Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, August 19, 2011
Aug 18, 2011Week ending August 19, 2011
E-Originals | Fiction | Nonfiction | Graphic Novels
E-ORIGINALS
Alward, Donna. Off the Clock. Samhain. (First Responders, Bk. 1). Oct. 2011. 207p. eISBN 9781609285708. EPUB $3.50. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Guilt and misunderstandings create dramatic tension in this novella that launches Canadian author Alward's "First Responders" series. Set near Halifax, NS, the story focuses on Gabe Brennan, a former scholarship football player who was a bystander when his teammate and friend Brandon overdosed at a college party. Now a paramedic, Gabe witnesses a hit-and-run accident that injures Brandon's newly divorced and pregnant sister, Carly. Family secrets are revealed and tender love builds as Carly adjusts to being a single mother and her blossoming relationship with Gabe.
Verdict A satisfying read combining all the right measures of apprehension and reconciliation. Alward (A Family for the Rugged Rancher) is the author of more than 15 romance novels.—Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL
Arend, Vivian. Black Gold. Samhain. (Takhini Wolves, Bk. 1). Sept. 2011. c.171p. eISBN 9781609285258. EPUB $5.50. PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Gemmita "Gem" Jacobs, a sheltered young werewolf from Southern high society, finally ventures out on her own, away from the grip of her overprotective father. Her nicely planned excuse is a caribou research project all the way in Whitehorse, Yukon. She hopes to find herself, but instead she finds a ruggedly handsome yet unrefined pilot and fellow werewolf named Shaun Stevens. Without warning, they are thrust into each other by their basic mating impulses. Shaun goes off with Gem into the wilderness, determined to keep her safe. Yet while romping around, they encounter shifters, a deeper connection, and more than they bargained for.
Verdict The intense sexual encounters between Gem and Shaun, paired with the thickness in the air of an always lingering fight, are sure to keep the pages turning. Readers who find novels like Kerrelyn Sparks's The Vampire and the Virgin appealing will surely enjoy taking a bite out of this first title in the "Takhini Wolves" series. Arend's (Breaking Waves) latest is a steamy weekend escape from reality.—Leslie Jean Cerkoney, Elk Grove Village, IL
Banks, Maya. Long Road Home. Samhain. Aug. 2011. 369Kb. eISBN 9781609283001. EPUB $5.50. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Samhain previously published this work of Banks's (Sweet Possession), with the same title, in 2007 under her pseudonym, Sharon Long. For this edition, the book has been reedited and parts rewritten. Jules Trehan returns to the United States after having been forced to become an assassin for a terrorist group. Upon her arrival, her mother and father are killed to keep her in line. Manny Ramirez has been looking for Jules since she disappeared three years ago. They grew up together and developed unspoken feelings for each other. Jules is in trouble, and Manny wants to help. But can she trust him, can he trust her, and who is trying to kill them?
Verdict This title from popular erotic romance author Banks veers more toward romantic suspense, although it does contain brief sections of graphic sex. The character development is solid, although the plot is perhaps a bit predictable. Though this reviewer identified the "bad guys" relatively early on, the story still holds reader interest. For those who like a little sex with their suspense.—Susan Hayes, Chattahoochee Valley Lib., Columbus, GA
FICTION
Barry, Sebastian. On Canaan's Side. Viking. Sept. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780670022922. $25.95. F
The follow-up to Barry's extraordinary The Secret Scripture, this novel is the lyrical first-person account of Lilly Bere's extraordinary life. A Wicklow girl prodded through life by a series of tragedies, Lilly relates her story at the end of her days from the relative comfort of a seaside cottage in the Hamptons. Her many escapes from harm and even death are counterbalanced by the almost epic grandeur of the love she has shared throughout her existence. Barry suggests that even the perpetual grind of violence and war cannot unsettle Lilly's love, though the tragic passing of her beloved grandson, Bill, upends her equilibrium.
Verdict Barry's prose is characteristically musical throughout and sometimes seems at odds with the dissonant events and discoveries that subtly drone throughout Lilly's story. Still, this novel masterfully treats great human subjects, identity, love, war, and death among them. Barry brilliantly conveys how Lilly endures because of her love for others and how inevitable her own end must be when those she loves have passed away. Readers of Roddy Doyle's The Last Roundup trilogy will savor On Canaan's Side. [See Prepub Alert, 3/23/11.]—John G. Matthews, Washington State Univ. Libs., Pullman
Browne, Robert. The Paradise Prophecy. Dutton. 2011. c.416p. ISBN 9780525952237. $25.95. F
An internationally adored Christian pop star, Gabriela Zuada has been found burned to death in Brazil. Sent in to investigate is U.S government agent Bernadette Callahan. Since Gabriela's death could possibly be related to the occult, a religious history expert is requested. On the edge of ruin after his wife's death, Sebastian "Batty" LaLaurie, religious scholar extraordinaire, finds himself helping Bernadette in a race to save humanity. The four fallen angels have been attacking humankind for centuries in their quest to release Satan from Hell and build their own version of paradise on Earth. With civil and political unrest, the fallen economy, and desperate situations worldwide, conditions to fulfill their plan have never been so ripe. Only the archangel Michael dares to help the human race fight against the evil. Lying within the pages of John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost, is the key to salvation, and Batty must decipher it or all will be lost.
Verdict Screenwriter Browne's taut apocalyptic thriller combines the scholarly with the fantastical to create an absorbing tale of good and evil. [See Prepub Alert, 1/3/11.]—Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV
Douglas, Lawrence. The Vices. Other. Aug. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9781590514153. pap. $15.95. F
In the genre of murder mysteries, the detective often maintains a calculated distance from his subjects so as not to cloud judgment and to avoid emotional attachment. Here, Douglas (English, Amherst Coll.) displays the emotional complexity of becoming the detective in your best friend's disappearance. The book begins with the disappearance of Oliver Vice, a philosopher and colleague of the unnamed narrator at Harkness College. On a quest to uncover the truth about his friend, the narrator recalls the evolution of their friendship and the emerging details of Oliver's life. One of the book's pleasures is watching the narrator determinedly circumvent Oliver's obstructions of his past. Through a skillful portrayal of Oliver as a public intellectual with a penchant for philosophical discourse on the nature of being, Douglas elaborates on the inherent tensions that make up the contested borders of identity. Oliver's own projection of himself, the narrator discovers, is an intentional fabrication.
Verdict A quick read without the denouement twist, this mystery is deceptively philosophical and introspective.—Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH
Fenske, Tawna. Making Waves. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Aug. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781402257216. pap. $699. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
At 37, Juli Flynn is still afraid of the ocean, so she is less than thrilled to deliver her Uncle Frank's ashes to the waters outside the Caribbean island of St. John. Now under the effects of heavy-duty seasickness drugs, Juli stumbles (literally) onto the wrong boat. The crew is a quartet of recently laid-off employees of a Key West shipping company. Having lost their pensions, they have devised a plan to help themselves to some of the owner's illegal cargo. As the informal leader, Alex Bradshaw doesn't know what to make of their stowaway. Juli convinces the coconspirators that she might be useful to their mission, even though she isn't really sure what it is. But Juli is the Guinness Book of World Records "world's smartest woman," and this adventure represents her chance to be one of the gang, to be normal. Unaware of Juli's insecurities and claim to fame, Alex only knows she's funny and sexy, and when she's around, he can't keep his mind on the mission.
Verdict Debut author Fenske's uproarious romantic caper takes a group of downsized coworkers and gives them a chance to prove their worth. The football player–turned–ship's cook will have readers rolling on the deck. Great fun from an inventive new writer; highly recommended for all libraries.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal
Florian, Filip. The Days of the King. Houghton Harcourt. Aug. 2011. c.224p. tr. from Romanian by Alistair Ian Blyth. ISBN 9780547388359. $22. F
Romania's Florian (Little Fingers) here goes back to 19th-century Bucharest, where bachelor dentist Joseph Strauss becomes embroiled in the political intrigues of the newly anointed prince of the United Principalities of Romania. Strauss follows the prince to the capital city, bringing just his dental tools and loyal tomcat Sigfried. A young Serbian nanny soon enters as love interest. Then things really get strange, mostly in the love letters that the cat scratches onto the backs of chairs in the waiting room. Meanwhile, a blind prostitute reappears bearing a child whose nose could only belong to the son of the new prince. The style here is similar to that found in Umberto Eco and Salman Rushdie's florid historical novels. Florian is unafraid of bawdiness or slapstick, but paragraphs can run for pages, and sentences may elude you by the time you've weaved through their commas and clauses. Still, the story is a rollicking joy.
Verdict The plot winds and careens, but readers who can keep pace will delight in Florian's storytelling.—Travis Fristoe, Alachua Cty. Lib. Dist., Gainesville, FL
Grey, Juliet. Becoming Marie Antoinette. Ballantine. Sept. 2011. c.480p. ISBN 9780345529860. pap. $15. F
Grey's first entry in a new trilogy devoted to the life of the ill-fated Marie Antoinette details the exacting training the young Austrian archduchess underwent to be deemed worthy of the French crown. The novel carries readers from Marie's childhood when her mother ruled the Hapsburg Empire with an iron thumb and demanded perfection from her children, to her arrival at Versailles and her struggle to survive the French court's backstabbing politics and sneering courtiers. Grey's extensive research into European royal history shines through her incorporation of complex politics with the beauty of French court life. Her sympathetic portrait reveals Marie Antoinette as the woman many historians feel her to have been: a young girl caught in an ancient and outdated political regime that was impossible to change.
Verdict A great read that is sure to be requested lovers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoyed Michelle Moran's Madame Tussaud and other novels about the French Revolution. [Library marketing.]—Audrey M. Jones, Arlington, VA
Jacobs, John Hornor. Southern Gods. Night Shade. Aug. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9781597802857. pap. $14.99. HORROR
The fiction of H.P. Lovecraft has inspired writers like Stephen King and spawned an entire subgenre known as Lovecraftian horror. This debut attempts to fuse the core elements of Lovecraft's style with the moody setting of a Southern gothic novel. The story, set in the early 1950s, follows hired tough Bull Ingram as he tracks a musician known as Ramblin' John Hastur from Memphis to rural Arkansas. Like many bluesmen, Hastur is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for supernatural musical talent. Except in this case, Hastur is something worse than the devil, and his songs drive those who hear them insane.
Verdict Jacobs shows a lot of promise, particularly when he sticks to the slow, subtle dread and menace that define both Southern gothic and Lovecraft. Unfortunately, this old-fashioned style is accented by intense scenes of excessive gore and violence that come off as jarring in this context. This discord makes the book hard to recommend for fans of either modern or classical horror, as the parts that appeal to one are likely to turn off the other.—Peter Petruski, Cumberland Cty. Lib., Carlisle, PA
Swann, Maxine. The Foreigners. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9781594488306. $25.95. F
American divorcée Daisy arrives in Buenos Aires, a city of contradictions-at once decadent and glamorous but also dark and seedy-on a waterworks grant in an attempt to fill her hollow existence. Daisy, the novel's narrator, befriends two women: Isolde, a beautiful but lonely Austrian with aspirations to the social elite, and Leonarda, a reckless and defiant Argentine. Each of these women experiences a renaissance while traversing the glorious gardens, decadent nightclubs, and flooded slums that make up the landscape of Buenos Aires. Daisy and Leonarda develop a volatile, complicated connection, while Isolde is drawn into a relationship with an unexpected lover. The city of Buenos Aires, overflowing with sexual energy and glittering appeal, comes to life in Swann's magnificent narrative.
Verdict Swann (Flower Children) lives in Buenos Aires, and her portrayal of the city as well as the three foreigners and their experiences is quite authentic. Fans of Swann's previous work will enjoy this captivating novel. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]-Lisa Block, Emory Univ., Atlanta
NONFICTIONFriedman, Thomas L. & Michael Mandelbaum. That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back. Farrar. Sept. 2011. c.288p. index. ISBN 9780374288907. $28. SOC SCI
Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Friedman (The World Is Flat) and Mandelbaum (Christian A. Herter Professor of American Foreign Policy, Johns Hopkins Sch. of Advanced International Studies; The Frugal Superpower) argue that the United States has been losing its importance on the world stage since the end of the Cold War because we have become complacent in a world that we, as a country, created. The authors take on the worrisome questions of why America is failing to meet the four major challenges it faces today—globalization, the IT revolution, out-of-control deficits and debt, and energy consumption and climate change—and what it can do to overcome them. They suggest that how the country deals with these challenges will be critical to America's future greatness, to the benefit of the entire world. Friedman and Mandelbaum are cautiously optimistic that the United States is up to the task but only if it is willing to do some urgent, serious, and difficult work.
Verdict This is a book of exceptional importance, written on a sweeping scale with remarkable clarity by two of our most gifted thinkers. A soon-to-be best seller, it should be read by policymakers and every American concerned about our country's future.—Elizabeth L. Winter, Georgia Inst. of Tech. Lib., Atlanta
Gates, Stefan (text) & Georgia Glynn Smith (photogs.). The Extraordinary Cookbook: How To Make Meals Your Friends Will Never Forget. Kyle: Kyle Cathie, dist. by National Bk. Network. Sept. 2011. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781906868406. $29.95. COOKING
Gates, winner of a Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Gastronaut: Adventures in Food for the Romantic, the Foolhardy and the Brave, is also the host of the BBC show Cooking in the Danger Zone. Making meals your friends will never forget seems to come naturally to Gates. Indeed, what friend could ever forget feasting on Chocolate-Roasted Spare Ribs or Golden Chicken, made with real gold leaf? Chapter 5, "Interactive Meals," begins with The Legendary Bum Sandwich, with cream cheese, thyme, arugula, and lemon; Gates advises applying four layers of plastic wrap before you sit on the sandwich for ten to 20 minutes to warm it to the right temperature and suggests wiggling for better distribution of heat. Don't have time for a lot of prep work but still want to impress guests? How about eating Indian takeout off of banana leaves? Or host a Crab and Hammer Party (don't forget the safety goggles).
Verdict In this extraordinary cookbook, Gates once again lives up to his reputation as a whimsical culinary magician.—Graciela Monday, San Antonio
Hersh, June. The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook. St. Martin's. Sept. 2011. c.208p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780312699420. $29.99. COOKING
Kosher meat "answers to a higher authority" as the slogan goes, and increasing numbers of people are choosing to go kosher, at least part-time, for reasons other than religious observance—health, concerns about the ethical raising and slaughtering of animals, or even just because they think the meat tastes better. This collection of over 100 recipes for beef, veal, lamb, poultry, and duck covers the bases from simple, quick meals to special occasions and includes sides, relishes, soups, and more. Hersh (Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival) infuses her delightful personality into every page, with clear instructions and lots of practical tips (e.g., what to ask the butcher, an overview of cuts and cooking methods) delivered with generous helpings of anecdotes and a warm, often punny sense of humor.
Verdict Don't have a friend, neighbor, or relative to walk you through meat-only kosher cooking? You're in luck—this thorough guide will instruct and entertain. Highly recommended.—Courtney Greene, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington
Linehan, Dan. Burt Rutan's Race to Space: The Magician of Mojave and His Flying Innovations. Zenith. 2011. c.160p. illus. index. ISBN 9780760338155. $30. SCI
For this and his previous book on "astropreneur" Rutan's SpaceShipOne, author Linehan was granted more access than many to Rutan and his closed shop, Scaled Composites (www.scaled.com), at the Mojave Air and Space Port—which lends authority (in addition to some of Rutan's own photographs) to the works. This visually stunning book, printed on high-gloss paper, is a successful combination of coffee-table biography and brief technical history. The story of Rutan's life is intertwined with the progress of his aircraft designs. Rutan's contributions to aviation since his days as an Edwards Air Force Base test pilot have had a huge impact, ranging from his Long-EZ kit plane for home builders to his globe-circling Voyager to his Ansari X Prize–winning SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 made the first privately funded spaceflight. The book concludes with a summary of the current Scaled Composites/Virgin Galactic project, SpaceShipTwo, aimed at commercial space rides.
Verdict Pilots will enjoy the detailed specs and discussions of Rutan's designs, and all teens and adults interested in aviation, adventure, and entrepreneurship should find the book delightful.—Sara Tompson, Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles
Lutz, Kim with Megan Hart. Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes. Sterling. Sept. 2011. 256p. index. ISBN 9781402771859. $17.95. COOKING
Cooking for those with special food needs can make the pantry feel like an obstacle course, and for parents faced with cooking for a group of children with any number of unknown restrictions, the problem can feel almost paralyzing. Thankfully, Lutz and Hart (The Everything Organic Cooking for Baby & Toddler Book) have created this collection. They re-create classic, kid-friendly recipes like lasagna, quesadillas, pizza, and cookies without animal products, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, or sesame. You might wonder what's left after clearing out so many basic ingredients, but Lutz and Hart present a creative collection of recipes for every occasion. Few of the recipes require special items, and many of them are easy and quick to prepare.
Verdict This is a thorough collection and a great introduction to cooking for those with food allergies, especially children.—Laura Krier, California Digital Lib., Oakland
Oppenheimer, Clive. Eruptions That Shook the World. Cambridge Univ. 2011. 507p. bibliog. ISBN 9780521641128. $25. NAT HIST
"Shaking the world" doesn't refer to the earthquakes that accompany volcanic eruptions but to the watershed moments in human history that massive volcanic eruptions have caused. Volcanoes can affect humans in many ways, triggering tsunamis, ash fallout, and sulfur dioxide gas emissions—one of the causes of global cooling. Using current research, Oppenheimer (volcanology, Univ. of Cambridge) pieces together our volcanic past by connecting major historic and prehistoric eruptions to the course of human civilization. In ancient El Salvador and Mexico, eruptions buried villages deeply in ash, leaving today's archaeologists a well-preserved window into these past societies. Combining archaeological and volcanic records, Oppenheimer shows that volcanoes in Africa's rift valleys likely prompted early humans' migration out of Africa. Especially interesting is the author's account, using primary sources, of the 1783–84 eruption of Iceland's Laki Volcano, a disaster that led to crop failures in Europe, colorful sunsets, and the continent's last great subsistence crisis.
Verdict A fascinating work that will engage not just volcano experts but also those with an interest in history, climatology, archaeology, and geochronology.—Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado, Denver
Short, Maria. Basics Creative Photography: Context and Narrative. AVA, dist. by Ingram. 2011. 184p. photogs. index. ISBN 9782940411405. pap. $34.50. ART INSTRUCTION
This compact volume is one of a series of practical texts for the undergraduate college student in the applied visual arts. It uses an attractive magazine-like layout with concise, often bulleted text and striking color photographs. The contents are easy to digest and get at important issues for the emerging professional: working to a brief, connecting with subject and audience, and considering story in relation to text. Each themed chapter is accompanied by creative exercises designed to help the student incorporate the concepts presented. Case studies that profile the work of a contemporary photographer, additional readings, and relevant websites are also included for each section.
Verdict Although more textbook than manual, this volume would be useful for arts instructors and their students.—Nancy B. Turner, Syracuse Univ. Lib., NY
Smith, Courtney E. Record Collecting for Girls: Unleashing Your Inner Music Nerd, One Album at a Time. Mariner: Houghton Harcourt. Sept. 2011. c.240p. ISBN 9780547502236. pap. $13.95. MUSIC
Part memoir and part rock history, this collection of essays about music and relationships by former MTV music programmer and manager of label relations Smith relates her experiences as an insider, consumer, and music lover. Themes include efforts to get more women musicians on rotation at MTV, the guilty pleasures of liking popular music (she loves the Pussycat Dolls), physical vs. virtual music collections, how to share music, how to evaluate people based on their musical tastes, using Internet tools to find new music, how songs play into the end of relationships, reasons to avoid dating obsessive fans of the Smiths, and rock stars.
Verdict This book is less about collecting records and more about how Smith has gotten to know herself and others through music; what shines through is her strong love of music and enthusiasm for sharing it. Reading this book will help prepare the uninitiated for conversations with hard-core music fans. [With tour; previewed in "Booked Solid," LJ 7/11.]—Lani Smith, Ohlone Coll. Lib., Fremont, CA
The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde. Yale Univ. (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art). 2011. 492p. ed. by Janet Bishop & others. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300169416. $75. FINE ARTS
This book accompanies a traveling exhibition on the art and collecting of the Stein family: brothers Leo and Michael Stein, sister and writer Gertrude, and Michael's wife, Sarah. As American expatriates living in Paris, the Steins did more to support avant-garde painting than any other collectors or institutions in the first decade of the 20th century. Their collections were at the cutting edge of the modern art movement, with Leo and Gertrude supporting Pablo Picasso's work and Sarah and Michael behind Henri Matisse. Their salons in Paris on the Rue de Fleurus and the Rue Madame became well-known gatherings, where on Saturday evenings familiar European and American artists, socialites, and mavens of high culture came to participate in and listen to discussions about the latest developments in contemporary art. After two introductory essays, the book covers specific topics concerning each of the siblings, for instance, Sarah and Michael Stein's special relationship with Matisse, their commission in the 1920s of a villa built by the architect Le Corbusier, and Gertrude's complex relationship with Picasso.
Verdict Although a very scholarly tome, including a complete catalog of all the art in the Steins' collection, this book is accessible and highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the birth of modern art.—Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Univ. Lib., MA
Stubbs, John. Reprobates: The Cavaliers of the English Civil War. Norton. Sept. 2011. c.576p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780393068801. $39.95. HIST
The English Civil War, fought in the 1640s, was a protracted struggle pitting the parliamentary army—the Roundheads—against supporters of the royalist cause—the Cavaliers. The results determined where power would lay in England, Scotland, and Ireland thereafter. Stubbs (John Donne: The Reformed Soul) weaves a narrative tale around these Cavaliers, moving readers away from the stereotypical vision of them in their feathered hats and showing their "depth and variety" across many years. They included the so-called Cavalier Poets and other supporters of the crown, from the refined to the degenerate, during much of the 17th century. Stubbs uses the perspectives of such men as Sir William Davenant, Sir John Suckling, and Robert Herrick within the context of historical details of the era, including the backstories about the monarch these men were defending. Stubbs uses the Cavaliers' own poetry and letters to good effect, bringing familiar (e.g., "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may") and less familiar lines into greater depth.
Verdict This well-researched and well-written volume will best serve the student of British history and literature who is focusing on this crucial era.—Elizabeth Nelson, UOP Lib., Des Plaines, IL
Tompkins, E.W., Jr. 101 Road Patrol Tales: Memoirs of a Chippie of the California Highway Patrol. Craven Street: Linden Pub.. 2011. c.196p. ISBN 9781610350006. pap. $16.95. CRIME
Retired California Highway Patrol (CHiP) officer Tompkins's "chasin' taillights" tales leave readers wanting more: it's hard to stop with just one. The 101 tales are each one- to three-page vignettes, from picnickers on the freeway median to all kinds of drunk driving to poignant tales of fatal accidents and loss. "Chippies" aren't just traffic enforcers, first responders, and rescuers, they are also clever problem solvers-whether helping an injured motorcyclist secure his crutches to his bike or suggesting a truck driver let the air out of his tires in order to extract his too-tall truck from under a too-short overpass. Some of the tales are explanatory (e.g., why they pull over motorists, how they deal with drunks); the final chapter offers advice to readers who find the red lights in their rearview mirror.
Verdict A fast, fun read. Should be of popular interest, especially for fans of the Darwin Awards series.—Karen Sandlin Silverman, Ctr. for Applied Research, Philadelphia
Tomsen, Peter. The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers. PublicAffairs: Perseus. 2011. c.896p. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 9781586487638. $40. HIST
This weighty narrative has a lot to say about the activities of Afghanistan's neighbors and the great powers that have become embroiled in Afghan affairs. Tomsen, a career diplomat who was special envoy to Afghanistan for the first President Bush, begins with a reasonably concise summary extending from Alexander the Great to the Soviet invasion in 1979. After that things get very complex, and very detailed, drawing on the author's State Department experiences, declassified Soviet documents, and personal contacts in the Afghan factions. He faults the Soviet Union, the United States, and Britain for not understanding Afghan tribal culture. Pakistan cynically armed the Mujahedin to trouble India and Russia. Iran is scored for interfering in religious and tribal conflicts and the Afghans for being consumed with blood feuds, honor, religion, and revenge to the detriment of economic or political development.
Verdict Highly detailed, this book may simply be confusing to lay readers but will be a major source for Afghan studies. Tomsen includes a very brief set of suggestions for the way ahead, which, while currently relevant, may seem dated in a few years.—Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, KS
Weston, Richard. 100 Ideas That Changed Architecture. Laurence King, dist. by Chronicle. Oct. 2011. 216p. illus. index. ISBN 9781856697323. pap. $29.95. ARCHITECTURE
This is the first volume of a new series on ideas that have changed different areas of art. Weston (architecture, Cardiff Univ.) has written extensively about 20th-century architecture (e.g., Key Buildings of the Twentieth Century, 2d ed.). Featuring 100 concise essays with illustrations, Weston here covers the basic concepts, movements, and techniques of architecture. Neither theory-heavy nor comprehensive, the volume mentions mostly European buildings. While each essay stands on its own, many refer to others-for example, "Air Conditioning" offers a historical background for the technology, then explains its mixed impact on the design of large edifices. The main illustration is the skyline of Dubai seen from the desert.
Verdict Somewhere between specialized dictionary and encyclopedia, this book is too large to be a field guide. Its glossary and quality illustrations make it a useful reference for art and architecture students.—David R. Conn, formerly with Surrey P.L., BC
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Cilla, Chris C. The Heavy Hand. Sparkplug. 2011. 95p. ISBN 9780979746581. pap. $14. F
Alvin Crabshack's world is full of dead-end relationships (marked by full-frame male/female nudity) and copious amounts of drug use that keep him from amounting to much of anything. That is until Alvin embarks on a suspect and potentially dangerous adventure: he hires himself out to dueling Biologists. What might be growing out of the subterranean labs could threaten the world, but Alvin falls into a drug party before the story resolves itself neatly.
Verdict Marrying the profoundly mundane boredom of the go-nowhere life of a typical loser to the conspiracy of weirdos and mad scientists, The Heavy Hand starts out brilliantly but loses some steam as the story devolves. Cilla's art is a stylized parody, which marks him as a direct heir to the Haight-Ashbury-fueled psychedelic underground comics of the late 1960s. As long as the reader is set to enjoy the ride, The Heavy Hand delivers upon its bizarre promises.—John Piche, MLS, San Francisco
Doble, Justin & Others (text) & Federico Dallocchio & Others (illus.). Fringe: Tales from the Fringe. DC. 2011. c.144p. illus. ISBN 9781401230029. pap. $14.99. F
Based on the Fox/J.J. Abrams series, this is a paranormal science serial that blends X-Files-style investigation with Outer Limits/Tales from the Crypt sf horror. In the full-color comic, snippets from the characters' pasts are revealed: Peter Bishop fails to fulfill a personal mission while trying to land a job in Iraq; Olivia Dunham is sabotaged in a training simulation; and Phillip Broyles sacrifices his family to protect the world. Other chapters are characterized by trademark Fringe-style freakiness, featuring monsters, time-stealing, zombies, and prosthetics. Even Gene the cow has a harrowing late-night adventure in the lab. Though most of the art is done in typical action-comic style, beautifully rendered, the graphic novel also includes a range of other styles, showcasing several talented artists.
Verdict This book will certainly appeal to viewers of the television show and also includes enough compelling stand-alone stories to entice adult readers of sf horror comics.—Christine Gertz, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton
Girard, Pascal. Reunion. Drawn & Quarterly. 2011. c.156p. ISBN 9781770460379. pap. $19.95. F
Award-winning Canadian cartoonist Girard (Nicolas; Bigfoot) has just received his ten-year high school reunion invitation in the mail, in this semiautobiographical work. The only reason he decides to attend is to reconnect with his unrequited crush, Lucie. He promises himself that this time will be different and sets upon figuring out the best way to impress her. He stays awake fantasizing while his current girlfriend sleeps. He imagines their reunion while jogging off his extra weight. In the brief periods he is not thinking about Lucie, Girard spends his time ogling another pretty former classmate on Facebook. Dinner parties, a cold grandmother, and the lack of a proper suit coat all provide humorous obstacles before the night of the reunion. Once there, Girard bumbles about, inadvertently insulting old acquaintances with his distracted impatience for Lucie's arrival. It is at the reunion that Girard's ear for dialog shines and his self-deprecating humor is spot on.
Verdict Girard's style is part Larry David awkwardness and part Harvey Pekar self-loathing, tempered by his wonderfully light drawings. A strong story that zips along makes this a wonderful comic.—John Piche, MLS, San Francisco
Vollmar, Rob (text) & mpMann (illus.). Inanna's Tears. Archaia. 2011. c.144p. illus. ISBN 9781932386790. $19.95. F
In this tale set at the birth of the written word in Sumer thousands of years ago, the En, consort to the goddess Inanna and the link between her and her people, lies dying. He names as the next consort Entika, a woman, but rival leader Belipotash plans to seize power. Will Entika be able to stop him? While the writing takes some getting used to, Vollmar's (Bluesman; The Castaways) use of language, placement, size, and color are carefully chosen to enhance the story line without distracting from the images. mpMann's (Some New Kind of Slaughter) illustrations feel heavy with his use of black and convey the essential moments of the narrative, moving the reader from panel to panel at a quick pace that matches the tale's flow. In addition, his short afterword offers insight into illustration choice and historical details. Readers should also be sure to read A. David Lewis's foreword and Vollmar's introduction, which draw attention to thematic and contextual elements that deepen an otherwise linear plot.
Verdict Readers who enjoy historical fiction or action will appreciate this introduction to the Sumerians and their impact on language and writing as we know it today. With some nudity and violence.—Joanna M. Schmidt, George Fox Univ., Newberg, OR
Walters, Mac & others (text) & Eduardo Francisco & others (illus.). MySpace Dark Horse Presents.... Vol. 6: The Year We Make Contact. Dark Horse. 2011. c.168p. illus. ISBN 9781595826299. pap. $19.99. F
Showcasing a wide range of styles mainly in the fantasy genre, this is the final volume of Dark Horse's series originally published on MySpace. With pieces ranging from the sf worlds of the video game Mass Effect to the comics debut of actor LeVar Burton (Geordi LaForge on Star Trek: The Next Generation) and concluding with a chapter from Joss Whedon's Tales of the Vampires, the full-color comic is a teaser collection of Dark Horse's edgy, sometimes satirical graphic style. A lengthy chunk is given over to four chapters of Mark Crilley's Brody's Ghost, about a young man who can see spirits and uses his powers to hunt for a murderer, all while trying to live a normal life. One of the most enjoyable pieces is "S.H.O.O.T. First: The Wooden Saint" by Justin Aclin and Ben Bates, in which a troop of science- and weapon-wielding cynics interrupt an exorcism and slay a wood spirit that doubles as a Christian relic.
Verdict This will appeal to Dark Horse fans in general, as well as fantasy readers and gamers. Though the violence is mainly implied, the ironic Dark Horse voice may be best suited to older teens and adults.—Christine Gertz, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton
