Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 5/13/2008 9:01:00 AM

The week of May 13, 2008

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Akunin, Boris. Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk. Random. May 2008. c.368p. tr. from Russian by Andrew Bromfield. ISBN 978-0-8129-7514-7. pap. $14. M
Verdict: Akunin, author of the popular Fandorin detective series, has written a captivating mystery filled with humor, suspense, unique characters, and surprises. Recommended for all public libraries.
Background: When a black apparition churns up hysteria and murder in an otherwise peaceful and prosperous island monastery, the Bishop Mitrofanii sends three of his protégés, one after the other, to investigate the mystery. When they fail, Sister Pelagia takes it upon herself to infiltrate the monastery in disguise and discover the truth. Along the way, her deductions are confounded by several outlandish characters who turn out to be patients at the local mental hospital. Numerous allusions to Dostoevsky provide reflections on spirituality and science, adding texture to Akunin’s story without slowing it down. The characters of Sister Pelagia and the Bishop—genuine and intelligent with a high regard for each other—are more fully developed here than in the first entry of Akunin’s trilogy, Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog.—Sally Bickley, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Corpus Christi

Brownrigg, Sylvia. Morality Tale. Counterpoint. May 2008. c.240p. ISBN 978-1-58243-404-9. $24. F
Verdict: Despite occasional forays into overintellectualization, Brownrigg delivers a sharp, sometimes tragic, and always engaging tale of modern marriage, infidelity, and eventual redemption. Sure to appeal to devotees of both domestic and women’s fiction. Essential for all public libraries.
Background: In the past, Brownrigg (The Metaphysical Touch) has tackled such new-fashioned relationship issues as same-sex attraction and online romance with honesty, pathos, and wry wit. In her latest offering, she takes on divorce, second marriage, and blended families with the same literary brio. Her unnamed narrator, a former "other woman," is now a second wife besieged by her overwrought husband, his hostile ex-wife, and two unruly stepsons. Her job is nearly as oppressive as her marriage: she clerks at a stationary store but dreams of returning to her book, A Dictionary of Betrayal. When she meets Richard, a charming envelope salesman who spouts Zen sophism, she becomes enmeshed in a real-life betrayal of her own.—Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., NY

Dave, Laura. The Divorce Party. Viking. May 2008. ISBN 978-0-670-01859-8. $24.95. F
Verdict: Dave (London Is the Best City in America) presents another touching novel that explores family relationships and commitment. Dave’s fluid writing and compelling characters will appeal to women readers who appreciate quiet introspection and personal growth. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.
Background: Instead of marking an anniversary, Gwyn and Thomas Huntington are about to celebrate their divorce after 30-plus years of marriage with a lavish party at their historic home in Montauk, Long Island, NY. This event is also the first time that Maggie, their soon-to-be daughter-in-law, will meet her fiancé’s parents. The novel alternates between the two women as they both struggle with trust and question the wisdom of the choices they are about to make. Maggie is trying to reconcile what she has just learned about Nate’s past, while Gwyn attempts to prevent her husband from having a future with another woman. Much of the drama takes place in the minds of these two women, so readers looking for adventure or a traditional love story should look elsewhere. [A film version of London Is the Best City in America starring Reese Witherspoon is currently in development, and Universal has optioned the rights to The Divorce Party.—Ed.]—Anika Fajardo, Coll. at St. Catherine Libs., St. Paul, MN

Koontz, Dean. Odd Hours. Bantam. May 2008. c.368p. ISBN 978-0-553-80705-9. $27. F
Verdict: As Odd struggles to protect new friend Annamaria from the evil adversaries who move in and out of Magic Beach’s cloak of fog, it becomes apparent that Koontz has established a unique archetypal universe that is destined to provide readers with thought-provoking plots for many volumes to come. Recommended for popular fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]
Background: In this fourth installment of Koontz’s "Odd Thomas" series (after Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, and Brother Odd), we join Odd Thomas in the town of Magic Beach, where he works as a cook and companion to film star–turned–children’s author Lawrence Hutchison. Hutch is more than a bit eccentric, a trait that allows Odd a comfortable margin for the unexplained occurrences engendered by his supernatural gifts. Although Odd’s sensitivity to the spirit world and ability to foresee cataclysmic events have taken him away from his friends and his hometown, Ghost-dog Boo remains, as does the lingering spirit of Frank Sinatra. New companions include mysterious Annamaria, seven months pregnant and found gazing out at the ocean from a harbor pier, and the exuberant Blossom Rosedale, whose ability to rise above the blows life has dealt her resonates among the long list of Koontz’s memorable characters.—Nancy McNicol, Hamden P.L., CT

Rifkin, Sherri. LoveHampton. Griffin: St. Martin's. May 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-312-38021-2. pap. $13.95. F
Verdict: Rifkin’s background in the TV and fashion industries is evident in her debut novel, which takes a refreshing and lighthearted peek at summer in New York's Hamptons. Fans of Emily Giffin (Something Borrowed) will enjoy the engaging dialog; a fast-paced beach read that is ideal for large public libraries.
Background: As the owner of a growing TV production company, Tori Miller would be ecstatic if only she could overcome the slump that has been her life since her boyfriend dumped her. Determined to get her back on track, her three best friends stage an intervention, two years overdue, and arrange for Tori to have a mind-and-body makeover. Soon, a more confident "Miller" cannonballs off to the Hamptons and becomes the love interest of a rich, well-connected playboy. Tori finds herself trying to balance her time between the often flaky, fabulous Cassie and her other housemates, and she breaks an unwritten house rule when she develops romantic entanglements with lawyer Andrew Kane. This is unlike the Tori of yesteryears, and before the summer is over she must discover who she really is or risk losing all that matters.—Natasha Grant, New York

Unt, Mati. Diary of a Blood Donor. Dalkey Archive. (Eastern European Literature). May 2008. c.216p. tr. from Estonian by Ants Eert. ISBN 978-1-56478-496-4. pap. $12.95. F
Verdict: A meandering plot, a plethora of unanswered questions, a lack of distinction among characters, and a stream-of-consciousness writing style make this book a task to get through. Recommended only for libraries that collect eastern European literature or those with strong Gothic collections.
Background: Esteemed Estonian writer Unt (1944–2005) offers a modern-day retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula set against the backdrop of late 1980s Estonia, a time of political upheaval and a quest for independence from Russia. The main character, a writer, receives a mysterious letter from a stranger who asks him to travel to Leningrad for a secret meeting. He gives in to the request after much self-deliberation. After meeting the stranger, the writer is forced into the dark, treacherous world of vampires. Unt uses one of Estonia’s national symbols—poet and promoter of political independence Lydia Koidula—to draw lively comparisons between communism and vampirism.—Troy Reed, Southeast Regional Lib., Gilbert, AZ

Nonfiction

Black, Lewis. Me of Little Faith. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2008. c.256p. ISBN 978-1-59448-994-5. $23.95. REL
Verdict: Readers will be blessed with laughter as well as with glimpses of tender, vulnerable moments from Black’s spiritual journey and some genuine insights about faith. This will be a popular book in public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/08.]
Background: New York Times best-selling author Black (Nothing’s Sacred), a popular comic and frequent guest on The Daily Show, seeks and finds organized religion’s funny bone in these 42 chapters on religious topics ranging from astrology and reincarnation to televangelists and the Rapture. According to the author, two prominent themes are the source of religious beliefs and the dysfunction that frequently arises from these beliefs. Some of Black’s reflections read like on-stage monologs; others, like confessionals. Writing from the viewpoint of a skeptic, he shares his beliefs and life philosophy while exposing the comic side of religion.—Nancy E. Adams, Harrisburg Area Community Coll. Lib., PA

Burroughs, Augusten. A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father. St. Martin's. 2008. c.256p. ISBN 978-0-312-34202-9. $24.95. AUTOBIOG
Verdict: Burroughs renders with crystal clarity moments from later childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. All memories pivot around the father, the object of his son’s unconditional and unrequited love. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]
Background: Is child abuse an inherited behavioral trait? Burroughs ponders this question in his latest memoir, which follows his 2006 collection of true stories, Possible Side Effects. Burroughs grew up with a psychologically twisted father—paradoxically, a philosophy professor—who was himself a victim of his own father’s harsh discipline. Burroughs writes that, as a child, he feared growing up to be like his father, whose behavior was extreme; on separate occasions, he beat Burroughs for asking too many questions, killed his pet hamster, and chased him at knifepoint through the woods at night. Burroughs’s mother was powerless to assist him. She herself fell for the deadliest proposal in the world: "Your father told me that if I didn’t marry him, that he would kill himself." The memoir’s softer side reveals sweet and enchanting primal memories (before life became too unbearable), exquisitely crafted and offering readers a glimpse of a world finer than the one we often see as adults.—Nedra Crowe-Evers, Sonoma Cty. Lib., CA

Gordon, James S., M.D. Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression. Penguin. Jun. 2008. c.400p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59420-166-0. $25.95. PSYCH
Verdict: Insightful, informative, and engaging, this medication-free strategy to beating depression will appeal to fans of Andrew Weil and his texts about the importance of a holistic approach to medicine. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries with collections focusing on alternative medicine.
Background: Much has been written about depression and traditional Western methods of treatment. Yet a movement about the benefits of integrative and holistic practices has been gaining momentum. A leader in that field, Gordon (director, Ctr. for Mind-Body Medicine; Manifesto for a New Medicine) takes readers on a journey toward overcoming depression through seven drug-free stages. He begins with The Call (creating the awareness that depression is not a disease), before moving on to Guides on the Journey (choosing who can help), Surrender to Change (letting go), Dealing with Demons (recognizing and overcoming obstacles), The Dark Night of the Soul (overcoming the depths of despair), Spirituality: The Blessing (transformation), and The Return (a time for celebration). The benefits of ancient and traditional alternative methods like exercise, meditation, guided imagery, self-expression, and yoga are explored.—Melody Ballard, Pima Cty. P.L., Tucson

Grozni, Nikolai. Turtle Feet: The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). May 2008. c.336p. ISBN 978-1-59448-984-6. $24.95. REL
Verdict: This readable and vivid firsthand account chronicles a young man's encounter with what appear to be the Byzantine and sometimes absurd rules of Buddhist monasticism amid disease- and bug-infested squalor. Recommended for popular collections.
Background: A Bulgarian-born piano prodigy, Grozni found himself in the late 1990s at Boston’s Berklee College of Music contemplating ultimate truth. So began his journey of discovery to Dharamsala, India, home in exile to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan nation, where Grozni took the vows of a Tibetan Buddhist monk at age 22. The most important part of Grozni’s passage—and, ultimately, ours—is to be found among an intriguing cast of supporting characters: a crabby nun who teaches him Tibetan, a former monk who tempts with tales of promiscuous nuns, an initially disappointing teacher, and, most of all, a fellow Eastern European known as Tsar who imparts wisdom from what can only be described as maddening muddle. After about four years, Grozni realized he needed to find his own path and in his own way: ironically, perhaps, both his teacher’s and Tsar’s final lesson.—James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina at Asheville Lib.

Poitier, Sidney. Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter. HarperOne: HarperCollins. May 2008. 304p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-06-149618-9. $25.95. FILM
Verdict: In the form of letters to his newborn great-granddaughter, Poitier, in this somewhat stuffy reminiscence, shares what he has learned in his 80 years of life. Older patrons may find some inspiration here. Recommended for public libraries.
Background: One of our most respected actors, Poitier told his life story in his 2000 autobiography, The Measure of a Man. Here, he goes over some of the same ground but adds lengthy ponderings on everything from family, faith, God, and love to people he has most admired. The reader might ask why it matters what Poitier thinks on these topics, but Poitier responds, "What kind of compulsion…draws me toward such internal wanderings—as to the nature of bravery versus cowardice and as to the nature of human nature? Some of this drive comes to all of us when we reach the age when we become living time machines, seeing the lines of our lives stretching back and forward." So his age is his credential, and he is not the only one who has succumbed to this conceit (see Kirk Douglas’s memoirs).—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Preston, Richard. Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science. Random. May 2008. c.240p. illus. ISBN 978-1-4000-6490-8. $26. SCI
Verdict: This strong collection updates Preston’s most fascinating New Yorker essays, whose topics include the Ebola virus, the race to complete the human genome, and the destructive impact an invasive insect species, the woolly adelgid, is having on ancient North American hemlock forests. Preston’s fresh and engaging writing integrates science with a human perspective, allowing readers to connect comfortably with the complexities of scientific concepts. Highly recommended for all popular science collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/08.]
Background: Preston’s initial essay explains the mathematics and computer science work on the digits of the infinite number pi by the Chudnovsky brothers, who are also profiled in a later essay describing their evolution from investigating pi to approaching digital imaging from a mathematical perspective to create a digital image of one of the Unicorn Tapestries from the Cloisters collection that shows its warp and weft and three-dimensional depth. His final essay about sufferers of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder that results in terrible self-mutilation, is exceptionally powerful and synthesizes the importance of the genetic research Preston discusses in other essays.—Candice Kail, Columbia Univ. Libs., New York

Quasthoff, Thomas. The Voice: A Memoir. Pantheon. Jun. 2008. c.256p. tr. from German by Kirsten Stoldt Wittenborn. discog. index. ISBN 978-0-375-42406-9. $24.95. MUSIC
Verdict: Quasthoff’s outsize personality is memorably captured by a pitch-perfect English translation. This is an inspirational and entertaining book for both lay readers and musical literati.
Background: German bass baritone Quasthoff is a concert artist of international renown. Born in 1959, he was one of the thousands of "thalidomide babies" afflicted with profound physical deformities. The ironic title to Chapter 6, "Sympathy Is Free, Envy You Gotta Earn," neatly sums up Quasthoff’s philosophy; the reader is given no chance to feel pity, only respect, admiration, and perhaps envy for his heights of success. His early years were spent in a horrific facility for the handicapped, from which he emerged a feisty child with a fierce intelligence and an unquenchable drive to transcend his limitations. His nurturing family and a supportive voice teacher encouraged his ambitions to sing professionally, and his career has led to numerous triumphs with such notable collaborators as Simon Rattle and Daniel Barenboim. Quasthoff writes intelligently about his principal love—the art song—but he is nearly as passionate and eloquent about opera, jazz, and American popular song. His bon vivant nature and mordant wit are apparent throughout, and his comic anecdotes produce several laugh-out-loud moments.—Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA

Vargas Llosa, Mario. Wellsprings. Harvard Univ. (Richard Ellman Lectures in Modern Literature). May 2008. c.208p. ISBN 978-0-674-02836-4. pap. $17.95. LIT
Verdict: Vargas Llosa's list of subjects is small, but his perceptions are detailed and astute. These meditations on influential literature are recommended for academic and large public libraries.
Background: In this collection of seven essays, Peruvian novelist Vargas Llosa (The Bad Girl) acknowledges the writers, teachers, essayists, and philosophers whose works influenced his own. He begins with Cervantes, not as literary idol, but as a man whose fluctuating life of lofty idealism, transgressions, and cruel circumstance caused him (via his Don Quixote) to invent stories to make existence more tolerable. He then examines the life and work of erudite Spanish philosopher and essayist José Ortega y Gasset, especially The Revolt of the Masses, calling him a free thinker. Vargas Llosa further stresses the debt Spanish-language writers owe Jorge Luis Borges for his imaginative writings, which paved the way for Latin American writing (especially its themes of suffering from alienation and insecurity) to be perceived finally as a key element within Western world culture. Also included are chapters on socialist Friedrich Hayek, Peruvian historian Raúl Porras Barrenechea (a beloved teacher of the author), biographer Isaiah Berlin, and philosopher Karl Popper.—Nedra Crowe-Evers, Sonoma Cty. Lib., CA

Wolfe, Peggy R. Macular Disease: Practical Strategies for Living with Vision Loss. Park, dist. by Independent Pubs. Group. May 2008. c.240p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-9792945-1-8. pap. $17.95. HEALTH
Verdict: Printed in a large, dark font, this book provides basic, valuable, just-in-time information for those individuals facing vision loss, especially older adults. Highly recommended.
Background: Wolfe was 69 years old when she was diagnosed with macular degeneration, a disease that destroys one’s sharp central vision and is a leading cause of blindness in older adults. In the eight years since that diagnosis, she has gathered a wide variety of tips that should help other people adapt to vision loss. Forgoing any medical information, Wolfe focuses on the strategies she has learned as her vision declines. She stresses a positive attitude and healthy lifestyle as key to adapting successfully to vision loss, as well as basic guidelines to monitor remaining sight. Tips include information about reading aids such as additional lighting, stands, and magnifiers; ensuring one’s hearing is checked; "talking" tools such as watches, thermometers, and blood pressure cuffs; and ways of marking clothing and kitchen utensils for easier identification. Assistive audio and video and computer technology are covered. Maximizing independence in financial and legal matters receives brief attention.—Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hosp., Tampa, FL

See last week's Xpress Reviews