Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, May 13, 2011
May 12, 2011Week ending May 13, 2011
FICTION
Cussler, Clive & Grant Blackwood. The Kingdom: A Fargo Adventure.Putnam. Jun. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780399157424. $27.95. F
In their third adventure (after Spartan Gold and Lost Treasure), we find husband-and-wife treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo on an archaeological dig in Sumatra. Immediately, they are called away to find a lost man, a friend. But is he really lost, or does the Texas billionaire who hires them have another agenda? Through many dangers, the Fargos intrepidly move to solve a centuries-old mystery involving an ancient Tibetan kingdom, Chinese puzzle chests used to safeguard a secret, and an ancient balloon aircraft. Sam and Remi are smart, likable protagonists who apparently went to the MacGyver school of getting out of a jam, with some sticks and some 100-year-old sinew.
VerdictPerilous journeys through some of the most beautiful countries in the world and action-packed adventures experienced by a couple who love each other make for an enjoyable thrill ride of a summer read. [See Prepub Alert, 11/1/10.]—Cynde Suite, Bartow Cty. P.L. Syst., Cartersville, GA
Fowler, Earlene. Spider Web: A Benni Harper Mystery.Berkley Prime Crime. May 2011. c.306p. ISBN 9780425240984. $25.95. MYSTERY
Memories form the cornerstone of museum curator Benni Harper Ortiz's upcoming Memory Festival featuring oral history activities. But she couldn't have anticipated a sniper would choose that time to target her bucolic college town, wounding a police officer and setting the community on edge. Worse still, the attacks have triggered terrifying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) nightmares for her police chief husband, Gabe, a Vietnam War vet. Benni is further spooked by a new woman in town who keeps poking into Benni's and Gabe's pasts. Trying to keep her balance and get to the heart of the crime, Benni finds answers from unexpected sources. Can she ensure the safety of her town, too?
VerdictFowler's latest entry (after State Fair) in her long-running series is topically fresh and relevant, and her focus on PTSD will resonate with today's younger veterans who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. This entry can easily be read as a stand-alone, but many will be captivated by the author's ability to fold in history and current events with her quilt-based stories. A real gem that has far-reaching appeal for military families, genealogists, and quilters alike.—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Fairfield, CA
Gibson, Rachel. Any Man of Mine.Avon. May 2011. ISBN 9780061579110. pap. $7.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Among the guests at her latest event, wedding planner Autumn Haven isn't thrilled to find Seattle Chinooks hockey team player Sam LeClaire, her ex-husband and the father of her five-year-old son, Conner. Seeing in the flesh the man she married five years ago in Las Vegas brings back the pain and the anger she had finally managed to tamp down. Sam also is forced to acknowledge that he hasn't been the most attentive dad. His decision to spend more time with Conner rattles Autumn, who suddenly feels those old tingly Las Vegas feelings for the golden-haired, blue-eyed charmer.
VerdictA stubborn heroine who doesn't want to risk another broken heart finds herself on thin ice with a hard-hitting and intimidating hockey star whose guilt over many things consumes him. With a small boy as catalyst, along with some undeniable heat, these two former lovers rediscover what brought them together in the first place but with the perspective and maturity to appreciate it. The latest Gibson title featuring the Chinooks (following True Love and Other Disasters and Nothing but Trouble) will appeal to readers who enjoy Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Chicago Stars books and contemporary romances with depth as well as sizzle.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
Hamilton, Steve. Misery Bay: An Alex McKnight Mystery.Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jun. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780312380434. $24.99. F
There are not many places as remote or as unique as Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and few authors capture it better than Hamilton (whose stand-alone The Lock Artist won this year's Edgar Award for Best Novel). It has been six years since his last Alex McKnight novel (A Stolen Season), and eager fans won't be disappointed. McKnight, a former Detroit cop who retreated to the tiny town of Paradise after being shot and severely wounded by a psychopath who killed his partner, is now approached for assistance by Roy Maven, the police chief of Sault Ste. Marie. Maven's old friend, U.S. Marshal Razniewski, has been shattered by the death of his only son, who hung himself from a tree out at Misery Bay. The marshal won't rest until the reasons for his suicide are uncovered, and Alex reluctantly agrees to investigate. When Razniewski is murdered, McKnight finds an unlikely partner in Chief Maven.
VerdictA tightly woven plot and a sense of urgency create a suspenseful mystery that keeps the reader fully engaged from start to finish. A perfect fit for regional mystery fans and those who like their mysteries fast-paced and gritty. Strongly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 1/21/11; library marketing.]—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI
Hilderbrand, Elin. Silver Girl.Reagan Arthur: Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. c.416p. ISBN 9780316099660. $26.99. F
Shades of Bernie Madoff: Meredith Delinn's husband, Freddy, is nabbed by the Feds for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, bankrupting investors out of billions. Meredith, under investigation herself, flees New York for Nantucket and the comfort of her closest friend, Connie. Connie has her own troubles, still reeling from her husband's untimely death from cancer. As the two previously estranged women repair their friendship, they attempt to move forward with their lives—Connie meets a handsome local contractor; Meredith tries her best to assist the authorities and save her adult sons and herself, even though someone on the island knows she's hiding out and is harassing her. Things get complicated when Connie's older brother, Meredith's high school sweetheart, shows up for the summer.
VerdictHilderbrand, a Nantucket native, has an insider's knack for making the reader feel like a neighbor on the island. She also creates very real, very human characters whom fans of multilayered women's fiction will adore. This is beach reading at its best. [See Prepub Alert, 1/15/11.]—Rebecca Vnuk, Forest Park, IL
Kane, Andrea. The Girl Who Disappeared Twice.Mira: Harlequin. Jun. 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780778329848. $24.95. F
When Judge Hope Willis's daughter, Krissy, is kidnapped, it stirs up the past trauma of the kidnapping of Hope's twin sister, Felicity, when they were six years old. Felicity was never found, and the thought that this crime could happen a second time devastates Hope. Despite her husband's opposition, Hope calls in a private investigative team, Forensic Insights, led by Casey Woods, a skilled profiler who chooses to work outside the margins of the law. This leads to conflict with Casey's boyfriend, who heads the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, also working the case. Kane, a prolific author of historical romance and romantic suspense (Drawn in Blood), has delivered another page-turner and seems to be setting the stage for a new series.
VerdictThis well-written tale of romantic suspense, with its strong characters, will appeal to fans of Iris Johansen, Linda Howard, and Joy Fielding.—Beth Blakesley, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
MacManus, James. The Language of the Sea.Thomas Dunne: St. Martin's. May 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780312648473. $24.99. F
This debut novel by a British journalist (Ocean Devil: The Life and Legend of George Hogg) is a stunning blend of storytelling, environmental commentary, and refined character development. Marine biologist Leo Kemp's life is falling apart. After losing his teaching position because of his unpopular views, he goes on one final field trip with his students to record the communication of seals. During a freak storm, Kemp is thrown overboard and finds himself stranded with the seals. His quest to survive and return home offers a lyrical and unsettling glimpse of the sea, nature, and the transformation of a human soul. Back on Cape Cod, his wife, daughter, and friends wander the shore waiting for the sea to spit out Kemp's body. Capturing the essence of a New England summer, this novel takes readers to the edge of reason and science, into a hinterland of human discovery and understanding: that science is as uncertain and confused as the human heart. Kemp and his troubled family are cast in a realistic narrative that is carried off on the waves of a mystical transformation.
VerdictLike Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, this novel ponders the ecological balance we share with the sea and how we have repeatedly violated this resource without really understanding the ramifications.—Ron Samul, New London, CT
Quinn, Tara Taylor. It Happened on Maple Street.HCI. (True Vows). 2011. 286p. ISBN 9780757315688. pap. $13.95. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Naïve, sheltered, and bookish Tara Gumser is a smalltown Ohio "good girl" with one enduring dream—to write for Harlequin—until she meets Tim Barney in a college geology class and adds another dream to her list. But life has other, far less pleasant plans for Tara, although she soon succeeds at carving out a stellar professional career. It isn't until decades later, when an out-of-the-blue email from Tim reunites them, that the cruel betrayal and emotional devastation of Tara's past are finally laid to rest, and she and Tim are given another chance at love. Told from alternating viewpoints (Tara's and Tim's), this introspective, soul-searing story takes its protagonists on a turbulent journey from angst-ridden teenage insecurity and painful self-doubt to adult understanding and acceptance and leaves them stronger, more resilient, and more sure of their love.
VerdictPoignant and brutally hard-hitting but shimmering with joy and newfound hope, this autobiographical reality-based romance by popular Harlequin author Quinn is a noticeable departure from her current suspenseful thrillers but is a compelling page-turner in its own right. Arizona-based Quinn (The Fourth Victim) is "married to her own Harlequin Hero. Finally."—Kristin Ramsdell, Librarian Emerita, California State Univ., East Bay
NONFICTION
Bae Yong Joon. A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty.Hollym. 2011. 432p. tr. by Korean by Sora Kim-Russell. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 9781565913073. pap. $44.50. TRAV
Bae, a well-known Korean television actor, organizes his dreamy account of ancient and modern Korea into six sections: "Staying," "Leaving," "Letting Go," "Contemplating," "Returning," and "Leaving, Once Again." The main themes include food, clothing, arts and crafts, living, and travel. Bae discusses the pleasures of home cooking and restaurant meals, health benefits of kimchi, brewing rice-based alcohol, and making and drinking tea. He writes, "I think that one person drinking tea can achieve meditation; two people, communication; three, shared sympathy; and four, harmony." This work is beautifully illustrated with color photographs, art reproductions, and maps. Several photographs illustrate various step-by-step processes, including the use of safflower blossoms to dye fabrics, the art of making pottery, and the intricacies of lacquering. Bae also sprinkles prose poetry and recipes throughout.
VerdictThis book functions more as a cultural immersion guide than a travelog, but it includes contact information and addresses for the places visited. Highly recommended.-Elizabeth Connor, The Citadel, Military Coll. of South Carolina Lib., Charleston
Chile & Easter Island. DK Eyewitness Travel. 2011. 352p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 9780756669515. pap. $25. TRAV
As with other titles in the "Eyewitness Travel" series, this guide is packed with all the information you would expect from a travel guide, but numerous photos, illustrations, and extremely detailed maps, including cutaway views of major sites, make this guide stand out from the other big names in travel publishing. With this additional content, it is easier to decide which sites to visit and what to expect when you arrive. The book also includes a detailed section on Santiago in addition to Chile's other regions and islands, including majestic Easter Island and Patagonia.
VerdictThe beautiful images will inspire travel lust and are extremely useful in planning trips. The only downside is that the lodging and restaurant listings are separated from the sections on the towns they are in, making it slightly more difficult to use.—Sheila Kasperek, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.
Fate, Tom Montgomery. Cabin Fever: A Suburban Father's Search for the Wild.Beacon, dist. by Random. Jun. 2011. c.224p. illus. ISBN 9780807000960. $24.95. NAT HIST
Imagine if Thoreau had written his masterpiece, Walden, not hiding out in a cabin in the woods but living in the suburbs with a wife, three kids, and a full-time job. Fate (Steady & Trembling: Art, Faith & Family in an Uncertain World) explores this scenario in a collection of essays inspired by Thoreau's quest for a "deliberate life." For Fate, "deliberate" living means achieving balance in mind, body, and spirit through unity with nature, and this memoir recounts his diverse attempts to find a deeper connection with the natural world. Whether Fate is pondering the emotional life of birds (while sitting in a tree) or mulling over the spiritual significance of wind, his work possesses a refreshing sense of adventure in which he constructs himself as a fellow seeker instead of a guru. At their best, Fate's essays feel like poetry and prayer, delineating the overlap between imperfection and transcendence.
VerdictVia these sublime essays, Fate takes readers on an inward journey of discovery. A leisurely and meditative read sure to inspire truth seekers of all types; essential for Thoreau fans.—Kelsy Peterson, Prairie Village, KS
Graphic USA: An Alternative Guide to 25 US Cities.Cicada, dist. by D.A.P. 2011. 272p. ed. by Ziggy Hanaor. illus. ISBN 9780956205322. pap. $30. TRAV
In his follow-up to Graphic Europe, Hanaor offers unique travel advice to major and not-so-major American cities from resident graphic designers. As well as the usual locales—Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and Washington, DC—the guide shares glimpses of Charleston, SC; Detroit; New Orleans; and Milwaukee. Each illustrated chapter is preceded by an essay introducing the city and its appeal and features advice from the illustrator on lodging, dining, culture, things to do, and where to shop. The guide takes visitors to flea markets in Kansas City, MO, bicycle paths in Minneapolis, and vegan cuisine in Philadelphia.
VerdictYou will want this guide when you find yourself in a city and are wishing you had some really cool friends who could take you to places that tourists don't know about. Recommended for all travelers and conference-goers as well as arty browsers.—Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ. Lib., Rindge, NH
Leonard, Sugar Ray with Michael Arkush. The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring.Viking. Jun. 2011. c.314p. index. ISBN 9780670022724. $26.95. SPORTS
Innumerable athletes are masters at hitting 100 mph fastballs or throwing left hooks that would floor a rhino but fare badly when they shed their gear and are confronted with something much more difficult—life. So it was with boxing champ Leonard, winner of a 1976 Olympic gold medal and of world championships in five weight divisions. He was considered the successor to Muhammad Ali as the charismatic face of his sport. Much of The Big Fight is a standard sports autobiography, cataloging Leonard's early years and his big matches, but he breaks with tradition in his "out of the ring" disclosures. He introduces us to the man behind the lightning-fast hands and feet and radiant smile. Insecure and hurting from childhood psychic injuries, he was an alcoholic, cocaine abuser, and serial womanizer who failed as both husband and father. Now retired, substance free, and remarried, he relates what it was like to stand with one leg on the mountaintop and the other in the deepest valley.
VerdictOrdinary in many ways, but a must, and possibly a cautionary tale, for boxing fans. [See Prepub Alert, 12/13/10.]—Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL
McKenna, Clodagh. Homemade: Irresistible Homemade Recipes for Every Occasion.Kyle: Kyle Cathie, dist. by National Bk. Network. May 2011. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781906868468. $24.95. COOKING
Irish chef McKenna (The Irish Farmers' Market Cookbook) introduces this book as a "kitchen companion" for readers looking to emulate her cooking, homemaking, and entertaining styles. In three main sections ("Simple Everyday," "Food for Family and Friends," "The Divine Dinner Party"), recipes and tips are grouped by occasion as in Lulu Powers Food to Flowers. The recipes, which include appetizers, condiments, cocktails, meals, and desserts, are mostly rustic, rich, and traditional. McKenna's book also features beautiful photographs and a unique design, with patterned backgrounds and images of fabric, ruled notebook paper, and masking tape for a scrapbooklike feel; this highly decorative layout often makes the text and recipes difficult to read.
VerdictWhile visually stunning, this book lacks organization and variety. The preserving chapter does not account for proper food safety and should be used with caution. Recommended only for entertainers looking to add cultural and visual diversity to their collections.—Lisa Campbell, Univ. of Alabama Lib., Tuscaloosa
Powell, Robert (text) & Albert Lim K.S. (photogs.). The New Indonesian House. Tuttle. 2011. 240p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780804841436. $49.95. ARCHITECTURE
Not one but 27 stylish homes by young architects from the past 20 years are featured here, spectacularly fusing cultural identity with modernism. Architect-author Powell has numerous writings on Southeast Asian contemporary architecture to his credit, and this book is very similar in design to his Singapore Houses. His informative, easy-to-read manner is a step up from coffee-table conversation and is accompanied by simple floor plans, plus hundreds of exceptional full-color images by architectural photographer Lim K.S. The introduction spotlights Indonesian history and how these trendy architects responded to myriad influences: national, global, and balancing natural or human-made elements while respecting vegetation, customs, and public and private space. An inspiring entry is Rumah Botol, which tastefully reuses 30,000 brown Red Bull bottles to grace 60 percent of the façade. All the designs are lush and inviting, so readers will want to visit these high-lifestyle island and urban dwellings to experience their aesthetics fully.
Verdict Featuring an attractive layout, documentation, and a directory to facilitate research, these "enviable dwellings" and Powell's passionate discussion of their creative process will entice students, home builders, designers, and architects to learn more.—Marianne Laino Sade, Maryland Inst. Coll. of Art Lib., Baltimore
Riccardi, Ricky. What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years.Pantheon. Jun. 2011. c.400p. index. ISBN 9780307378446. $28.95. MUSIC
From the late 1940s until Louis Armstrong's death in 1971 and into the 1990s, jazz critics, historians and scholars, black intellectuals, and members of the black community charged the trumpeter-vocalist-bandleader with being an Uncle Tom and more of an entertainer than a jazz musician, perpetuating stereotypes of American blacks, and playing the same songs and "improvised" solos every night. Riccardi examines Armstrong's career and disproves many of the early assessments of his work and life. Particularly interesting is the author's focus on the complex relationship between Armstrong and his manager, Joe Glaser, as well as the racial dynamics of Armstrong's All-Stars and his role in the Civil Rights Movement.
VerdictRiccardi, as project archivist for the Louis Armstrong House Museum, had access to unpublished documents and recordings of interviews and performances, and in this well-researched, in-depth analysis of Armstrong and his work, he reveals a musician more complex than the figure so routinely dismissed before. With appeal for fans of jazz and Armstrong, this book also raises important questions about how earlier critics and historians went about their work.—James E. Perone, Univ. of Mount Union, Alliance, OH
Wignall, Judita (text) & Matt Wignall (photogs.). Going Raw: Everything You Need To Start Your Own Raw Food Diet & Lifestyle Revolution at Home.Quarry: Quayside. May 2011. 192p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781592536856. pap. $24.99 with DVD. COOKING
Raw food chef Judita Wignall wants to show everyone how easy, delicious, and healthful a raw food lifestyle can be. Her first cookbook includes a variety of recipes, from quick smoothies, soups, and salads to more involved dishes that require longer preparation and dehydrating times, such as Berries and Cream Crepes and Coconut-Curry Samosas with Plum Chutney. What sets this book apart is the emphasis on instruction; color photographs demystify important raw food kitchen tools and appliances; techniques for prepping produce and sprouting grains, nuts, and seeds; and the various steps needed to complete some recipes. The book includes a helpful DVD of demonstrations and is rounded out with general raw food lifestyle advice, nutrition notes, ingredient substitution suggestions, and recipe preparation times.
VerdictMany new raw foodists will appreciate the extra kitchen guidance and approachable style, while the more experienced will enjoy Wignall's advanced recipes. Recommended for any raw food cookbook collection.—Jude Baldwin, Fairbanks North Star Borough P.L., AK
