Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books
-- Library Journal, 9/15/2007
Week of September 11
Fiction | Nonfiction
Fiction
Huston, Charlie. The Shotgun Rule. Ballantine. Sept. 2007. c.256p. ISBN 978-0-345-48135-1. $21.95. F
In the summer of 1983, George, Andy, Hector, and Paul are close-knit friends interested mainly in hanging out, smoking, drinking, and committing petty crimes. When Andy’s bike is stolen and the boys mount a recovery mission, their quest quickly draws them into something deeper and deadlier than they could have imagined. Soon they and their families are forced to deal with characters whose motivations of money and violence mean serious trouble for everyone involved. Following Houston’s brilliant Hank Thompson trilogy (Caught Stealing; Six Bad Things; A Dangerous Man) comes this first stand-alone novel that suffers only from a slow start. A gritty, violent page-turner about the bonds of family and friendship, it shares traits with that earlier series—hard-edged dialog, involving, flawed characters, and brutal violence that will make some readers uncomfortable. Although there is no shortage of kid/teenage buddy stories produced at a regular pace, Huston’s deftness with setting and dialog definitely places this one a notch above the rest. Highly recommended for all public libraries.—Craig Shufelt, Fort McMurray P.L., Alta.
Kimmel, Haven. The Used World. Free Pr: S. & S. Sept. 2007. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-7432-4778-8. $25. F
Juxtaposing past with present, Kimmel (A Girl Named Zippy) offers a sumptuous banquet of a novel that concludes her Indiana-based trilogy (The Solace of Leaving Early; Something Rising (Light and Swift)). Melodrama and mystery blend with a myriad of quirky scenes, haunted memories, and more than a sprinkling of spirituality. At the novel’s core are Hazel, eccentric proprietor of the Used World Emporium, and employees Claudia—androgynous, devoted, lonely—and Rebekah, a tormented, searching young soul. All have spent their entire lives in Jonah, a small town that has clearly seen brighter days and whose citizens also possess their own outlandish tales. As the experiences of these women intertwine, their stories demonstrate that their misadventures, mishaps, and missteps are what enrich their lives. This compassionate portrait, rich in detail, sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious, captures rural Indiana’s bleak, unaltering landscapes. Kimmel serves up more than a few twists, considerable mischief, and, most important, surprisingly touching love stories, tempered with tenderness and ferocity. This magical, marvelous novel shines with wisdom, wit, and wonder. Highly recommended.—Andrea Tarr, Corona P.L., CA
Spindler, Erica. Last Known Victim. Mira: Harlequin. Oct. 2007. c.448p. ISBN 978-0-7783-2461-4. $24.95. F
New Orleans Police Captain Patti O’Shay loses track of her husband and fellow police officer in the chaos of Hurricane Katrina. When Sammy turns up dead, the NOPD believes he was shot by looters. Patti is not so sure, but with evidence washed away by the hurricane, she has no leads to follow. At the same time, a grisly discovery in Katrina cleanup unveils the work of a serial killer dubbed the Handyman. Two years later, skeletal remains motivate the police to reinvestigate when Sammy’s police badge is found under the victim’s body, which connects him to the Handyman case. Convinced the Handyman was Sammy’s killer, Patti circumvents the law and sets out to bring down her husband’s murderer. A streetwise stripper and the poignant backdrop of a New Orleans that has been rebuilt quicker than the actual city are the most well-developed personalities in this tired detective tale, and the surprise ending does not make up for the slow pace throughout. Recommended for collections where Spindler’s thrillers (Copycat; Bone Cold) circulate.—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA
Nonfiction
Chan, Bernard, M.D., & Georges M. Halpern, M.D. The Yin & Yang of Cancer: Breakthroughs from the East and the West. Square One, dist. by Ingram. Oct. 2007. c.160p. index. ISBN 978-0-7570-0207-6. pap. $15.95. HEALTH
Federal laws passed during the early 1970s established comprehensive cancer centers throughout the United States, prompting President Richard Nixon to make numerous public references to winning the "war on cancer." In this ambitious and thought-provoking book, Chan and Halpern (medicine, emeritus, Univ. of California, Davis) ask: Are we losing the war? Readers get an overview of traditional Chinese medicine’s and Western medicine’s historical treatments for cancer; three chapters are specific to the use of medicinal mushrooms as treatment. While there are reference sources and a glossary of terms at the book’s end, the chapter layout is awkward, and footnotes are absent. At times, the language is too technical for laypeople, and the sentence structure and syntax confusing. Yet the authors’ message is important: "Within the maintstream medical community, there is still resistance to the emergence of traditional Chinese medicine as an ‘alternative’ even for...patients for whom Western medicine has failed. We believe that this impulse of resistance can, and must, change." Cancer sufferers have a keen interest in complementary and alternative medicine, so they may seek out this book. With some reservations, recommended for well-funded consumer health and public libraries.—Maura Sostack, Virtua West Jersey Hosp. Lib., Voorhees, NJ
Davis, Sampson & others. The Bond: Three Young Men Learn to Forgive and Reconnect with Their Fathers. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Oct. 2007. c.272p. ISBN 978-1-59448-957-0. $24.95. PSYCH
Growing up underparented on the streets of Newark, NJ, Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins made a pact to support each other through college and medical school, and all became successful physicians. (See their best seller, The Pact, and the young adult title, We Beat the Street.) Founders of the Three Doctors Foundation, which speaks to inner-city problems through education, mentoring, and health awareness, the "Three Doctors" have received numerous honors for spreading their story and giving back inspiration and solutions to their communities. This book addresses a common, key element among them: they lacked a father’s support for much of their youth, which is typical in many inner-city communities. Each doctor describes his own upbringing and yearning for a father’s help, supplies a chapter by or about his own father, introduces people who have taken a stand to stop the cycle of fatherlessness in their own lives, and offers ideas and strategies for readers. Well organized and well written with passion and urgency, this is an essential purchase for all public, academic, and high school libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/07.]—Martha Cornog, Philadelphia
Gray, John. Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals. Farrar. Oct. 2007. c.272p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-374-27093-3. pap. $15. PHIL
When this book was published in the UK in 2002, the Guardian described it as "crankish," "unbalanced," and ultimately an exercise in "apocalyptic" nihilism and "virulent misanthropy." It is all those things, and Gray (European thought, London Sch. of Economics; Black Mass), a former Oxford don, does seem to have abandoned his Thatcherite belief that free enterprise and small government will save the world in favor of the belief that humans are a hopeless bunch of squabblers headed for a cataclysm. But it is also a book that publishers know will attract readers: learned and full of literary and philosophical references yet laid out in a roaring and raging prose, it is easily understandable and a page-turner. For this paperback edition (the U.S. hardcover edition was published in 2003), Gray has added a new preface—one that perhaps finally passes beyond mere Schopenhauerian pessimism, to simple silliness. "Outside of science," he writes, "progress is simply a myth." Librarians will find this book an inexpensive way to increase nonfiction circulation, but anyone wanting a calm appraisal of the issues Gray raises should turn instead to Jonathan Glover’s Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century.—Leslie Armour, Dominican Univ. Coll., Ottawa
Jessop, Carolyn with Laura Palmer. Escape. Broadway. Oct. 2007. c.304p. ISBN 978-0-7679-2756-7. $24.95.
Spencer, Irene. Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist’s Wife. Center Street. 2007. c.385p. ISBN 978-1-59995-719-7. $24.99. REL
These two memoirs offer a detailed view into a side of polygamy often ignored or denied. Readers will alternate between appallment and astonishment as they learn of Jessop’s and Spencer’s experiences. Their inspirational narratives give day-to-day credence to Richard S. Van Wagoner’s classic Mormon Polygamy: A History, which held that even at its best, polygamy is difficult. Born in Colorado into a fundamentalist Latter-day Saints (FLDS) cult—a splinter from the Mormon sect—Jessop is the first woman ever to have been granted custody of her children (eight in all) in an FLDS case. Spencer, meanwhile, married into the fundamentalist Mormon cult the Church of the First Born and in 28 years bore 13 of her husband’s 58 children while sharing him with nine other women.
Jessop and Spencer’s heartrending accounts read like fiction, though they are very true. These women highlight the reality of polygamy in many locations and situations and prove that not only can one survive polygamy, but one can also go on to grow. Any library having Mormon Polygamy should additionally invest in these two titles. Libraries with current affairs and religion collections covering the American experience will find that these books nourish both mind and soul and are easily digestible by the general reader. [See Jessop’s book in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/07.]—Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L. Dist., FL
Lax, Eric. Conversations with Woody Allen: His Films, the Movies, and the Moviemaking. Knopf. Oct. 2007. c.352p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-375-41533-3. $30. FILM
From early films like Sleeper and Take the Money and Run through the award-winning Annie Hall and closet dramas like Interiors to the more recent Match Point and Scoop, Woody Allen’s cinematic genius has explored questions of love, loss, death, despair, and hope. In these interviews, dating from 1971 to 2006, with his biographer Lax (Woody Allen), Allen candidly discusses how he goes about filmmaking, from finding ideas for a film to writing it and casting it to directing, editing, and scoring it. Although actors in Allen’s films seem made for their parts, he reveals that instead of having actors read for their roles, he often asks one question, like "How tall are you?" On his own acting: "To me, [acting] is like falling off a log…That’s the beauty of having no talent. I stay within my small range. There’s absolutely no acting required." Allen sums up his career in his typical self-deprecating yet bitingly humorous way: "I’m a Brooklyn-Broadway wisecracker who’s been very lucky." Allen’s fans would certainly beg to differ; we’re the lucky ones. Highly recommended for all libraries.—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL
Schwartz-Nobel, Loretta. Poisoned Nation: The Deadly Link Between Pollution and Cluster Illnesses, Cancer, Asthma, and Autism. St. Martin’s. 2007. c.256p. index. ISBN 978-0-312-32797-2. $24.95. SCI
Such environmentally induced diseases as leukemia, birth defects, breast cancer, thyroid disease, asthma, and autism are causing widespread suffering and death. Award-winning journalist Schwartz-Nobel (Growing Up Empty: The Hunger Epidemic in America) traveled the country interviewing families with sick children and adults, scientists, and doctors and consulting newspaper and magazine accounts and published reports from the public and private sectors looking for the sources of these diseases. She discovered perchlorates (a component of rocket fuel) in the drinking water of 35 states, pesticides in agriculture, PCBs in food and water, toxic substances in cosmetics, mercury in vaccines, and other harmful substances. Schwartz-Nobel found particularly disturbing the schemes by cigarette manufacturers to influence youth in developing countries to smoke and the high rate of birth defects among the Inuits in Greenland. She documents the collusion and duplicity among government and corporate polluters who lie, suppress data, and pressure research agencies and organizations to withhold or change information. Readers will be shocked by the deception and inaction by officials who are supposed to protect public health. Although some critics might say her remedy is too simplistic, Schwartz–Nobel issues a call to religious leaders to establish a unified effort to work together for a healthier and sustainable future. Recommended for public health and environmental collections.—Irwin Weintraub, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., NY
Vitale, Joe. The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want. Wiley. Oct. 2007. c.224p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-470-18076-1. $24.95. PSYCH
Vitale returns with further insights into the secrets behind attracting one’s heart’s desires. He reviews many of the concepts introduced in his best-selling book The Attraction Factor and developed in his contributions to the hit book and movie The Secret. Vitale believes that we attract everything that occurs in our lives, both good and bad. His "key" to attracting more of what we want is to "get clear" and remove negative beliefs, many of which, he suggests, are unconscious. He covers ten techniques to get beyond unconscious beliefs that limit our abilities to reach our full potential. Frequent references to the author’s other books, web sites, and coaching seminars made this book like an infomercial at times and detracted from its effectiveness and otherwise engaging style. Nothing new or particularly enlightening came across in any case; however, fans of Vitale’s previous books will no doubt find his latest intriguing as well. Suitable for public libraries.—Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta
West, Diana. The Death of the Grown-Up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization. St. Martin’s. 2007. c.256p. index. ISBN 978-0-312-34048-3. $23.95. SOC SCI
A pundit whose byline has appeared in the Washington Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, and the Washington Post, West frequently writes cultural commentary from a conservative viewpoint. Here, she contends that there is a plague of perpetual adolescence running rampant through our country. Working chronologically through U.S. history from the 1950s onward, she describes the youth movement in negative terms. During the war protests of the 1960s, for instance, young people were allowed to express their frustration and anger when they should’ve been reined in by parents and other adults. Now America is a country of infantile baby boomers and multiculturalism ill equipped to deal with the aftermath of 9/11. West’s arguments are mainly based on the research of other right-leaning thinkers (e.g., Robert Bork); her book will only preach to the converted, and as such, it’s poorly executed. Recommended only where there is demand.—Angela Milock, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
Week of September 4
Fiction | Nonfiction | Audio
Fiction
Cornwell, Patricia. Book of the Dead. Putnam. Oct. 2007. c.416p. ISBN 978-0-399-15393-8. $26.95. F
The 15th book in Cornwell’s popular series commences in Rome as forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta investigates the mutilation death of a popular teenage American tennis star. Returning to her Charleston, SC, private practice, Scarpetta and colleagues (investigator Pete Marino and niece Lucy) continue the hunt for the killer (the Sandman) and seek answers in the case of an unidentified young boy savagely murdered and dumped in the marshland. Scarpetta and her team are repeatedly undermined by Dr. Marilyn Self (previously encountered in Predator), a bitter rival with a score to settle. Tension mounts as Self becomes entangled in Scarpetta’s cases. Scarpetta also finds herself plagued by the self-destructive behaviors of Pete Marino; a sometimes volatile long-distance relationship with Benton Wesley; and grim health prognoses for two of her cohorts. Die-hard Cornwell fans might be disappointed by the direction in which some main characters are heading, but they should still be propelled by the taut intrigue. Recommended as a necessary purchase for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/07.]—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights
Hamilton, Laurell K. A Lick of Frost. Ballantine. Oct. 2007. c.224p. ISBN 978-0-345-49590-7. $23.95. FANTASY
This sixth Meredith Gentry outing (after Mistral’s Kiss) is surprisingly tame. Yes, our intrepid faerie princess continues to be threatened by her sadistic aunt, Andais, and her charismatically menacing uncle, Taranis. Yes, she’s still trying to get pregnant in order to claim the throne of the faerie’s Unseelie Court. Yes, the eyes of the mortal world watch and leer at the thought of Merry with her many lovers (20 and counting). But Hamilton has drastically toned down the lengthy, explicit sex scenes of earlier novels, choosing to focus more on a weak plot that moves at a snail’s pace. This novel is really just a short chapter in Merry’s ongoing saga, full of the same old dangers. Recommended for public libraries where Hamilton is popular.—Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.
Harris, Robert. The Ghost. S. & S. Oct. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-1-4165-5181-2. $26. F
Harris’s latest novel, a political thriller that neither grabs, nor thrills, nor creates much suspense, is the story of an aging and mediocre ghostwriter, the unnamed narrator, who is hired to help write the memoirs of a recently retired British prime minister, Adam Lang (think Tony Blair). The action largely takes place on Martha’s Vineyard in the wintertime. The ghost’s presence is required because the previous writer drowned, in what is considered probably a suicide. As the ghost digs through Lang’s past, he realizes that all is not as it seems regarding Lang’s efforts in the war on terror. While bombs explode, he realizes that Lang has secrets that nobody wants exposed, and new enemies will go to desperate lengths to ensure secrecy. Harris is the highly regarded author of historical novels (Imperium; Pompeii), suspense (Enigma; Archangel), and even superb alternate history (Fatherland), which makes this title a letdown. Although his latest definitely has its moments, there just aren’t enough of them to justify purchase except by larger public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/07.]—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Stourton, Ivo. The Night Climbers. Simon Spotlight Entertainment: S. & S. Sept. 2007. c.328p. ISBN 978-1-4169-4869-8. $24. F
Eighteen-year-old James Walker arrives at Cambridge University, longing to join the right crowd: "I felt that popularity was the missing ingredient in my life that would turn me from stodgy fare into a delicacy." His initial attempts to attract cool friends misfire, until one evening he meets Michael, a member of the Night Climbers, a group of wealthy, thrill-seeking students who illegally scale the school’s towers. Michael introduces him to the charismatic Francis, the black son of a powerful British lord; the coolly beautiful, blonde Jessica; and the wily and tough Lisa. Entranced, James is soon joining the gang on their night escapades. But the climbers’ decadent lifestyle is threatened when the reckless Francis is cut off financially by his antagonized father. To continue funding their high life, Francis concocts a risky scheme involving a priceless painting owned by Cambridge. Stourton’s atmospheric fiction debut is a pastiche of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, with the doomed Francis standing in for Waugh’s Sebastian Flyte. While the night-climbing scenes are exciting, the rest of the novel is contrived and unbelievable. Character development is flat, and Stourton fails to develop the racial theme that might have transformed this pallid imitation into an original novel. Still, Stourton, a Cambridge grad who edited So You Want To Go to Oxbridge?, shows promise. An optional purchase.—Wilda Williams, Library Journal
Nonfiction
Bonarrigo, Paul & Merrill Bonarrigo. Vineyard Cuisine: Meals & Memories from Messina Hof. Bright Sky. Sept. 2007. c.208p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-933979-02-1. $24.95. COOKERY
With a variety of lovely, enticing recipes, this book fulfills all that its subtitle suggests. The Bonarrigos, founders of the Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan, TX, begin by recounting their "German-Italian love story," which is accompanied by appropriately themed family recipes. The remainder of the work takes readers through the history and current success of Messina Hof, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. While the majority of the 90-plus recipes incorporate Messina Hof wines, vineyard substitutions are possible. The text is a mix of family history, reliable menu planner, and accessible wine guide; in particular, the wine pairings are tremendously helpful. The unique nature of this book, though, potentially offers limited appeal; those outside of Texas may not be interested in the vineyard’s history. Because substitutions will be required for those unable to purchase Messina Hof wines locally, this is only recommended for large or diverse cookery collections, where readers are more likely to have the experience and knowledge required for successful recipe modifications.—Meagan P. Storey, Virginia Wesleyan Coll., Norfolk
Browne, Mary T. The 5 Rules of Thought: How To Use the Power of Your Mind To Get What You Want. Atria: S. & S. Oct. 2007. c.256p. index. ISBN 978-1-4165-3734-2. $22.95. PSYCH
According to psychic Browne (The Power of Karma), with right thinking and the assistance of the divine force within you, you can determine your future in this life and the afterlife. Her five rules ("Decide what you want," "Visualize it," "Act, don’t vacillate," "Have faith," and "Be persistent") will be familiar to readers acquainted with the works of James Allen (As a Man Thinketh), Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking), and modern exponents of positive psychology. Using her clients as examples, Browne demonstrates how to use the rules to improve health, sex, finance, work, love, and happiness. Tools she gives for implementing the rules include prayer, meditation, music (a selection from Mozart for every rule), breathing, and concentration exercises. Though Browne concentrates on practical applications in this life, she believes what is accomplished in this life survives after death. For Browne, the soul (our character in the physical world) is the sum total of our thoughts. Not an essential purchase; order where there is an interest.—Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L., CA
Finn, Kristen K. Bipolar and Pregnant: How To Manage and Succeed in Planning and Parenting While Living with Manic Depression. Health Communications. Sept. 2007. c.236p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7573-0683-9. pap. $14.95. HEALTH
While this is the story of Finn’s personal search facing pregnancy with bipolar disorder, it is also a guide for family, friends, and caregivers. Incorporating consultation with psychiatrists, obstetricians, psychologists, and geneticists and insights from her husband and her mother, Finn delivers a personal but informative and practical guide from preconception to postpartum. In 1979, at age 17, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and began taking lithium. Ten years later, she and her husband wanted to start a family. One of their first actions was to consult with a genetic counselor. Here, she explores the risks of stopping medication and offers practical advice for monitoring behavior changes. She recommends keeping a personal journal, and quotes from her detailed journal entries are used to great effect. Other topics include avoiding psychiatric flare-ups, optimizing one’s chances for conception, risks of bipolar medications on the developing fetus, preparing for going off medication as you prepare for pregnancy, and coping methods she found effective. Appendixes written by the professionals with whom Finn consulted, a glossary, a reference bibliography, and a list of resource organizations complete this informative book.—Jodith Janes, Cleveland Clinic Lib.
Kennedy, Matthew. Joan Blondell: A Life Between Takes. Univ. Pr. of Mississippi. (Hollywood Legends). Oct. 2007. c.272p. illus. filmog. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-57806-961-3. $30. FILM
Joan Blondell was the true definition of a talented, working actress. Although she never achieved the stardom she desired, her life and work finally get their due with this first biography. Blondell was featured in almost 100 films throughout her career—often in supporting roles—but the majority of her films have not been available for years. Kennedy (anthropology, City Coll. of San Francisco; Edmund Golding’s Dark Victory) covers her experiences in such well-known films as The Public Enemy, Gold Diggers of 1933, and The Blue Veil (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), while also exploring her personal life, including her marriages to Dick Powell and Mike Todd—who essentially ran through all her money with gambling debts before leaving her. Many will remember her as Vi, the bubbly waitress in Grease, but Kennedy’s biography reminds us of Blondell’s great success in the film industry and provides fascinating insight into the struggles faced by an actor who is never quite able to reach the top. Recommended for all academic and public libraries.—Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA
McMahon, Ed with David Fisher. When Television Was Young: The Inside Story with Memories by Legends of the Small Screen. Thomas Nelson. Sept. 2007. c.288p. illus. ISBN 978-1-4016-0327-4. $24.99. TV
Television personality McMahon, the announcer for three decades on the Tonight Show and the host of Star Search, offers a memoir of his experiences of the industry and its early icons. Highlights include McMahon’s personal adventures as a bright young man who happened to be looking for a job when television was in the stages of becoming. McMahon isn’t the featured player here, but as an energetic and exuberant raconteur, he makes his personality felt throughout. Wisely concentrating on his own experiences, McMahon skips over the technological innovations and enlivens the book through a judicious use of detail along with personal reflections and anecdotes collected over his long career from stars such as Dick Clark, Andy Griffith, Art Linkletter, and Ron Howard, among others. Overflowing with information and interlaced with humor, this ought to be required or at least recommended reading for mass media and introductory broadcast courses. Also of interest to anyone who wonders about how television came to be what it is today. Recommended for public and academic libraries.—H.V. Cordry, Tecumseh, KS
Saluja, Neeta. Six Spices: A Simple Concept of Indian Cooking. Jones Bks. 2007. 192p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-9763539-9-7. $24.95. COOKERY
Indian recipes often can be daunting affairs, with long lists of spices and unfamiliar ingredients. Saluja tries to remedy that by focusing on recipes that are less complex and use only six basic spices: asafetida, chilies, coriander (and cilantro, which is fresh coriander leaves), cumin, mustard seeds, and turmeric. She then divides the approximately 85 recipes in the book into four basic cooking techniques: seasoning with hot oil and hot ghee and cooking with powdered spices and curry paste. A chapter on additional dishes including snacks, beverages, chutneys, breads, and desserts, rounds out the book, along with a chapter on tips and techniques. Many of the recipes are still somewhat involved and require several steps to complete, but the instructions are clear and most of the ingredients readily available. Other than a few in the chapter on curries, almost all of the recipes are vegetarian. Nicely illustrated and well formatted, this is a good resource for those looking for an introduction to authentic Indian cooking. Purchase where there is interest.—Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Audio Reviews
Braun, Lilian Jackson. The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers. 3 CDs. unabridged. 3½ hrs. Recorded Bks. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4281-3121-7. $30.75; 3 cassettes. ISBN 978-1-4281-3119-4. $20.75. F
Even devoted fans of the "Cat Who" mystery books are unlikely to be satisfied with this short contribution to the series. It not only lacks mystery, but also lacks a discernible story. Beginning with a few promising story lines, it ends so abruptly that listeners will wonder if they have slipped a disc. Protagonist Jim Qwilleran writes a play, but it remains unperformed; his girlfriend, Polly, goes to Paris and may not come back; his house burns down, and no one knows why; and his Siamese cat, Koko, yowls occasionally about who knows what. These and other unresolved matters will infuriate many listeners; however, this audiobook has something to offer that print editions do not—the familiar voice of narrator George Guidall, who has recorded the entire "Cat Who" series. The chief charm of these books has always been their characters and settings, and Guidall contributes a great deal toward making Moose County a warm and inviting place. Those who know the books mainly through Guidall’s recordings should welcome the chance to spend more hours in Moose County, despite the novel’s limitations.—Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA
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