Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, May 20, 2011
May 19, 2011Week ending May 20, 2011
FICTION
D'Alessandro, Jacquie. Summer at Seaside Cove.Berkley Sensation: Penguin Group (USA). May 2011. 340p. ISBN 9780425241493. pap. $7.99. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
North Carolina's barrier island of Seaside Cove seemed like the perfect escape to Jamie Newman, chiefly for its 700-mile distance from her New York City family-owned restaurant and its requisite family members. But the rundown cottage bearing a plaque reading Paradise Lost looks nothing like its charmingly described website counterpart. The owner, Nick Trent, lives next door, and Jamie is about to demand a refund when that incredibly yummy hottie apologizes for the misleading Internet pictures and promises to make repairs. Suddenly, Jamie envisions a reprieve from familial angst and betrayal in the arms of this green-eyed god. However, her summer fantasy doesn't include the arrival of her mother, with a few surprises; her teen-aged niece; or her traitorous half-sister. And, of course, Nick has secrets of his own.
VerdictIn this first of the Seaside Cove titles, D'Alessandro (Tempted at Midnight) brings a dysfunctional family together in a small dwelling and lets them have at it. Jamie eventually confronts the old hurts while wondering if the guy next door is the guy for her. Lighthearted prose and witty banter lose their luster at times beside the too cutesy take on feelings (one "heart owie" should suffice). Still, the protagonists are appealing, and readers will envy everyone who gets to rub the belly of Godiva the chocolate lab. A sexy tale for larger romance collections.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
de la Cruz, Melissa. Witches of East End.Hyperion. Jun. 2011. c.288p. ISBN 9781401323905. $23.99. F
Fans of de la Cruz's YA "Blue Bloods" series about a group of Manhattan vampires will be enchanted with the author's move into the adult market with this series launch that promises delight and surprise and some appearances by familiar faces. Settled in the quiet town of North Hampton, NY, three outcast witches gently begin working magic again for the first time in centuries: a little something extra in a cocktail, a small knot to carry in a pocket. Joanna Beauchamp and her daughters, Freya and Ingrid, begin taking small steps to help their neighbors and friends. Suffering from the restrictions that had banned them from their craft for so long, the women revel in the return of their powers. But when a strange evil comes in with the tide, they will have to combine their most powerful magic to keep their world from being torn apart.
VerdictRich with archetypes, powerful gods, and strong women, this great summer read will leave you eager for the next installment! [Promotion and giveaways at BookExpo America 2011 and the 2011 American Library Association conference in New Orleans.—Ed.]—Jennifer Anderson, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Corpus Christi
Duong, Uyen Nicole. Daughters of the River Huong.AmazonEncore. 2011. c.402p. ISBN 9781935597315. pap. $13.95. F
Spanning Vietnam's history from just prior to the French colonization in the mid-19th century through the 1990s, this beautifully written debut novel (the first in a trilogy) by an author who won Vietnam's National Honor Prize for Literature at age 16 and fled the fall of Saigon in 1975 follows four generations of Vietnamese women. There is Huyen Phi, a royal concubine in the sumptuous royal palace of the Violet City of Hue, her daughter, Ginseng, who participates in the Vietnamese Revolution, and great-granddaughter Simone, who becomes a refugee in the United States. The backdrop to their stories is a study of a country through revolutions and war. Along the way we learn about some of the lesser-known periods in Vietnamese history like the Kingdom of Champa in what is now known as central Vietnam.
VerdictThis originally self-published title is an excellent choice for readers who love Lisa See's novels or historical fiction that involves a cast of generations struggling and growing amidst major events. Coming in June 2011 is Mimi and Her Mirror and in August, Letters from Nam.—Lucy Roehrig, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Sandford, John. Buried Prey.Putnam. May 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9780399157387. $27.95. F
Sandford's 21st razor-sharp thriller once again features Lucas Davenport from Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension—this one, however, reveals Davenport's evolution from a young and reckless rookie cop to a respected investigator. After demolition workers discover two plastic-wrapped bodies buried under a concrete floor, Lucas arrives and recognizes the mummified bodies from an unsolved case he worked back in 1985. In a lengthy flashback, Lucas recalls the details—a power-hungry chief investigator eager to cast blame; anonymous 911 calls targeting a schizophrenic street guy accidently killed by the cops; and intriguing coincidences involving a scary John Fell. Yet Lucas knew investigators "messed up" by pinning the murder on the homeless man. Now, he's determined to buck the bureaucracy and find the perverted killer who's been murdering more women over the past 25 years. Lucas engages the assistance of former and current colleagues in a fast-paced search using today's technology to probe for the truth.
VerdictSandford fans as well as thriller buffs will appreciate the throbbing cadence of Sandford's prose and his crisp dialog. Highly recommended as an engrossing summer read. [See Prepub Alert, 11/1/10.]—Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA
Swierczynski, Duane. Fun & Games.Mulholland: Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. c.304p. ISBN 9780316133289. pap. $14.99. F
He's lost his luggage and his rental car, his cell won't work, and he's jumped from the roof of a house into animal crap. Welcome to Hollywood, Mr. Hardie! This is above all a Hollywood novel, opening with a car chase in the Hollywood hills and ending with the promise of two sequels (Hell and Gone, Oct.; Point and Shoot, Mar. 2012). In between comes a load of high-octane taut action fueled by paranoid fantasies. Ex-law enforcement official Charlie Hardie flees his upsetting Philadelphia past by acting as a professional house-sitter; all he has to do is show up, drink beer, and watch DVDs. Only not on this watch. He finds holed up in the house he is supposed to be guarding a starlet whose arrest record is longer than her list of credits. In addition, the house is under siege from a shadowy band of star whackers known as "The Accident People." Straight out of the fever dreams of Randy and Evi Quaid, this motley crew apparently targets Hollywood types, and the starlet is in their sights, with Hardie as collateral damage. Readers who like their action fast, brutal, and smart, as well as fans of the Die Hard franchise, will be eagerly awaiting the next installment.
VerdictHardly a household name except to noir aficionados, Swierczynski (sweer-ZIN-ski), the author of the Edgar-nominated Expiration Date, just might change that if the sequels equal this title's frenetic pace.—Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO
NONFICTION
Craughwell, Thomas J. Presidential Payola: The True Stories of Monetary Scandals in the Oval Office That Robbed Taxpayers To Grease Palms, Stuff Pockets, and Pay for Undue Influence from Teapot Dome to Halliburton.Fair Winds: Quayside. 2011. 240p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781592334513. pap. $19.99. HIST
The cataloging-in-publication for this book assigns the subheading "anecdotes" to its subject headings—and that's spot-on. The sensationalist title is inaccurate, at best. Such episodes as Teapot Dome are familiar, others less so. Many of Craughwell's (Failures of the Presidents) "scandals" don't involve money (which "payola" surely implies) and often don't even involve the President—except in the sense that the President should be responsible for what goes on in his administration. One chapter is about events that happened before the President was in office: e.g., JFK buying votes in the West Virginia primary. One interesting chapter discusses the connections between Robert Vesco and the Watergate scandal. Readers seriously interested in presidential history will find this gossipy and familiar and be annoyed by the mistakes (e.g., that Nixon told the press that they wouldn't have him to kick around anymore after his resignation, when, in fact, he said that after losing the presidency to Kennedy).
VerdictNicely illustrated, but this is not altogether reliable history. Best as light reading that may encourage some new history buffs to look into deeper volumes.—Michael O. Eshleman, Attorney-at-Law, Kings Mills, OH
Glover, Stephen "Steve-O" with David Peisner. Professional Idiot: A Memoir.Hyperion. Jun. 2011. c.336p. ISBN 9781401324339. $25.99. TV
Jackass TV star Steve-O is embarrassed by his actions—not stapling his scrotum to his leg or his other notorious stunts but those resulting from his drug addiction, which pushed away friends and family. He opens his memoir with a 1996 prison stay (the first of many), then takes us through his globe-trotting childhood as he and his sister cover for an alcoholic mother while their CEO father is away on business. Eventually the class clown ends up in clown college, but Steve-O's true passion is concocting and filming elaborate stunts. Skateboard tricks give way to self-immolation and other life-threatening feats, and Steve-O's videos grab the attention of the creators of Jackass. Yet as he realizes his professional ambitions, he succumbs to a flood of narcotics.
VerdictDespite his rampant drug use, Steve-O offers a lucid and candid account of his life, concluding with a Dr. Drew–enabled institutionalization and his subsequent sobriety. With last year's successful Jackass 3D motion picture and a busy touring schedule, Steve-O is still in the spotlight, and this will be popular with his fans.—Terry Bosky, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., West Palm Beach, FL
Johnson, Brian. Rockers and Rollers: A Full-Throttle Memoir.It: HarperCollins. Jun. 2011. c.224p. photogs. ISBN 9780061990830. $24.99. MUSIC
At first glance, this book may seem the perfect combination of subjects—a memoir of AC/DC's loud and exuberant lead singer, Johnson, and his life's passion, automobiles. In dozens of short chapters (under three pages each for the most part), Johnson gives readers snippets of his exploits involving cars, from his youth in postwar Tyneside, UK, through his modern-day exploits as a weekend racer, and his vibrant personality comes through. The tales are tall, occasionally funny, and laced with extraordinarily colorful language. But these are the only positive things the book has going for it. The short chapters don't provide enough details about Johnson's life, the cars, or the bands in which he sang. Additionally, if one does not pay close attention, one may not even realize he is in one of the biggest rock bands of all time.
VerdictThis book could have been great as a "full-throttle" memoir of Johnson's life, with details about his cars and the band, but as is it is recommended to only the most die-hard AC/DC fan.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL
Kissinger, Henry. On China.Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). 2011. 586p. illus. index. ISBN 9781594202711. $36. INT AFFAIRS
Kissinger, at the age of 88, presents a beguiling, penetrating, and indispensable survey of China's classical and modern relations with the world. It is not perfect. Specialists will fault the premodern chapters for accepting the myth of China's Middle Kingdom complex and disagree with particular points in later chapters. Still, the story of relations since the 1950s is at once full of insights into the leaders and their psychologies, epic in its sweep, and challenging in its underlying argument on the nature of diplomacy. Critics charge that Kissinger's realpolitik subordinated morality to great power hegemony and stability, but the narrative aims to show that America's foundational principles of freedom and human rights are not advanced by unilateral declarations and ritualistic denunciation. Because Chinese leaders have long since ceased to spread their ideology and perceive Americans as hypocritical in seeking to impose theirs, to hector China is to ignore genuine popular hypersensitivity to imperialism, undermine projects of mutual benefit, and discredit leaders who seek a "peaceful rise" as being in China's national interest.
VerdictEssential for everyone with an interest in China. [See Prepub Alert, 11/29/10.]—Charles W. Hayford, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL
Lyons, Jeffrey. Stories My Father Told Me: Notes from "The Lyons Den."Abbeville. Jun. 2011. c.336p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780789211026. $35. COMM
Leonard Lyons, a columnist for the New York Post, knew seemingly everyone who was anyone in the 1930s through the 1960s. Actors, composers, athletes, writers, politicians, scientists, artists—if worth hobnobbing with and writing about, then they made it into "The Lyons Den." His son and movie and theater critic Jeffrey Lyons has collected some of his father's reminiscences, organized alphabetically by decade, and mixed them with his own memories of his father and his extraordinary childhood. What emerges is an engrossing journey through the cultural nightlife of a lost Manhattan of swanky, smoke-filled nightclubs and exclusive eateries, theater openings, and film premieres.
VerdictThis is a fun read filled with tales of some of the 20th century's biggest luminaries. It will make a popular addition to any public library shelf, appealing to pop culture fans of all ages.—Teri Shiel, Westfield State Univ. Lib., MA
Montville, Leigh. Evel: The High-Flying Life of Evel Knievel; American Showman, Daredevil, and Legend.Doubleday. 2011. 336p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780385527453. $26.95. SPORTS
The name Evel Knievel is splashed large across the cultural fabric of the 1970s. He coupled daredevil feats of motorcycle jumping with keen instincts for self-promotion and showmanship to become an American icon. He was frequently seen on network television, was the subject of a movie, and had a very successful toy named after him. He basked in the limelight and wealth, but his career nose-dived following a failed jump across Idaho's Snake River Canyon, then skidded to a halt when he assaulted a former publicist with a baseball bat. After jail time for the incident, Knievel was broke and was never able to resurrect his career or popularity. The prolific Montville (The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth) thoroughly develops both the story and the phenomenon of Evel Knievel and in doing so shows him to have been egomaniacal, arrogant, impulsive, selfish, and a womanizer who regularly cheated on his wife. Montville's account is highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and written in a fluid, expressive style.
VerdictThis is a very readable narrative of a larger-than-life daredevil who personified much of 1970s Americana. Highly recommended for readers of popular culture and biography. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/10.]—David Van de Streek, Penn State Univ. Libs. York
Mould, Bob with Michael Azerrad. See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody.Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. c.416p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780316045087. $24.99. MUSIC
Growing up gay in a small town, and with an alcoholic parent to boot, Mould found an outlet in the power of hard-core punk. Although Mould is best known as guitarist for the influential Minnesota-based trio Hüsker Dü, this is not the story of a band. He gives equal weight to his post-Hüsker solo career, the ups and downs of relationships, and battles with substance abuse and depression. Although the book is clearly and confidently written, a bit more editorial discipline would have gone a long way; Mould's matter-of-fact descriptions of gigs, recording sessions, touring life, and contract details tend to blur together, and an otherwise fascinating chapter on his time writing for WCW pro wrestling is cluttered with jargon.
VerdictMould's memoir feels longer than its 400 pages and not in a good way. However, it will still appeal to those interested in music industry memoirs, hard-core punk, and coming-out stories. Andrew Earles's recent Hüsker Dü received mixed reviews but may satisfy fans of the band.—Neil Derksen, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., Lawrenceville, GA
Neo-avant-garde and Postmodern: Postwar Architecture in Britain and Beyond.Yale Univ. 2010. c.420p. ed. by Mark Crinson & Claire Zimmerman. illus. index. ISBN 9780300166187. $65. ARCHITECTURE
This volume of almost 20 essays focuses on the embroilment of modern architecture within the culture of Great Britain from World War II in the 1940s to the Iraq War in the 2000s. It features closely knit studies of key designers and writers who are still interesting and influential, from Alison and Peter Smithson, Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and James Stirling to Charles Jencks and Reyner Banham. Their key conflicts are clearly contained in the title: between an avant-garde extension of modern architecture of the 1920s and a recalcitrant retreat toward traditional postmodernism. This conflict still spreads throughout developed and developing countries around the globe, from China to Dubai to Brazil and beyond. In effect, this book examines the rampant doubt about the authority of modernism itself, simply and clearly reflecting the duality of modernity. The book's authors are all esteemed scholars and authorities in America and Europe, primarily in architectural history; about a third of the illustrations are in color.
VerdictA good choice for advanced historiographers, historians, critics, and scholars of the past half century.—Peter Kaufman, formerly with Boston Architectural Coll.
Peebles, Stacey. Welcome to the Suck: Narrating the American Soldier's Experience in Iraq.Cornell Univ. 2011. c.200p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780801449468. $29.95. SOC SCI
Peebles (Lloyd International Honors Coll., Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro) illuminates the prose, poetry, and films exploring U.S. soldiers' experiences of the Gulf War and Iraq War, a body of work largely unmined thus far. Against the backdrop of changing societal norms and technological innovations, Gulf and Iraq soldiers themselves experienced their first taste of combat through popular film and music, e.g., Full Metal Jacket where the lines between good and bad in Vietnam are blurry and the patriotic purpose of war unclear. Shaped by popular culture, these men and women comprised an all-volunteer force in the Gulf and Iraq and many arrived in country already cynical about their war's outcome and motives. One of the most interesting aspects of recent U.S. conflicts has been how hazy the lines have become between combat and noncombat personnel, namely women. While their male counterparts struggle with identity, female soldiers feel compelled to prove their worth and shun their own femininity. Yet they still don't fit in with their male peers despite bearing many of the same dangers. Peebles sees this reflected in the works she studies.
VerdictThis excellent survey of the writing and film of the Iraq wars will likely leave readers hankering for more. They should seek out the works explored by Peebles, including memoirs, short stories, poetry, and film, as well as works from earlier wars for perspective. Highly recommended.—Patti C. McCall, Pratt Inst. Lib., Brooklyn, NY
Plympton, Bill & David B. Levy. Independently Animated: Bill Plympton.Universe: Rizzoli. 2011. 264p. illus. filmog. ISBN 9780789322098. $39.95. FILM
This is a detailed look at one of the finest independent animators of our generation, who was called "God" by Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Plympton and Levy (Your Career in Animation) well organize the work here, and it will catch the eyes of not only fans but casual readers. The layout is simply exquisite. Much like Plympton's own decision to avoid the mainstream animation industry, his book doesn't adhere to standards. His hand-drawn works shine on every page and tell the story, while the text acts as a supplement.
VerdictPlympton may not be a household name, but a strategically placed copy on library shelves will attract patrons to flip through this book. His fiercely independent streak is also worth noting; his refusal to give in to the offers of famous animation studios is inspiring, and he shows how honest and excellent work can pay off in the long run.—Justin Hoenke, Portland P.L., ME
Yot, Richard. Light for Visual Artists: Understanding & Using Light in Art & Design.Laurence King, dist. by Chronicle. 2011. 176p. illus. ISBN 9781856696609. pap. $29.95. ART INSTRUCTION
In this very useful book, illustrator Yot, who works with both traditional and digital media, ably guides readers through a fairly comprehensive review of light as it relates to the arts, ranging from graphic arts to photography. Divided into three broad parts titled Lighting Fundamentals, People & Environments, and Creative Lighting, the book covers basics such as light direction, natural light, shadows, reflection, and translucency to more abstract considerations such as mood and symbolism. The book includes a helpful glossary as well.
VerdictOne would be hard-pressed to find another book that covers such a broad topic in a single volume. Generously illustrated with lovely images and written in a clear, informative style, the manual includes many excellent examples. Anyone involved in the arts, from amateur photographers to professional designers, will appreciate this fine book; highly recommended.—Raymond Bial, First Light Photography, Urbana, IL
