Vol. 1: Civil War. Marvel. 2007. 120p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2362-0. pap. $13.99. F
Skillful writers Gray and Palmiotti team up with talented pencilers Tucci and Portela in a nice companion arc to Marvel’s Civil War event, and fans of Brian Bendis’s New Avengers series should enjoy these five issues. Protagonists Misty Knight and Colleen Wing continue their roles as freelance heroes with a new Heroes for Hire agency. Along with Shang-Chi, the Black Cat, Humbug, Orka, and others, Misty and Colleen become involved peripherally in the battle that is fomenting between Captain America and Iron Man. The reemergence of an old nemesis, Ricadonna, from the Daughters of the Dragon graphic novel, and the debut of a new hero, Tarantula (a sultry and brainy female version this time), make for a compelling plot. Serving as further backdrop to the Civil War story, this arc launches a much-needed ongoing Marvel series where women star in leading roles. Frequent mild sexual innuendos and depictions of heroines in alluring poses fill these pages—but both are hallmarks of stories featuring Colleen and Misty and of Tucci’s art. With healthy doses of sarcasm and humor, ninja fights, hand-to-hand combat, explosions, and cameos by Reed Richards, Power Man, Iron Man, and Paladin, this arc provides key details and foreshadows surprise events that are to follow later in the New Avengers ongoing series and the Civil War seven-issue set. A good addition for libraries catering to superhero comics fans. Some violence and sexual references gear this for older teens and above.—Jeff Hunter, Royal Oak, MI
Hine, David (text) & Yanick Paquette (illus.). Civil War: X-Men. Marvel. 2007. 112p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2313-2. pap. $11.99. F
Distrust of authority, abuse of power, fear and persecution of minorities—these classic themes of the X-Men franchise are revisited in the heavily post-9/11-influenced Civil War crossover event. Spanning multiple Marvel titles, this graphic novel follows the government’s efforts (led by Iron Man) to register and assume command over anyone with superpowers. Captain America leads the superhero resistance, and the X-Men find themselves squarely in the middle. About half of the planet’s remaining mutants known as "the 198" (survivors of the House of M story line) have been imprisoned on the grounds of the X-Men’s Xavier institute, with government controlled Sentinel robots restricting their movements and the neutral X-Men nominally supervising. A plan by rogue mutants to free the 198 triggers a catastrophic chain of events that ultimately forces the X-Men to enter the conflict and once again fight to save mutant-kind. Hine’s strength is in matching the long and complicated X-Men history to the specifics of the Civil War story line while finding room to develop new characters from within the 198. The plot yields a huge cast for Paquette to work with, and thankfully he eschews the massively bulging template for superheroes to render the mutants in a more human and unique manner. He excels at facial detail and expressions and adds nice upgrades to the series, e.g., his depiction of newer Sentinels as Japanese anime-style robots. Highly recommended for teen and adult collections where superhero comics are popular.—David Ward, Univ. of Illinois Undergraduate Lib., Urbana
Nicieza, Fabian (text) & Tom Grummett (illus.). Civil War: Thunderbolts. Marvel. 2007. 120p. ISBN 978-0-7851-1947-0. pap. $13.99. F
In the summer of 2006, Marvel held a massive crossover event titled Civil War. The crossover had heroes fighting other heroes, and it affected almost every Marvel book, either directly or indirectly. In this collection, the Thunderbolts, a team of reformed supervillians, are asked to apprehend renegade supervillians and recruit them to Iron Man’s side. Nicieza does a great job with these characters, giving each one a unique voice and motivation; the art by Grummett is average comic book fare. This is a good volume, but unless you already have a few Thunderbolts titles in your collection, it is not a necessary purchase. Most readers will only pick it up because it is loosely connected with Civil War. Consider purchasing instead Civil War: Frontline and Civil War: Amazing Spider-Man.—Michael Powers, Robert Van Wyck Jr. H.S., Queens, NY
Straczynski, Michael & Dwayne McDuffie (text) & Mike McKone (illus.). Civil War: Fantastic Four. Marvel. 2007. 160p. ISBN 978-0-7851-2227-2. pap. $17.99. F
The Fantastic Four—flexible super-genius Reed Richards, mistress of invisibility Susan Richards, flame-wielding Johnny Storm, and strong, rock-covered Ben Grimm—are a team of superpowered explorers and adventurers as well as a family related by bonds of marriage, blood, and friendship. This volume collects six recent issues of the ongoing monthly series, covering a span of time during which the fictional, superhero-inhabited version of America in which the Fantastic Four lives is embroiled in massive political upheaval with Reed at its epicenter. A new law, the Super Human Registration Act, has mandated that all individuals with superpowers register with the government, and those who protest the law become de facto outlaws. Reed lends his intellect and abilities to the proregistration forces, Sue refuses to take up arms against other heroes who have fought at the Fantastic Four’s side in the past, Ben leaves the country in frustration, and Johnny is hospitalized after being beaten by a mob. The story is emotionally rich, covering nuanced human elements from the strains on Reed and Sue’s marriage to the nature of individual patriotism and responsibility. At the same time, extremely humorous moments abound, particularly during Ben’s expatriate adventures in France. The art is clean, modern, and beautifully colored, complementing the story extremely well and bringing to life a world that is simultaneously detailed with imaginative excess and yet utterly believable. Recommended for all ages.—Dale W. Glaser, Sterling, VA
Audio Reviews
Dallas, Sandra. Tallgrass. 7 CDs. unabridged. 8 hrs. Sound Library: BBC Audiobooks America. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7927-4687-4. $74.95. F
Tallgrass is a deceptively complex novel told in the voice of 13-year-old Rennie Stroud, whose life is turned upside down by a convergence of personal, local, and historical events. As Japanese American families are brought into the World War II internment camp outside her Colorado town, the murder of a neighbor girl creates more suspicion and fear. Dallas creates a strong set of heroic characters who humanize a dark period of history while maintaining a solid mystery and an unusual coming-of-age story. Lorelei King brings the 1940s beet-farming community to life and captures the nostalgic tone of the era well. Highly recommended for adolescent and adult audiences.—Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NY
Matar, Hisham. In the Country of Men. 7 CDs. unabridged. 8 hrs. Tantor Audio. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4001-0418-5. $29.99. F
An adult Suleiman looks back on his bewildering childhood in 1979 Libya. Besides the normal concerns of a nine-year-old, he worries about his beloved mother. Bitter at the narrow range of roles available to her, she takes refuge in her "medicine." Not only were her drunken rants inappropriate for her son to hear, but also alcohol, beyond being socially proscribed, was illegal. Worse, his often-absent father’s little-understood political activism threatens heavy consequences for the whole family, made clear when a neighbor is interrogated then executed on television. Suleiman realizes his family is under surveillance but lacks the sophistication to know what information to offer or withhold when asked about his father’s activities. Matar’s first novel was short-listed for last year’s Man Booker Prize, but it may prove a tough sell to American listeners given its themes of guilt, humiliation, betrayal, paranoia, and exile. Reader Stephen Hoye emphasizes these with a hushed, earnest performance. Thoughtful about describing life under a dictatorship, this is a sound though optional purchase.—John Hiett, Iowa City P.L.
Week of August 7th
Fiction | Nonfiction | Graphic Novels | Audio reviews
Fiction
The Best of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet. Del Rey: Ballantine. Aug. 2007. c.416p. ed. by Kelly Link & Gavin Grant. ISBN 978-0-345-49913-4. pap. $14.95. F
This curio-cabinet of literary works is hard to put into any genre. Readers will encounter mostly short stories of the type sometimes called "New Weird," a kind of amalgam of fairy tale and horror with an urban sensibility. But there are also movie reviews, poetry, essays on beverages, lists of chicken breeds and tea types, music recommendations, rose varieties, and so on. Drawn from the twice-yearly published ‘zine Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, this anthology is a bit like an otherworldly Farmer’s Almanac. Authors range from crime writer James Sallis to SF/fantasists Nalo Hopkinson and Sarah Monette. Coeditor Kelly Link’s story "Travels with the Snow Queen" is one of the standouts, a lovely and topsy-turvy retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale with bits of other stories mixed in. Karen Joy Fowler’s "Heartland," a disturbing take on The Wizard of Oz, is also worth looking out for. This book may have to find its audience, but its charming and eclectic sensibility should appeal to readers of fantasy or literary fiction. Recommended for larger libraries.—Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.
Mailer, Norris Church. Cheap Diamonds. Random. Aug. 2007. c.368p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6260-7. $24.95. F
With her white blond hair and eyebrows, Cherry Marshall, first introduced in Windchill Summer, has a unique look and moves in the early 1970s from Sweet Valley, AK, to New York City to become a model. After signing with Suzan Hartman, a former model from Cherry’s hometown, she struggles for a bit until a perfume ad kicks her career into gear. Coincidentally, Cherry does the perfume ad with handsome Zack (formerly Lale), who had left her pregnant friend Cassie behind in their hometown and also wound up modeling in the Big Apple. Small world! Despite the coincidences, in her second novel, Mailer, a former Wilhelmina model from Arkansas and the wife of author Norman Mailer, deftly uses a variety of narrative styles to tell the intertwined stories of Cherry and her colleagues, friends, and family: first person, third person, and written correspondence among characters. Throughout, Mailer also treats readers to brief history lessons on topics like the modeling business, Manhattan, and perfume. This thoroughly enjoyable escapist read with an endearing heroine and unexpected outcomes is highly recommended for public libraries. Mailer should continue Cherry’s tale. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/07.]—Samantha J. Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY
Ruffin, Paul. Jesus in the Mist. Univ. of South Carolina. Sept. 2007. c.200p. ISBN 978-1-57003-699-6. $24.95. F
The American rural South of the 1960s is the setting of Ruffin’s (journalism, emeritus, Sam Houston State Univ.) 14 stories, many of which feature characters proud to be successful high school dropouts with minimum-wage jobs. "The Queen," about a retired shipbuilder who crafts the vessel of his dreams despite the protests of his grown children, is a powerful story about a hard-working man and his aspirations. Vivid and realistic language shows the deep racial tensions in "The Day J.P. Saved the South," which tells of a gas station attendant who reacts to a group of black travelers, while the title story centers on a recreational softball player who sees the face of Jesus in a hotel mirror and sets off on a religious quest. Flawed, stubborn characters pursuing their dreams and on a quest to understand their purpose dominate these stories, which paint a realistic picture of the social tensions of the time. Recommended for academic literature collections.—Joyce Sparrow, JWB Children’s Svcs. Council, Pinellas Park, FL
Swann, Maxine. Flower Children. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). 2007. c.224p. ISBN 978-1-59448-945-7. $21.95. F
Openly autobiographical fiction from an award-winning short story writer, this work looks at four children raised by back-to-the-land parents in an unstructured household in rural Pennsylvania in the 1970s and 1980s. The free environment, where there are no secrets or rules and everyone dances naked in the rain, leads to a jarring adjustment when the children eventually go to public school and try to fit in with peers from more traditional families. After years of lovers and open sexuality, the parents divorce, and the children suffer odd visits to wealthy grandparents, who seem aghast at the disheveled grandchildren. Finally, Chester, Tuck, Lu, and Rita survive their upbringing and look back on it with fondness, as the author concludes, "For I was one of those children and now, hands in my pockets, whistling a little tune, I pick myself up and stroll away." Recommended for most collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]—Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., VA
Nonfiction
Bociurkiw, Marusya. Comfort Food for Breakups: The Memoir of a Hungry Girl. Arsenal Pulp, dist. by Consortium. 2007. 171p. ISBN 978-1-55152-219-7. pap. $16.95. COOKERY
In this work, Bociurkiw tells the story of being the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants in America and the role food has played in her interesting and colorful life. Many of the recipes are anecdotal and buried within the text, but that doesn’t make them difficult to follow—just hard to find. The author’s recipes for Fish Hash and Asparagus Lemon Risotto are mouthwatering and sound simple enough for the novice, as do all the recipes. Standard recipes for chocolate chip cookies and carrot cake are jazzed up a bit here, enough to make them worth a try. The title is a misnomer, which may discourage some from picking the book up. In fact, there’s little here about breakups and much about the richness of an ethnic family life filled with great tradition and cooking. It’s a good biography with some recipes thrown in. Recommended for public libraries.—Elizabeth Rogers, CEF Lib. Syst., Plattsburgh, NY
Davey, Julie. Writing for Wellness: A Prescription for Healing. Idyll Arbor. Oct. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-1-882883-67-7. pap. $18. HEALTH
Written by breast cancer survivor and former college writing professor Davey, this book offers a focused blueprint for expressing the feelings that are experienced by patients as they embark upon their individual journeys with cancer. Writing, the author believes, can promote spiritual and psychological healing, and to that end, she offers up her own cancer story, "Healing Words" from 60 cancer patients who have taken Davey’s class, and a section on putting one’s feelings into words to begin the process of healing. This book would provide a valuable resource for cancer patients, family members, caregivers, and medical professionals. Recommended for public or consumer health libraries as an additional resource to specific information on cancer diagnosis, therapies, and treatments.—Carol Ann Atwood, Patient Health and Educational Lib., Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
Engelhart, Terces with Orchid. I Am Grateful: Recipes & Lifestyle of Café Gratitude. North Atlantic. 2007. 200p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-55643-647-5. $24.95. COOKERY
Imagine bringing to your dining room table salads that are "Adventurous" or "Open-Hearted." Titles such as these make even the most hurried cooks joyful as they prepare recipes from this book jam-packed with organic, raw vegan recipes. Carnivores don’t bat an eye at this text, with entrées such as "I Am Festive," a fulfilling chiles rellenos recipe where you won’t miss a thing. More challenging culinary techniques are illustrated through easy-to-understand directions and photographs for such things as how to crack a coconut to wrapping cheese. Intimidated to cook vegan recipes? Look no further, because each recipe has ingredient lists, serving sizes, and methodical directions; several sections on proper equipment usage and an ingredient guide will assist you along the way. There is a thorough index, along with inspiring quotes throughout the text. Coming from one of the premier vegan restaurants in California, this is essential for libraries that want a creative vegan cookbook.—Kristen Mastel, MINITEX Lib. Information Network, Minneapolis
Freihow, Halfdan W. Dear Gabriel. MacAdam/Cage. Aug. 2007. c.185p. tr. from Norwegian by Robert Ferguson. ISBN 978-1-59692-249-5. $18. PSYCH
Freidhow, a former journalist who lives on an island off the coast of Norway, wrote this book in the form of a letter to his son Gabriel, who has atypical autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The original version was nominated for the Brage Prize, the highest literary award in Norway, and the translation beautifully conveys the complex relationship between father and son. Freidhow does not shy away from describing what Gabriel calls his "problems": he sometimes bites and hits his teachers and plasters himself from head to toe with spaghetti at a large family dinner party. He writes of himself and his wife, "Days like this threaten us, and if there are too many of them in a row, they fill us to the brim with a need and a desire t o flee, to move, to live another life." He movingly describes the fear of every parent of an autistic child: What will happen to their son or daughter after they are dead? However, the overall impression is of love and understanding and respect for Gabriel in all his complexity. Recommended for all public libraries.—Elizabeth Safford, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA
Freud, Sophie. Living in the Shadow of the Freud Family. Praeger. 2007. c.472p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-275-99415-0. $34.95. PSYCH
Sophie Freud (social work, emeritus, Simmons Coll.) here presents the late-life autobiography of her mother, Esti Freud, estranged wife of Martin Freud, son of Sigmund along with Sophie’s own adolescent diary, letters of family members, and current reflections. The book portrays a distressed, alienated family beset by insecurity, real and imagined. The gripping centerpiece is the escape of Esti and Sophie from Vienna via France to the United States during World War II. One hopes in vain for more connection to the author’s professional and personal life: there are only hints about her objections to orthodox psychoanalysis and about her own marriage and parenthood. Instead, there are scores to settle—with her mother, father, brother, and others no longer living. A fascinating but overlong family history, heroic, petty, bitter, and pessimistic. Recommended for larger libraries and collections of psychology and 20th-century European history.—E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, DC
Hays, Matthew. The View from Here: Conversations with Gay and Lesbian Filmmakers. Arsenal Pulp, dist. by Consortium. Aug. 2007. 384p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-55152-220-3. pap. $22.95. FILM
This one-of-a-kind guide to the careers of gay directors, screenwriters, and filmmakers focuses on more than 30 individuals, from the well known—e.g., John Waters (Hairspray) and Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting)—to those who are not as widely recognized—e.g., Bruce LaBruce (Skin Flick) and the team of Lynne Fernie and Aerlyn Weissman (Forbidden Love). Journalist and film critic Hays (film studies, Concordia Univ., Montreal) devotes a well-organized chapter to each, featuring an opening summary with career and biographical background, an illuminating interview with the individual, and a filmography. These chapters take a close look at the eclectic range of viewpoints, experiences, and unique challenges that influenced each singular artistic approach, all within the book’s underlying thematic context. In addition to the well-crafted interviews that give honest insights, Hayes offers solid background history and helpful commentary and, along the way, traces queer cinema’s move from marginalized status to one of widespread recognition. Photographs and a thoughtful introduction nicely complement the material. A valuable reference work for cinema studies programs, this will also be of interest to film enthusiasts.—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Lahore, Idris & others. Dervish Yoga for Health & Longevity: Samadeva Gestural Euphony; The Seven Major Arkanas. Ibis: Red Wheel/Weiser. 2007. 184p. tr. from French by Moses Bergeman. photogs. ISBN 978-0-89254-131-7. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
Known for his work in energy therapies, Lahore and former students Ennea Tess Griffith and Emma Thyloch aim to introduce samadeva gestural euphony, a method of movement to celebrate union with the divine. One can become healthy, vital, and in contact with the universal, unifying consciousness by practicing these stretching, bending, and twirling exercises based on Sufi dervishes. The authors describe seven "arkanas," or sacred exercises, with detailed photographs, simple instruction, and a list of benefits. Also included are exercises for relaxation, meditation, and the chakras. There is a web site listed to learn more about dervish yoga as well as a University of Samadeva in France, which sells a CD and DVD for the practice of the seven arkanas. Recommended for all libraries catering to the experimental exercise set.—Dede Archer, Naples, FL
Lofton, Rodney. The Day I Stopped Being Pretty: A Memoir. Strebor: S. & S. Oct. 2007. c.224p. ISBN 978-1-59309-123-1. pap. $14. HEALTH
Lofton’s autobiography in some ways reads as a timeless coming-of-age story filled with awkward adolescent angst, dysfunctional family dynamics, and the painful search for love and acceptance. During his teenage years, he discovers he is gay and gives readers a look inside gay male dating culture. Always looming in the background is Lofton’s psychic ache for a sign of love from his emotionally distant father as well as his devotion to his mother. Lofton’s numerous sexual encounters—including the details of his rape by a male stranger—are recounted in excruciating detail. While this reviewer applauds his courage to divulge his painful life story (he has been living with HIV for many years), the text disappoints. With careful editing, Lofton’s stream-of-consciousness style would be easier to follow. What could have been a hard-to-put-down story, unfortunately, for us, comes across like unedited, amateur blog entries. Not recommended.—Maura Sostack, Vitua West Jersey Hosp., Voorhes
Logan, Alan C. & Valori Treloar, M.D. The Clear Skin Diet: How To Defeat Acne and Enjoy Healthy Skin. Cumberland House, dist. by Andrews & McMeel. Sept. 2007. c.272p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-58182-574-9. $22.95. HEALTH
This book may be more aptly titled The Clear Skin Lifestyle because of the importance the authors place on proper sleep, exercise, relaxation, stress management, and mindfulness in fighting mild to moderate acne. Naturopathic physician Logan (The Brain Diet) and integrative dermatologist Treloar have created an informative, useful resource for the holistic treatment of bad skin. Most of the nutritional advice is typical of any healthy diet: eat fruits and vegetables, antioxidants, lean meats, fish, whole grains. The authors provide evidence that dairy can aggravate bad skin. Genetics, diet, stress, and lifestyle all play a part in contributing to acne, and nutritional solutions can influence all three aspects. Many recipes are influenced by traditional Japanese cuisine. The authors rely on medical studies and published reports to back up their assertions and write in an authoritative style while explaining any medical jargon. This book would be a useful addition for adult public health collections.—Elaine M. Lasda Bergman, Healthcare Assn. of New York State, Rensselaer
Graphic Novels
Akino, Matsuri. Genju no Seiza. Vol. 3. Tokyopop. 2007. 224p. tr. from Japanese by Mike Kiefl. ISBN 978-1-59816-609-5. pap. $9.99. F
The young Fuuto Kamishina is reluctant to accept his destiny as ruler of Dhalashar and struggles with his developing magical powers. Predictably, he keeps making choices for the good. He also has the usual guardians and enemies providing guidance and hindrances along the way, respectively. This manga diverges, however, from the standard story lines, which results in opportunities for humor and interest. The son of a Sherpa girl and a world-famous Japanese photographer father, Fuuto as a mixed child creates interesting social tensions, especially between his mother and his Japanese family. His Sherpa heritage is also reflected in his Dhali Lama-esque reincarnation as the King and in the form of his guardians. Other surprising characters set up possibilities for fun: Fuuto’s grandmother isn’t just Japanese—she is a yakuza godmother, and she has a group of her bodyguards protecting/spying on the action of the story. The delicate and intricate line work will appeal to mythic fantasy lovers, and the Tibetan mythology should make for a sufficient diversion from the formula to make this interesting to lovers of the genre.—Gretchen Schroeder, Woodlynde Sch., Stafford, PA
Brunetti, I. Misery Loves Comedy. Fantagraphics. 2007. 172p. ISBN 978-1-56097-792-6. $24.95. F
Brunetti’s work is something like the Marquis de Sade’s, only not as funny. Relentlessly, panel after panel, he presents the most hideous, gruesome atrocities—favorite motifs include pedophilia, necrophilia, and sexual mutilation, often in various combinations—in a light, "funnies" style, presumably for ironic contrast. Seen at the rate of one a day, these strips would have some shock value, but in aggregate they leave the reader merely numbed, except for a faint sense of wonder at Brunetti’s inventiveness and brio. As repulsive as his catalog of outrages is, even worse are the distended, screamingly boring diatribes taking up the greater part of the book that give vent to his bottomless self-loathing and misanthropy. Too bad, because Brunetti is an accomplished artist; when he occasionally pulls his head—er, turns his gaze outward—the work blossoms. His parodies of other artists—including a sequence of cartoons about James Thurber done in Thurber’s style—are affectionately dead-on. "Six Reasons Why I Wish I Had Been Man Ray" and "Who’s Your eBay Nemesis?" are actually witty, and "The Dancing Queen" reveals a real writer’s sensibility. But these are a few petals in a morass of bile. Not recommended, despite being produced with Fantagraphics’ usual style and quality.—Andrew Moore, Wayland P.L., MA
Carey, Mike (text) & Leonardo Manco (illus.). John Constantine, Hellblazer: Reasons To Be Cheerful. Vertigo: DC Comics. 2007. 143p. ISBN 978-1-4012-1251-3. pap. $14.99. F
As a man who has lived among demons and other dark things for a very, very, long time, John Constantine has faced many nightmares, but his most recent one may be his darkest yet. His three children, a product of the union he had with a demon named Rosacarnis, must eliminate him in order to fulfill their destiny. But the very magic that brought them to life dictates that their father must live in order for them to still exist, so killing Constantine is out of the question. Instead, they seek to break him by killing everyone he has ever known. Opening with a gripping segment and closing with a haunting cliff-hanger, this is a solid read with appropriately dark and moody art. Carey imbues the characters with so much personality and realism that you can almost hear them speaking; Manco complements the dialog famously, adding nightmarish creatures that are hideous and bizarre without crossing over into the realm of over-the-top cartoonish spooks that sometimes plague horror comics. Take the mature readers’ warning seriously: elements of the occult, sexual content and nudity, profanity, and violence are on almost every page. Those new to this series are also cautioned that enjoying the story relies a great deal on at least a passing knowledge of the Constantine character and his universe. While not a classic, this is a book that fans of horror and dark fantasy will find easy to enjoy.—M. Brandon Robbins, Wayne Cty. P.L., Goldsboro, NC
Hornschemeier, Paul. The Three Paradoxes. Fantagraphics. Aug. 2007. 80p. ISBN 978-1-56097-653-0. $14.95. F
A young artist named Paul is back home in Ohio to see his parents. On an evening walk into town, he and his father talk about their current lives. He remembers a childhood disaster; a scar on a convenience store clerk stuns him into a creative reverie. The next morning, he drives back to Chicago. That deceptively simple story line is only the peg on which hangs a complex meditation on time, fear, memory, and the difficulty of honest communication. It’s also about comics—there are at least four distinct styles on display, including a presentation of Greek philosopher Zeno’s paradoxes done like a kids’ comic book from the 1960s. These parodies, however, are not mere showing off. They meld past and present, reality and fiction, in forms of expression that would come naturally to Paul. Their veneer of nostalgia dulls the pain of the truths they convey. The past is like the starting point for Zeno’s arrow: you grow older, yet you never escape it. This slim little book, beautifully produced in full color, contains a multitude of ideas. They have to be teased out by the reader, but the effort is worth it. Recommended for adult collections.—Andrew Moore, Wayland P.L., MA
Natsume, Yoshinori. Togari. Vol. 1. Viz Media. 2007. 182p. tr. from Japanese by Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt. ISBN 978-1-4215-1355-3. pap. $9.99. F
Demon slaying and redemption are staples of manga, and Togari is the latest entry in this genre, yet Natsume finds a novel approach to tackling these subjects. Tobei is an evil young man trapped in hell for sins he committed during his life. When given the opportunity to leave hell, he jumps at the chance, but the price for his freedom is that he’s required to seek out other sinners in order to punish them with the Togari, a mystical staff. He must vanquish 108 demons representing the sins of 108 modern-day humans in 108 days in order to get free of hell. Many plot points are repeated throughout, and some characters are a bit predictable (particularly the well-endowed overseers of hell). The rough and realistic artwork is reminiscent of Berserk, for good and ill. And yet, the story has a great deal of potential. Tobei is a bad seed, but he is forced to use his freedom for good. The indication is that this will change him before the tale is through, and that dark series will be worth reading if the author follows through on this setup. Any library adding this to the collection might do well to wait until Vol. 3 or 4 is out in order to get a clearer sense of the scale and scope of the storytelling. The older teen rating is earned owing to violence, though the nudity in this volume was obscured.—Mark D. Richardson, Cedar Mill Community Lib., Portland
Son, Hee-Joon. PhD: Phantasy Degree. Vol. 9. Tokyopop. 2007. 192p. tr. by tr. from Korean by Grace Min. ISBN 978-1-59816-855-6. pap. $9.99. F
In this manga, much of the action revolves around battles between two factions of magical beings, the students of the Hades School and the evil Madosa Guild. In this volume, the human Sang and her companions from the demon school Hades have been scattered after their battle with the Guild. The battle revealed Sang to be more than the simple human that she had appeared to be, but has left Sang with amnesia. As she recovers, we glimpse aspects of her true self. The Guild, however is once again closing in, and as Sang’s companions converge with their expanded skills and knowledge, the scene is set for another battle. The art in PhD is light and youthful, but with an abundance of head and face shots that sometimes distract from the action. This manga series will appeal to readers of fantasy battle stories like InuYasha or Dragonball, and the violence and scantily clad characters make this appropriate for ages 13+, but it may also appeal to younger readers with a sophisticated taste.—Gretchen Schroeder, Woodlynde Sch., Stafford, PA
Verheiden, Mark (text) & others (illus.). Aliens Omnibus. Vol. 1. Dark Horse. 2007. 384p. ISBN 978-1-59307-727-3. pap. $24.95. F
Comics based on popular film franchises like Star Wars, Predator, and notably Aliens were initially Dark Horse Comics’ bread and butter. Thankfully for Dark Horse, the hunger for new Aliens product in the 1980s and 1990s was voracious and indiscriminate, since the three reprinted miniseries that make up the bulk of this first volume of Aliens Omnibus are utterly wretched, no matter how well received they were. Verheiden would later display better storytelling chops in his work for television (Battlestar Galactica) and comics (Superman), but because of his desperation to make his mark on the Aliens universe, his contorted, oh-so-clever plotting quickly mires his stories in confusion. The artists conspire with him in a general refusal to allow readers to grasp where exactly the characters are, what they’re doing, and why. Care was lavished on transplanting visual concepts and backstories from the screen to the page intact, but Verheiden and company cannot muster any real suspense, and their respective approaches to the material don’t clarify the characters’ plights, thus omitting ingredients that helped make the first three Alien movies so compelling. These stories are grim, ludicrous, tedious, icky, and totally unnecessary, just like Alien: Resurrection. Violence, gore, and general unpleasantness abound; appropriate for teen readers and up although in no way recommended, unless your public library has films from the Alien quadrilogy and wants to cross-promote its video collection with its graphic novel collection. Even then, tracking down Heavy Metal magazine’s out-of-print illustrated adaptation of Alien is preferable.—J. Osicki, Saint John Free P.L., NB
Wagner, Matt & Steven T. Seagle (text) & Guy Davis & Vince Locke (illus.). Sandman Mystery Theatre. Vol. 5: Dr. Death and the Night of the Butcher. Vertigo: DC Comics. 2007. 197p. ISBN 978-1-4012-1237-7. pap. $19.99. F
This offers a contemporary reimagining of the adventures of the titular golden age mystery man. The Sandman, Wesley Dodds, is here portrayed as an impassioned idealist and intellectual who adopts a pulp fiction alter ego. However, he is markedly softer around the edges than the typical lantern-jawed crime fighters of the period. While the story is set in a darkened and morally ambiguous vision of the 1930s, Dodds is a skilled detective and a savvy social operator as well as a honest and well-meaning person who genuinely wants to stop all of the horrible crimes that plague his dreams. As the Sandman, he knocks people out with relatively harmless sleep gas and questions them without further violence. Although conflicted and even tormented at times by his calling, he retains his optimism about the human condition and resists falling prey to the darker sides of vigilantism. Another notable update for the Vertigo imprint implies a direct connection between Dodds’s frequent prophetic dreams and "Dream" (the popular character introduced in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman). This volume contains two complete story arcs, each featuring a pulp-inspired mystery punctuated by heartfelt personal stories occurring behind the scenes. In "Dr. Death," a rash of seemingly unrelated murders connected only by bizarre "prescriptions for eternal rest" confounds the police, while Dodds’s girl Friday, Dian Belmont, questions the future of their relationship after she discovered Dodds’s secret identity; and in "Night of the Butcher," a series of gruesome attacks has the Sandman investigating the city’s sewers, which leads to a shocking confrontation with the horrific "Butcher." The entire series is highly recommended, but it would be appropriate only for adult collections owing to violence, sexuality, language, and adult themes.—Ben Lathrop, Fairfield Lane Lib., OH
Audio Reviews
Amirrezvani, Anita. The Blood of Flowers. 11 CDs. unabridged. 13 hrs. Hachette Audio. 2007. ISBN 978-1-59483-912-2. $39.98. F
Even women not often interested in historical fiction will likely be charmed by Amirrezvani’s first novel set in 17th-century Persia. We meet a nameless 14-year-old girl living in a small village who expects to soon be married and raise a large family. Instead, after her father’s untimely death, she and her mother travel to Isfahan seeking charity and shelter from their only living relative. Learning that her uncle makes rugs for the Shah, the girl pleads to be taught, and her passion for learning, designing, and weaving provides the only bright moments in a tale that moves from one hardship to the next. And just as our first-person narrator has her carpets, her mother has stories, many based in Iranian folklore, equal to those in The Arabian Nights. Shohreh Aghdashloo, an American actress originally from Iran, is the perfect narrator, and the audio is enhanced by an interview with the author at the end. Despite its length, this novel should be shelved in young adult collections, as well as collections of literary fiction and feminist studies.—Rochelle Ratner, formerly with Soho Weekly News, New York
Byrne, Rhonda. The Secret. 4 cassettes. unabridged. 4½ hrs. Recorded Bks. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4281-5298-4. $33.75; 4 CDs. ISBN 978-1-4281-4455-2. $51.75. SELF-HELP
This recording is the most striking of all the incarnations of the best seller The Secret. Using a multivoice technique to re-create the quotation methodology of her book, Byrne communicates a central, unmistakable message: you, the listener, are responsible for the shape of your life. However, she has done so in such a simplistic manner that for the person who has studied the not-so-secret concepts, there will be lots of frustration. While the author does an outstanding job explaining the law of attraction, she ignores completely the importance of "intention." Byrne gives only cursory acknowledgment to a higher intelligence flowing through man; indeed, she emphasizes throughout the concept of "man as the ultimate creator." For many listeners, both experienced and new to the field, this will be shocking and insulting, particularly since she chooses to emphasize the power of attraction as a way to obtain "stuff" rather than as a way to align oneself for good. Libraries will want to carry works by Wayne Dyer, the Dalai Lama, Daniel Goleman, and others to balance this presentation. This program belongs in most library collections because it springs from a best seller, offers an accessible, if incomplete introduction to major concepts, and fuels discussion about those concepts. Recommended.—Kathleen Sullivan, Phoenix P.L.
Shuyun, Sun. The Long March: The True History of Communist China’s Founding Myth. 9 CDs. unabridged. 11 hrs. Tantor Audio. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4001-0452-9. $34.99. INT AFFAIRS
The 1934–36 Long March, a journey by 200,000 soldiers over mountains and swamps, is a story known by every school child as the founding of Communist China. Filmmaker Shuyun, born in the 1960s, also heard this myth. She set out to learn more by retracing the soldiers’ footsteps and interviewing the aged survivors. She did not want to talk with leaders and decision-makers but rather ordinary, frontline soldiers. The result is a humanized and personalized account of unbelievable horror, cruelty, and bravery. Shuyun also provides a gorgeous travel narrative of remote and forgotten areas of the vast country of China. The interviewees were elderly but clear and eager to share their experiences. Only one-fifth survived the ordeal; Shuyun heard about starvation, rape, torture, and murder. She also verified that leaders, including Mao, were either aware of the atrocities or ordered them. Most optimistically, many of the survivors remain kind, generous, and even humorous. We are the fortunate ones who will hopefully learn from their suffering. Narrator Laural Merlington perfectly re-creates the words and accents of the real heroes. For all history collections.—Susan G. Baird, Chicago
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