Starred Reviews: June 2009

By Jessica Roy and Heather McCormack -- Library Journal, 06/17/2009

ARTS

Harbison, Robert. Travels in the History of Architecture. Reaktion, dist. by Univ. of Chicago. Jun. 2009. c.288p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-86189-435-9. $35. ARCHITECTURE
This could serve as a secondary survey of Western architecture for architecture students, professionals, and devotees. Harbison’s expression of his personal and professional views is unbelievably shattering and breathtaking.

O'Neal, Hank. The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions with Jazz Legends. Vanderbilt Univ. Jun. 2009. c.496p. illus. discog. index. ISBN 978-0-8265-1627-5. $75 with CD. MUSIC
There is no other book that so fully and intimately explores Harlem’s musical heyday and its beloved ghosts.

Templeton, Joan. Munch’s Ibsen: A Painter’s Visions of a Playwright. Univ. of Washington. 2009. 256p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-295-98776-7. $35. FINE ARTS
Lavishly illustrated with 96 color and 60 black-and-white images, this landmark study will absorb art and theater scholars, as well as general readers who like stories about intersections of creative genius.

Young, Beth Maynor (photogs.) & John C. Hall (text). Headwaters: A Journey on Alabama Rivers. Univ. of Alabama. 2009. c.192p. illus. ISBN 978-0-8173-1630-3. $39.95. PHOTOG
Blending fine photographs and absorbing text, this absolutely stunning book portrays the rivers of Alabama, from their sources in the Appalachian highlands and along the rocky Chunnenuggee Hills to the coastal plain.

AUDIO

Anelli, Melissa. Harry, A History. 9 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 11 hrs. Tantor Media. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4001-4162-3. $69.99; 9 CDs. retail ed.; 1 MP3-CD. retail ed.; digital download. LIT
Anelli, webmistress of the wildly popular Harry Potter fan site The-Leaky-Cauldron.org, here tells the complete story of the Potter phenomenon, investigating such aspects of the Potter world as the musical movement Wizard Rock, the “cracking” of the New York Times best sellers list, and the support fans gave one another in the aftermath of 9/11.

Baldwin, James. Another Country. 13 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 16¼ hrs. Sound Library: BBC Audiobooks America. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7927-6051-1. $110.95; 2 MP3-CDs. library ed.; digital download. F
Concurrent with the 75th anniversary of author/activist Baldwin’s birth is this first-ever audio release of his 1962 novel depicting life in New York and France and exploring the era’s racial, gender, and sexual taboos.

Boyle, T.C. The Women. 15 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 18½ hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4332-6061-2. $110; 15 CDs. retail ed.; 2 MP3-CDs. library ed.; Playaway digital; digital download. F
In his trademark style, Boyle uses a fictional narrator to tell the story of an American original: Frank Lloyd Wright, that flamboyant genius of 20th-century architecture.

Fisher, Carrie. Wishful Drinking. 3 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 3 hrs. S. & S. Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7435-9717-3. $14.99; digital download. AUTOBIOG
Describing herself as a product of “Hollywood in-breeding," Fisher discusses her childhood, her shot to stardom at 19 through her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, her rocky romantic relationships, and her struggle with drug addiction and mental illness.

Jones, David H. Two Brothers: One North, One South. 2 MP3-CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 9½ hrs. Staghorn. 2009. ISBN 978-0-9796898-8-8. $22.95. F
Former U.S. Navy officer Jones structures his dynamic Civil War novel around the experiences of two real-life brothers, adding a smartly conceived dramatic narrative hook by imagining how poet Walt Whitman’s well-documented wartime experiences might have figured into their lives.

Mankell, Henning. Firewall. tr. from Swedish by Ebba Segerberg. 13 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 18 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4332-2582-6. $99; 13 CDs. retail ed.; 1 MP3-CD. library ed.; Playaway digital; digital download. F
In Mankell’s eighth entry in the Kurt Wallander series, meaningless crimes underscore the vulnerability of society in the electronic age.

Pearl, Matthew. The Last Dickens. 11 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 13 hrs. Books on Tape. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4159-6285-5. $80; 11 CDs. retail ed. Random House Audio; digital download. F
When a young clerk mysteriously dies trying to pick up the sixth installment of Charles Dickens’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood, publisher James Osgood travels to England searching for clues to how the recently deceased Dickens meant to end his unfinished novel.

Penny, Louise. A Rule Against Murder. 9 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 11 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4332-5128-3. $80; 9 CDs. retail ed.; 1 MP3-CD. library ed.; Playaway digital; digital download. F
A murder intrudes on an anniversary celebration at a remote luxury inn in Quebec, and, in classic drawing-room style, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache can look only to the family and hotel staff for suspects.

Phillips, Susan Elizabeth. What I Did for Love. 11 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 13½ hrs. Books on Tape. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4159-6366-1. $40; 11 CDs. retail ed. HarperAudio; digital download. F
Phillips follows the Audie Award–winning Natural Born Charmer, an LJ Best Audiobook of 2007, with this novel about Georgie York, a once-adored teenage sitcom star known as Scooter Brown, and her unlikely romance with former costar Bram Shepard.

Ritz, David. Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye. 6 CDs. library ed. abridged. 6½ hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4332-0276-6. $60; 1 MP3-CD. library ed.; Playaway digital; digital download. MUSIC
Originally published in 1985 and newly available on audio, this biography unearths the demons that both plagued Marvin Gaye and inspired his music.

Smiley, Tavis with Stephanie Robinson. Accountable: Making America as Good as Its Promise. 5 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 6 hrs. S. & S. Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7435-8208-7. $29.99; Playaway digital; digital download. POL SCI
Radio/TV personality and No. 1 New York Times best-selling author Smiley takes aim at the Obama administration, demanding that promises made during the campaign be upheld, especially with regard to minorities.

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. 15 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 18 hrs. Books on Tape. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4159-6125-4. $120; 15 CDs. retail ed. Penguin Audio; digital download. F
Stockett’s deep and complex debut novel, set in early 1960s Jackson, MS, is about three women drawn together to make a difference.

Tremain, Rose. The Road Home. 6 CDs. abridged. retail ed. 8 hrs. Naxos AudioBooks. 2009. ISBN 978-962-634-946-5. $34.98; digital download. F
This latest book by Tremain is the story of widower Lev, an economic migrant who travels from the Eastern Bloc to London to find work to support his child back home.

CHRISTIAN FICTION

Strom, Kay Marshall. The Call of Zulina. Abingdon. (Grace in Africa, Bk. 1). Aug. 2009. c.352p. ISBN 978-1-4267-0069-9. pap. $13.99. CF
Set in 1787 West Africa, this first novel in a sweeping three-part historical saga features Grace Winslow, whose mother is African royalty and her father a British sea captain.

FICTION

Adiga, Aravind. Between the Assassinations. Free Pr: S. & S. Jun. 2009. c.288p. ISBN 978-1-4391-5292-8. $24. F
From the author of The White Tiger comes this collection of stories set in Kittur, India, between the assassinations of Indira Gandhi in 1984 and Rajiv Ghandi in 1991. Adiga captures the lives of the poor and powerless, doomed to hopelessness and sometimes rage.

Arnold, Gaynor. Girl in a Blue Dress: A Novel Inspired by the Life and Marriage of Charles Dickens. Crown. Jul. 2009. c.432p. ISBN 978-0-307-46226-8. $25.99. F
Told in flashbacks, this debut by a middle-aged British social worker takes an intimate, unflinching look at a marriage, one that will leave readers shifting uncomfortably in their chairs even as their eyes remain riveted to the pages.

Carlson, Ron. The Signal. Viking. Jun. 2009. c.184p. ISBN 978-0-670-02100-0. $25. F
This character-driven story unfurls slowly through dialog, exposition, and flashbacks. Simple, taut, and elegant, it’s a beautifully told tale of love and redemption that all readers will appreciate.

DeLeeuw, Brian. In This Way I Was Saved. S. & S. Aug. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-4391-0313-5. $25. F
Suspenseful and terrifying, this tale about one’s shadow self running rampant is highly recommended.

Dryden, Alex. Red to Black. Ecco: HarperCollins. Sept. 2009. c.512p. ISBN 978-0-06-180386-4. $25.99. F
Set in post-glasnost Russia and spilling into Western Europe, this superb debut novel by a pseudonymous British journalist tells the tale of star-crossed lovers who spy for opposing sides.

Jain, Bapsy. Lucky Everyday. Penguin. Jun. 2009. c.306p. ISBN 978-0-14-311535-9. pap. $14. F
This novel took ten years to write, and readers will appreciate Jain’s sticking with it. Highly recommended for those who enjoy first novels and contemporary Indian fiction.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl Who Played with Fire. Knopf. Aug. 2009. c.528p. tr. from Swedish by Reg Keeland. ISBN 978-0-307-26998-0. $25.95. F
This is complex and compelling storytelling at its best, propelled by one of the most fascinating characters in recent crime fiction.

Margolin, Phillip. Fugitive. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2009. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-06-123623-5. $26.99. F
The pages fly in this violent, twisty tale of one man’s journey through the legal system, and legal thriller fans will snap up Margolin’s latest for their summer beach reads.

Meloy, Maile. Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2009. c.208p. ISBN 978-1-59448-869-6. $25.95. F
The award-winning Meloy continues to deliver stories that please and surprise as each narrative’s small world unfolds. This collection features desire in its many, often contradictory elements, encounters that take a character by surprise but hardly make a ripple in anybody else’s world.

Murphy, Peter. John the Revelator. Houghton. Aug. 2009. c.272p. ISBN 978-0-15-101402-6. $25. F
Beautifully humane and sometimes nightmarish, this incredible debut novel by a noted music and culture editor, journalist, and critic recounts the life and times of John Devine, a 15-year-old boy who lives in Kilcody, a village in southeastern Ireland, with his Bible-quoting, nicotine-addicted mother.

Rollins, James. The Doomsday Key. Morrow. Jul. 2009. c.448p. ISBN 978-0-06-123140-7. $27.99. F
Rollins’s prose explodes off the page in a twisty and compelling thriller that explores the issues of human overpopulation and genetically modified food.

Tropper, Jonathan. This Is Where I Leave You. Dutton. Aug. 2009. c.339p. ISBN 978-0-525-95127-8. $25.95. F
In the newest work from Tropper, the Foxman family spend a week together and the world practically implodes. Highly recommended for Tropper fans, who will rejoice at the opportunity to indulge; others will wonder where he’s been all their lives.

MYSTERY

Abbott, Megan. Bury Me Deep. S. & S. Jul. 2009. c.240p. ISBN 978-1-4165-9909-8. pap. $15. M
This property is made-to-order for Bette Davis—true crime, plus it’s a women’s story with noir embellishments. It has tough times, drugs, and pandemics. It screams "today!"—only retro.

George, Kathleen. The Odds. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Jun. 2009. c.343p. ISBN 978-0-312-54999-2. $24.95. M
George’s fourth crime novel is a truly original tale featuring four amazing youngsters. This very modern police procedural will not be easily forgotten.

Johnson, Craig. The Dark Horse: A Walt Longmire Mystery. Viking. Jun. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-670-02087-4. $24.95. M
In his fifth outing, Sheriff Walt Longmire goes undercover to prove that Mary Barsad, confessed murderer, did not kill her husband after he shot her horses and set the barn on fire.

Kelly, Jim. Death Wore White. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Jun. 2009. c.390p. ISBN 978-0-312-57081-1. $24.95. M
Kelly demonstrates his mastery at creating a convoluted puzzle that must be sorted out by even more complicated detectives. An excellent choice for fans of British police procedurals and “locked-room” mysteries.

Nadelson, Reggie. Londongrad: An Artie Cohen Mystery. Walker. Jul. 2009. c.390p. ISBN 978-0-8027-1752-8. $25. M
Nadelson explores what happens when the desire for increased wealth and power backfires. Fans of Daniel Silva may find much to enjoy here.

Rosenfelt, David. New Tricks. Grand Central. Aug. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-446-50587-1. $24.99. M
Cohabitating with his golden retriever, Tara, and yearning for his love, Laurie, a Wisconsin sheriff, Patterson, NJ, lawyer Andy Carpenter gets mixed up in a seventh canine crime.

REFERENCE

Encyclopedia of Play in Today’s Society. 2 vols. SAGE. 2009. 1032p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-4129-6670-2. $325; Online: SAGE Reference Online. REF
All public and academic libraries will want to obtain this encyclopedia, so that academics, researchers, and students can understand how play affects child and adult development, especially in terms of health, creativity, and imagination.

The Grove Book of Operas. 2d ed. Oxford Univ. 2009. 768p. ed. by Stanley Sadie & Laura Macy. ISBN 978-0-19-538711-7. pap. $27.95. REF
This outstanding reference, based on the four-volume New Grove Dictionary of Opera, has been revised to create an accessible resource for opera enthusiasts without compromising its scholarly substance.

Social Computing in Homeland Security: Disaster Promulgation and Response. IGI Global. 2009. 320p. ed. by Amy Wenxuan Ding. ISBN 978-1-60566-228-2. $165. REF
In an effort to mitigate the chaos associated with terrorism and natural disasters, Ding has compiled a series of mathematical programs to disseminate and relay information between disaster response forces themselves and their impacted public.

ROMANCE

Dare, Tessa. Goddess of the Hunt. Ballantine. Aug. 2009. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-345-50686-3. pap. $6.99. Historical
A beautifully crafted tale that captivates with sassy wit, a lush, sweetly intense sensuality, and an abundance of well-articulated, appealing characters.

Putney, Mary Jo. Loving a Lost Lord. Zebra: Kensington. Jul. 2009. c.362p. ISBN 978-1-4201-0328-1. pap. $6.99. Historical
Gentle humor, exotic elements, compelling, flawless prose, and irresistible characters caught in a sweet, sensual dilemma will leave readers smiling, breathless, and anxiously awaiting the next adventure in Putney’s new “Lost Lords” series.

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY

Carey, Jacqueline. Naamah’s Kiss. Grand Central. Jun. 2009. c.656p. ISBN 978-0-446-19803-5. $26.99. FANTASY
Carey begins her new series with a bang. Moirin is an exciting heroine who, like Phèdre nó Delaunay ("Kushiel's Legacy"), playfully and passionately explores the sacredness of sexuality.

Lamplighter, L. Jagi. Prospero Lost. Tor. (Propsero’s Daughter, Bk. 1). Sept. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-7653-1929-6. $24.95. FANTASY
Lamplighter plays fast and loose with Shakespeare in this modern-day fantasy filled with homages to both the Bard and John Milton.

Songs of the Dying Earth: Stories in Honor of Jack Vance. Subterranean. Sept. 2009. c.632p. ed. by George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois. illus. ISBN 978-1-59606-213-9. $40. FANTASY
The 23 stories not only capture the unique feel of Vance’s dying universe but stand individually as one of the strongest gatherings of writers to pay homage to one of their own.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Boysen, Sarah & Deborah Custance. The Smartest Animals on the Planet: Extraordinary Tales of the Natural World’s Cleverest Creatures. Firefly. 2009. 192p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-55407-456-3. $35. NAT HIST
Succinctly written and sumptuously illustrated with photographs and diagrams, this appealing book is sure to fascinate the general reader and inspire the science student considering a career in animal behavior or cognition.

Costello, Lauren Braun & Russell Reich. Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft. RCR Creative. Jun. 2009. c.176p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-9724255-1-3. $21.95. COOKERY
This small primer by restaurateur and chef Costello and coauthor Reich delivers both practical and philosophical advice beyond what one will find in a cookbook. Its goal is to pass on knowledge that will help readers think like a chef, not merely follow a recipe.

Kiros, Tessa. Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes. Andrews McMeel. 2009. c.400p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-7407-8152-0. $29.99. COOKERY
Kiros's latest book is a delightful celebration of a family that “has loved many kitchens,” with separate chapters on recipes from Finland, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, and Italy.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bradford, Stacey L. The Wall Street Journal Financial Guidebook for New Parents. Three Rivers: Crown. Jun. 2009. c.208p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-307-40707-8. pap. $14.95. BUS
Bradford, an associate editor at SmartMoney.com, presents a relevant and witty overview of the awesome task facing new parents—affording their kids.

Brent, Frances. The Lost Cellos of Lev Aronson. Atlas & Co., dist. by Norton. Jul. 2009. c.224p. illus. ISBN 978-1-914633-11-3. $24. HIST
Poet and translator Brent gives readers a beautifully meditative account of a Holocaust survivor and cellist, Lev Aronson, and the musical instruments that were like soul mates to him.

Geraghty, Tony. Soldiers of Fortune: A History of the Mercenary in Modern Warfare. Pegasus. 2009. c.400p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-60598-048-5. $27.95. HIST
Covering the 1960s to the present, with revealing interviews, Geraghty looks at the virtues and failings of the world’s second-oldest profession.

Ginzberg, Lori D. Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life. Hill & Wang: Farrar. Sept. 2009. c.272p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8090-9493-6. $25. BIOG
Ginzberg has produced a readable and realistic account of the life of one of the most important feminists and intellectuals of the 19th century, a woman who was at once an abolitionist who could sound like a racist and an advocate of civil rights for women whose language often reeked of elitism.

Jansen, Jonathan D. Knowledge in the Blood: Confronting Race and the Apartheid Past. Stanford Univ. 2009. c.336p. index. ISBN 978-0-8047-6194-9. $65; pap. ISBN 978-0-8047-6195-6. $21.95. HIST
Beautifully written, intellectually rigorous, and emotionally powerful, this book will be of great value to those interested in university transformation, African studies, race relations, and historical change.

Loyn, David. In Afghanistan: Two Hundred Years of British, Russian and American Occupation. Palgrave Macmillan. Jul. 2009. c.288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-230-61403-1. $27.95. HIST
Loyn's views on various foreigners’ ignorance, overconfidence, and missed opportunities make for a valuable gloss in view of President Obama’s change of approach in Afghanistan.

Macy, Ed. Apache: Inside the Cockpit of the World’s Most Deadly Fighting Machine. Atlantic Monthly. 2009. c.400p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-8021-1894-3. $25. HIST
An absorbing, exciting chronicle of a 21st-century soldier fighting on the high-tech side of asymmetric warfare; sure to be popular with general readers.

Norwood, Stephen H. The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower: Complicity and Conflict on American Campuses. Cambridge Univ. Jul. 2009. c.354p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-521-76243-4. $29. HIST
Norwood provides chilling insight into the relationship between the Nazi state and American Ivy League colleges during the 1930s.

Shell, Ellen Ruppel. Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2009. c.320p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59420-215-5. $25.95. BUS
This highly intelligent and disturbing book provides invaluable insight into our consumer culture and should be mandatory reading for anyone trying to figure out our current financial mess.

Shepard, Judy. The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed. Hudson Street. Aug. 2009. c.288p. ISBN 978-1-59463-057-6. $25.95. AUTOBIOG
Ten years after Matthew Shepard was beaten for being gay and left for dead, his mother revisits the tragedy in this brave and sobering memoir.

Yellin, Emily. Your Call Is (Not That) Important to Us: Customer Service and What It Reveals About the World and Our Lives. Free Pr: S. & S. 2009. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-4165-4689-4. $26. BUS
This fascinating history of humanity and technology meeting head-on will be of interest to a wide variety of readers and is highly recommended.