Book Reviews

Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin: Forty Years of Funny Stuff

2012-01-23T10:28:00.001-08:00

Seconds. I find that even on a second or third reading of a Calvin Trillin piece, I experience it as fresh and interesting. One of his latest collections, Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin, contained many essays I’ve read before, and I found re-reading them to be entertaining and enjoyable. His wit and writing style keeps a reader engaged, and he has a prodigious skill at observation and in selecting the perfect word and phrase. Readers who love fine and witty writing are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin from amazon.com.

My New American Life

2012-01-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

Plucky. Twenty-six year old Albanian immigrant Lula is the protagonist of Francine Prose’s novel, My New American Life. Prose captures many aspects of contemporary life circa 2005, and assembles a cast of characters to flesh out that time and show the contrast between suburban malaise and an immigrant’s struggle post-9/11. The plucky Lula is a survivor who stumbles through ways to make it in America. All the Albanian characters have a liveliness that contrasts with the sadness of the American characters. Readers who enjoy novels of social commentary are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase My New American Life from amazon.com.

Black Diamond

2012-01-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Truffles. Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges returns in Black Diamond, the third novel of this series by Martin Walker. Something is amiss with the truffles coming to market, and Bruno is at the center of a complicated investigation with the stakes heightened by local elections that could put Bruno out of a job. Walker does a great job with the police procedural plot, in presenting interesting characters that readers care about, and in describing a place with lively and descriptive prose. I could almost taste the truffles and feel that I was in France. Readers who like light novels with clear plots are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Black Diamond from amazon.com.

Rodin's Debutante

2012-01-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

Artist. How is art formed? How is the artist formed? These are some of the questions that Ward Just explores in his finely written novel, Rodin’s Debutante. The core of the novel is a coming of age story about a man named Lee Goodell who grew up in a small town as the child of a prominent father, a judge who was the son of a judge. A side story involves Tommy Ogden a wealthy loner who prefers hunting and whoring over other pursuits. Ogden founds a school which Goodell attends. The novel explodes with the contrasts of beauty and the grittiness of life, and the real scars that Goodell experiences turn into his marbles, the sculptures he creates. Just creates vibrant characters and masterfully expresses powerful emotions with an economy of finely chosen words. Readers who enjoy thought provoking fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Rodin’s Debutante from amazon.com.

Mrs. Fox

2012-01-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Muse. Music lovers who appreciate amusing variations on a theme and those readers who are patient with an absence of plot sequence or logic are those most likely to enjoy Helen Oyeyemi’s novel, Mrs. Fox. I found many parts of the novel to be witty and I enjoyed the multiple ways in which Oyeyemi explores the story. After I while, I lost patience, and found myself concluding that this odd novel is for acquired tastes, and mine savors something a little less gamey.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Mrs Fox from amazon.com.

Nightwoods

2012-01-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

Bleak. The prose in Charles Frazier’s novel, Nightwoods, is lyrical, the characters are richly developed, and the description he presents in a meandering plot presents a bleak life. In some ways, this novel explores the nature of love and evil, using a setting and characters that provide an ideal backdrop for the contrast between light and darkness and fire and water. Readers who are patient with a plot that can be a challenge to follow and who appreciate lyrical prose are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Nightwoods from amazon.com.

The Leopard

2012-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Inhumanity. Readers who can tolerate massive amounts of violence and inhumane acts described in detail can open Jo Nesbo’s novel, The Leopard, and settle right in. It’s helpful to have read the earlier novels in the Harry Hole series to understand why this protagonist has hit his nadir and is living a life of darkness in Hong Kong. Coerced home to Norway to solve yet another serial murder case, Hole who has subjected himself to great pain, faces even greater physical pain during this case. The plot is complicated, and it can be painful to an empathetic reader to watch the damaged Hole suffer. Harry Hole is a great character, and Nesbo’s writes well (probably better in the original Norwegian), and readers willing to spend time exploring the nature of evil will find this book engaging.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Leopard from amazon.com.

Life Itself

2012-01-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

Upbeat. Reading memoirs can be a crapshoot. Most readers of Roger Ebert’s memoir titled, Life Itself, will come away winners. We know Ebert from his decades of movie reviews in print and on television. Most of us also know that because of complications from treatment for thyroid cancer, he can no longer speak nor eat and his face is disfigured from the loss of bone. His voice comes through with ebullience in his animated writing. In his account, he’s had (and is having) a wonderful life. He’s worked hard at doing what he loves. He’s married to his soulmate, and thanks to AA, he quit drinking. He’s made friends all around the world, and his conversational writing style makes readers feel like we’re sitting at a dining room table listening to the stories of a life well lived. All that adds up to an inspiring memoir, well worth reading.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Life Itself from amazon.com.

The Drop

2012-01-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

Twists. The latest detective Harry Bosch novel from Michael Connelly is titled, The Drop. Fans of the series and first-time readers can find equal pleasure in the exploits of this heroic, flawed protagonist whose moral compass distinguishes right from wrong with clarity. The world gets messier than he’d like it to be, and the good guys can let him down, while the bad guys also need justice. Can Harry overcome the demons that distract him and move on? Can he be a father and a detective? Will he find love again? Connelly writes a fine crime novel, and the character of Harry Bosch continues to develop and mature. Readers who like character-driven crime fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Drop from amazon.com.

Exile on Wall Street: One Analyst's Fight to Save the Big Banks from Themselves

2012-01-18T11:46:00.001-08:00

Lonely. Mike Mayo has spent his career as a financial analyst specializing in banks. In his book, Exile on Wall Street, Mayo describes his early experience working at the Federal Reserve providing analysis on bank mergers, and then as a sell side stock analyst for a variety of Wall Street firms. Readers will come away from this book with the sense that Mayo is not a person inclined to get along and go along. He is willing to go against the views of those around him and come up with his independent judgment. His record shows him as being right more often than he was wrong. Instead of being acclaimed for his wise analysis, he was often treated as a pariah. Accepting that his account is one side of a story, this is an interesting description of the challenges involved in financial reform. Those readers interested in this subject will find the book quick to read and liable to induce further thinking on this subject.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Exile on Wall Street from amazon.com.

Death Comes to Pemberley

2012-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Curiosity. I was intrigued when I heard that the venerable mystery writer, P.D. James, chose to set her latest novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, in the place, time, and characters of Jane Austen. Curiosity brought me to this novel, and James’ skill at mystery writing kept me interested. I suspect that both Austen and James fans are likely to come away from this novel with some degree of disappointment. Darcy, Elizabeth, Wickham and others are familiar characters to most readers, but they are set in our minds from Austen’s writing. James may be true to many aspects of these well-developed characters, but she sets them in a situation that is unlike anything that Austen would have done. Along the way, readers get an interesting mystery to read, but one neither great nor memorable.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Death Comes to Pemberley from amazon.com.

Reamde

2012-01-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

Expansive. Readers who like big, sweeping novels with empathetic characters are those most likely to enjoy Neal Stephenson’s latest novel, Reamde. Over the course of a thousand thrilling pages, Stephenson introduces hackers, gamers, mobsters, a big extended family, MI6, and terrorists. The heroes and villains are drawn with sharp contrasts, and the virtual world provides a second dimension in which the action can proceed, although the global stage in the real world covers a lot of territory which Stephenson handles with aplomb. I found myself rooting for the heroes and turned pages quickly wanting to see how everything turned out.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Reamde from amazon.com.

The Vault

2012-01-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

Advisor. The retired life of former chief inspector Reginald Wexford takes on spikes of adrenalin in the latest novel titled The Vault, in this popular series by Ruth Rendell. Wexford has been asked to assist Tom Ede of the Metropolitan Police as an unpaid advisor helping solve a complicated multiple murder case. Wexford relishes the work, and finds himself forgetting that he’s no longer on the force since the work he is doing is so familiar. Rendell adds complexity to Wexford’s family life and those events close to home make Wexford even sharper as he unravels a complicated puzzle one piece at a time. Readers who like finely written mystery or crime novels are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Vault from amazon.com.

The Prague Cemetery

2012-01-05T11:04:00.001-08:00

Hate. Can a novel about evil and hate be entertaining? In the competent hands of Umberto Eco, the answer is yes when it comes to his latest novel, The Prague Cemetery. Eco sets the novel in the tumultuous late 19th century, and all the characters except the protagonist are historical. That protagonist is the scheming, evil, hateful Simonini who gives voice and action to a wide range of vitriol and plots. An equal opportunity figure, Simonini hates Jesuits, Masons, Russians, Germans, French, and blames the Jews for everything. What Eco accomplishes in this portrayal of hate and evil is to give readers goose bumps that such evil lives among us now. Readers who like to think when we read are those most likely to enjoy this finely written novel.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Prague Cemetery from amazon.com.

Zero Day

2012-01-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

Character. I read David Baldacci’s novels because I find them amusing and entertaining. I’m often most amused by poorly written dialogue or characters that are stereotypes or poorly developed. In his latest novel, Zero Day, Baldacci seems to start from scratch. He introduces a new heroic protagonist, John Puller, and I found myself recognizing the individual and rooting for his success. The fast pace of the plot and the thrilling action kept me turning pages quickly, and I found the dialogue was not as distracting as it had been in earlier Baldacci novels. Readers who like character-driven action thrillers are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Zero Day from amazon.com.

American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America

2012-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

Schemer. Had two or three events turned out differently in the early 19th century, the United States would be a different place today. Attorney David O. Stewart brings a lawyer’s discipline and a litigator’s story telling together in a fascinating new book titled, American Emperor: Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America. Burr is one of the most engaging characters in American history, and Stewart presents Burr’s vision of new society made up of the disgruntled communities around the Gulf of Mexico and the wide open Western part of the United States. Burr’s schemes are presented as treasonous and appealing to the secessionist leanings in many parts of the fragile new republic. Burr tried to capitalize on those sentiments and he came very close to achieving his vision. Fans of American history are those readers most likely to enjoy this finely written account.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase American Emperor from amazon.com.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

2012-01-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

Stupendous. Octogenarian Robert K. Massie has condensed the scale of his broad and deep knowledge of this subject into 650 pages of lively reading titled, Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman. Massie tells the story of her life, her struggles and her great successes with a level of detail and insight that will appeal to those readers of biography who crave for good stories and wise, critical examination. My knowledge of Catherine’s life was sketchy, so I was enthralled by Massie’s depiction of this enlightened leader’s prudence and risk taking. All readers will come away from this book with many reasons why she was a great leader.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Catherine the Great from amazon.com.

The Sense of an Ending

2012-01-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Memories. In a clever novella, Julian Barnes delves into the notion of memory, and the difference in form between action and our constructed and amended memories. The Sense of an Ending is constrained and concise, and a reader is almost compelled to start re-reading once the last page is turned. There’s that “aha” sense that can propel a reader to take newly found insight and read again to see the book in new light. Readers who enjoy literary fiction and clever writing are those most likely to enjoy this short novel.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Sense of an Ending from amazon.com.

The Stranger's Child

2012-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Desire. The atmosphere, tension and drama that Alan Hollinghurst writes in his novel, The Stranger’s Child, carries readers through 450 pages of a sweeping novel spanning a century of time. Two families provide the focus of our attention, and the many forms of desire are spun out in ways that are witty, exacting in detail, and tragic. The character development and attention to detail bring to life past and modern times with precision. Readers who appreciate fine writing and who are willing to tolerate an indirect plot and paths that seem distracting are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Stranger’s Child from amazon.com.

Last Man in Tower

2012-01-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

Solitary. Readers who enjoy fine writing that stimulates deep thinking should consider Aravind Adiga’s latest novel, Last Man in Tower. Sixty-one year old retired teacher, Masterji, is a widower who has lived in Vishram Society Tower A for decades, and the place holds memories for him, and his relationship with his neighbors seems positive and mutually supportive. When a developer proposes buying the building, all residents except Masterji agree. His stolid perseverance brings out animosity in his neighbors. How does one be true to oneself and live in community? What are our obligations to our neighbors? Adiga’s fine writing lays out the plot and develops multiple characters in ways that will captivate readers and present the range of complexity in human nature.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Last Man in Tower from amazon.com.

The Time of Our Lives

2011-12-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

Community. Veteran journalist Tom Brokaw has written a conversational book titled, The Time of Our Lives. This is a call for Americans to return to a community life, shared values and civic engagement. Brokaw uses examples from his own life and that of his children and grandchildren to reflect on where we’ve been and where we need to go to restore the American dream. Readers who like plain speaking common sense are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Time of Our Lives from amazon.com.

Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You

2011-12-16T13:51:00.001-08:00

Anecdotes. Doctors Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband present an array of personal and patient anecdotes in their book, Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You. I found that this book was less helpful to me in deciding what is right for me medically, but very useful in understanding how different people have made decisions for themselves. In some ways after reading this book, I feel better capable of making certain medical decisions. In other ways, I feel that I will be caught in some cognitive traps when the time comes to make key decisions. Readers who are interested in medical treatment decisions are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Your Medical Mind from amazon.com.

Zone One

2011-12-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Survivors. After reading Colson Whitehead’s novel, Zone One, covering three days in the lives of survivors of a plague, I concluded that being a survivor can be worse than dying. Whitehead’s prose describes the setting and the characters with literary skill, and those readers who appreciate fine writing will find much to appreciate and enjoy on these pages. I’m not a regular reader of the zombie genre, but I’ll hazard a guess that few other zombie novels display this high level of writing skills.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Zone One from amazon.com.

Safe Haven

2011-12-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

Contrived. The central characters of Nicholas Sparks’ novel, Safe Haven, slowly develop a romantic relationship. Katie has fled to North Carolina to protect herself from an abusive relationship. Alex is a widower, now a single parent. We learn their backstories gradually, at the same pace as their relationship develops. At some point, Sparks departs from a gradual pace, accelerates the action, and resorts to a contrived character to perform a deus ex machina role. Readers who like soap opera fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Safe Haven from amazon.com.

Blue-Eyed Devil

2011-12-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

Mastery. The late Robert B. Parker excelled at two elements of fiction: dialogue and character development. Both those elements are superb in his western novel, Blue-Eyed Devil. Characters Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch return to Appaloosa where they had once been the only lawmen on the scene. The current and ambitious chief of a force numbering a dozen asks for their help. They refuse, and the excitement that follows will keep readers entertained, especially those who like character-driven fiction in which everything comes to resolution by the end of the novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Blue-Eyed Devil from amazon.com.

The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible

2011-12-16T13:44:00.001-08:00

Hope. There is a phenomenon called “the third man factor” in which many individuals close to death have a sense of someone with them who encourages them to try to get through the experience. Globe and Mail editor John Geiger explores whether this is a scientific mystery or a religious experience in his book, The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible. Through many stories of this phenomenon, mostly from mountain climbing, and an overview of the latest science, Geiger’s writing will engage most readers, especially those with an interest in unusual phenomena and those who like hearing stories about the real experiences of others. I think that believers are likely to consider the feeling of another presence to be a form of divine intervention. Scientists aren’t likely to find Geiger’s reporting to be compelling.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Third Man Factor from amazon.com.

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

2011-12-16T13:41:00.001-08:00

Changed. Following her successful Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert chucked what she wrote next, and tried again. The result, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, comes through as a clear and confident voice that examines and explores matrimony. There’s no escape from the irony that this author who concluded that marriage was not for her turns around and gets married. Isn’t life like that? This book explores what brought Gilbert into matrimony and how entering this institution can be a great way to live.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Committed from amazon.com.

Ed King

2011-12-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Greek. I can imagine David Guterson having fun writing his latest novel, Ed King. He decides to retell the Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex (hence Ed King, protagonist and title) and proceeds to unveil to readers how he things such a story would play out in today’s world. The characters he creates are venal and self-centered, so the sense of tragedy for some readers will fall short, since each seems to get what he or she deserves. Long on exposition and short on dialogue, the novel has a remoteness that became disengaging for me at times. While I was somewhat interested in what would happen to the characters, I realized that their shallowness left me cold rather than caring. Guterson is creative and daring in this novel, and I found his writing craftsmanship superb. Readers who like literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Ed King from amazon.com.

The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout

2011-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Scout. Jill Abramson’s book, The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout, will appeal to those readers who live with dogs and those who don’t. The first group will want a puppy after reading the book, and so will the second. Abramson is the executive editor of The New York Times, and part of this book came from a popular column she wrote on the paper’s website at the time Scout came into her life. Her writing keeps a reader interested and engaged in all the big and little things about living with a puppy.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Puppy Diaries from amazon.com.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

2011-12-15T09:14:00.001-08:00

Comfort. Reading any of the novels of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels is like savoring a huge portion of macaroni and cheese (or your version of comfort food) on a cold night. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party is the twelfth in the series, and the very familiar characters continue to develop in this installment. Readers who like wholesome characters and novels that are uplifting to the human spirit are those most likely to enjoy this novel and this series.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party from amazon.com.

The Double Comfort Safari Club

2011-12-15T09:12:00.001-08:00

Contentment. All the familiar elements of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels are present in The Double Comfort Safari Club, along with a larger than usual degree of drama. Fans will appreciate more time spent with Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi and the familiar secondary characters. I usually close each book in the series feeling good, and that was true with this one. Readers who enjoy character-driven fiction that brings all tension to resolution by the end will enjoy this novel and the others in this series.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Double Comfort Safari Club from amazon.com.

Apple Turnover Murder

2011-12-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

Reliable. Readers looking for predictability and reliability in a world packed with turmoil can find an escape in Joanne Fluke’s novel, Apple Turnover Mystery. Each of the novels in this series features baker Hannah Swensen whose baking and relationships have a wholesomeness and predictability that can be comforting. The mystery doesn’t require much mental engagement from the reader, and the many recipes provide transitions to put the novel aside and nibble on something sweet.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Apple Turnover Murder from amazon.com.

Devil's Food Cake Murder

2011-12-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Food. Joanne Fluke’s novels make me hungry. I read them in part for the recipes and in part for the development of the wholesome characters. In Devil’s Food Cake Murder, protagonist Hannah Swensen solves another murder, and bakes plenty of sweets along the way. Hannah’s romantic relationships proceed at the measured pace a baker follows when combining ingredients. Readers who like wholesome characters and a relaxing plot will find those ingredients here, along with a recipe or two to try out at home.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Devil’s Food Cake Murder from amazon.com.

How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One

2011-12-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

Language. Language lovers will revel in a short book by Stanley Fish titled, How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One. Each of the ten short chapters by this English professor explores the form, style and content of a sentence. Any reader with a desire to be taught some fundamentals about writing and reading by a skilled teacher will enjoy the time spent reading this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase How to Write a Sentence from amazon.com.

Aleph

2011-12-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

Journey. The popularity of Paulo Coehlo’s novels led me to read his latest, Aleph. The last time I read a novel this odd was fifteen years ago with The Celestine Prophecy. These new age pseudo-spiritual journey novels may appeal to certain readers, but not to me. I found the writing weak, the characters poorly developed and the premise and plot annoying. Read a sample before you consider reading this novel. If you develop any interest at all from the sample, you’ll find more of the same in the full novel. Otherwise, take a pass.

Rating: One-star (Read only if your interest is strong)
Click here to purchase Aelph from amazon.com.

Chango's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes

2011-12-11T13:38:00.001-08:00

Revolution. Only a writer as skilled as William Kennedy could pack so much into the three hundred well written pages of his new novel, Chango’s Beads and Two-Toned Shoes. Three time settings provide the backdrop for this story of love and revolution: 1936 in Albany, 1957 in Havana, and 1968 in Albany. Dialogue, characters and descriptive language display Kennedy’s great skill. Keeping up with what’s going on can be a challenge worth facing by any reader who enjoys literary fiction and fine writing.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Chango’s Beads from amazon.com.

Holidays in Heck

2011-12-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Droll. Any parent who has traveled with children will find something familiar in P.J. O’Rourke’s new essay collection, Holidays in Heck. There are a dozen or so finely written pages here. Out of almost three hundred, you have to decide if it’s worth the effort to find them. I found his writing mostly droll, and too often, tiresome. Perhaps because I think he’s an excellent writer, I expected more from this collection. I felt like he pounded these pieces out without much care, and a few of the best nuggets stand out.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Holidays in Heck from amazon.com.

I'd Know You Anywhere

2011-12-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

Intensity. Laura Lippman departs from her Tess Monaghan detective series to write a psychological novel focused on two individuals: Eliza Benedict and Walter Bowman. In her novel, I’d Know You Anywhere, Lippman explores the lives of these two individuals with intensity, both in the current time, and twenty years earlier. Walter kidnapped Eliza when she was a teen. Now, he’s on death row for his conviction in killing another teen. He contacts her in a desire to avoid his execution. Lippman unveils what happened in the past and what it means today, for both characters. Readers who like psychological novels are those most likely to enjoy this one.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase I’d Know You Anywhere from amazon.com.

Devil's Gate

2011-12-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

Strained. Fans of Clive Cussler novels are those most likely to enjoy the latest NUMA adventure featuring Kurt Austin titled, Devil’s Gate. I enjoyed the usual Cussler attention to technical detail and to a fast moving plot. Unfortunately I found Austin’s heroics to be so far beyond belief that I began to laugh at his exploits. Other characters were so poorly developed that even the villains were unbelievable. Happily, these novels can be read quickly, so not much time is wasted in seeing if the strained effort to bring all the tension to resolution is achieved. It’s no spoiler to disclose that the good guys win, and for those readers who like fast action and confident resolution to threats, this novel may be a perfect fit.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Devil’s Gate from amazon.com.

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

2011-12-11T13:30:00.001-08:00

Uncertainty. Readers who like creative and thrilling plots are those most likely to enjoy Marcus Sakey’s novel, The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes. Sakey keeps readers uncertain about what’s going on especially by having the protagonist suffer amnesia. Readers interpret actions through Hayes’ limited and unclear recollections. Sakey also keeps it unclear about who’s on Hayes’ side and who’s the enemy. Despite the thrilling plot, I found that I developed no empathy for any of the characters.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes from amazon.com.

The Cat's Table

2011-11-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

Voyage. Michael Ondaatje’s novel, The Cat’s Table, presents the story of a boy’s journey by boat from Sri Lanka to England in 1954 using two perspectives: as it was underway and how it was remembered much later. I found Ondaatje’s writing to be outstanding throughout this novel, and the characters became richly developed from both perspectives. The descriptive and poetic language became beguiling at times, and I found myself re-reading passages that were particularly enjoyable. The title refers to the shipboard table located furthest from the Captain’s table, the one at which all the strays were gathered. It is these strays that become the liveliest characters in the novel. Readers who appreciate literary fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Cat’s Table from amazon.com.

The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food

2011-11-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

Yummy. If one of your favorite meals is to savor a finely constructed sentence, sit down at the table and enjoy reading Adam Gopnik’s The Table Comes First: Family, France and the Meaning of Food. Intelligent readers who appreciate fine writing and have a strong interest in food are those most likely to enjoy this book. Gopnik can alternate between taking food very seriously and poking fun at the ways in which we inject meaning in food. There’s much in this book about the history of restaurants, cooking for others, and the pleasure of sharing a table. If any of those topics interests you, thanks to Gopnik’s talent, reading this becomes a feast.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Table Comes First from amazon.com.

The Marriage Plot

2011-11-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Burdens. The three protagonists of Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel, The Marriage Plot, carry heavy burdens. They came to Brown from different Oregon, Detroit and New Jersey, and as they graduate in 1982, they are uncertain what comes next. Madeline Hanna is considering post-graduate work in literature, but Yale did not accept her. Leonard Bankhead met Madeline in a Semiotics class that Eugenides describes in rich detail. Leonard has bipolar disorder, and his manic and depressive episodes dominate the book. The third protagonist, Mitchell Grammaticus, is a religious studies major who heads to India after graduation. The three characters are in a love triangle that would have developed one way in Jane Austen’s world, and develops in another way under Eugenides. The fine writing here is lively and descriptive, and the burdens carried are made real through the ways in which Eugenides brings the characters to life. These are not necessarily appealing characters, but they are real. The love relationships mirror the reality of our contemporary society.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Marriage Plot from amazon.com.

Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life

2011-11-22T10:22:00.001-08:00

Contagious. We want to be around joyful people. James Martin is a Jesuit priest, a prolific writer and an editor at America magazine. His latest book, Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, explores the many ways in which spirituality becomes evident through joy, humor and laughter. He explores each of those areas with wit and self-deprecating stories. The result is an entertaining book that leads to laughter as well as to reflection. I found myself passing along at least two or three anecdotes from this book. Readers who like spiritual themes and humor are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Between Heaven and Mirth from amazon.com.

The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories

2011-11-22T10:20:00.001-08:00

Unease. Don DeLillo’s novels have received raves from readers over four decades. His debut short story collection covers that time period, and is titled, The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories. I can’t recall reading any of these stories before. In each one, I discovered the same precise writing from DeLillo’s novels, and the way in which he holds a mirror to readers about our unease and discomfort with what’s happening around us. The difference between these stories and his longer fiction is that I had the sense that every single word in his stories was carefully chosen, and that nothing extra was needed. He leads readers to see what he sees in American life, and presents connections between his characters and readers that are unmistakable.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Angel Esmeralda from amazon.com.

What It Is Like to Go to War

2011-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

Warriors. Karl Marlantes answers a question the majority of Americans cannot answer because of our lack of experience. In his book, What It Is Like To Go To War, Marlantes uses his own experience in Vietnam to try to explain with honesty and openness what war was like. Those who have been in war may find that Marlantes speaks for them or describes something quite different from their own experience. Through fine writing, Marlantes explores the psychological intensity of the experience of war, both at the time and for long afterward. He examines spirituality and the process of reflection about what took place in shadow.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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A Man of Parts

2011-11-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Cranky. It didn’t take me long to get cranky while reading David Lodge’s fictional biography of H.G. Wells titled, A Man of Parts. Perhaps the genre of fictional biography leaves me cold. While I found Lodge’s writing to be engaging, I found the character of Wells to be far less interesting than either Wells’ writing or Lodge’s. The constraints of this quirky subject who lived a complex and vibrant life became tiresome for me after a hundred or so pages. I slogged through to the end, but remained cranky to the last. Readers with affection for Wells or who enjoy Lodge’s writing are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
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Eisenhower: The White House Years

2011-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Middle. Readers of political biography usually want two elements to dominate: a vivid portrait of the individual that makes him or her come alive, and a description of the context or world situation in which the subject engaged. Jim Newton’s biography, Eisenhower: The White House Years, masters both elements. For readers like me who think of the 1950s as a boring and stable decade, and who recall Ike as a grandfatherly golfer who led his Administration with a light touch, this book debunks such myths. This was a very complex time and Ike was fully engaged on the issues and challenges we faced. He pursued a middle path that seems quaint in the context of today’s partisan political environment. Readers who enjoy good writing and lively political biography are those most likely to enjoy this book.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
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Social Q's: How to Survive the Quirks, Quandaries and Quagmires of Today

2011-11-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Sharp. I rarely read Philip Galanes column in the Sunday Styles section of The New York Times. After I picked up a copy of his new book, Social Q's: How to Survive the Quirks, Quandaries and Quagmires of Today, I came to appreciate how witty and crisp writing can apply to almost any topic. Galanes’sharp writing style is entertaining and he knows how to turn a phrase. Fans of the column will savor this large dose. Any reader who likes wit and enjoys the social commentary that an advice column can provide will find much to enjoy in this entertaining book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Social Q’s from amazon.com.

The Litigators

2011-11-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

Cheery. Many of John Grisham’s novels have been ponderous or overly dramatic, with odd dialogue and predictable plots. The Litigators is lighthearted with endearing characters (even the lawyers), realistic dialogue and a well-paced plot. I found myself rooting for protagonist David Zinc, and genuinely interested in how things would turn out. Maybe it was the Chicago setting that made the characters come alive with their Midwestern authenticity. Readers who have given up on Grisham should give this one a try.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Caller

2011-11-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Troubles. Karin Fossum continues her entertaining Inspector Sejer mystery series with a novel titled, The Caller. Fossum takes an ordinary situation, injects it with danger and crime, and then allows multiple perspectives to envelop the reader. In this novel, we see the situation from the criminal’s perspective, the victims, and the detectives. While we learn early who the criminal is, interest remains strong because of the skilled character development and the ways in which Inspector Sejer deals with the pieces of information he grasps. A twist at the end brings added pleasure to mystery fans. Fossum’s a skilled writer and this novel will provide rich entertainment to those readers who like this genre, even in translation.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Caller from amazon.com.

The Great Leader

2011-11-18T09:09:00.001-08:00

Character. Readers who like novels that develop deeply rich and complex characters are those most likely to enjoy Jim Harrison’s novel, The Great Leader. Protagonist Simon Sunderson has recently retired as a detective in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and he can’t let go of his last case, which involved a cult leader named Dwight, called the Great Leader by his followers, often teenage girls. Each character and the physical environment are presented and developed by Harrison with lyrical writing and understanding of human behavior. The engagement and kindness and desires of characters in this novel will keep readers interested from beginning to end.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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No More Mr. Nice Guy

2011-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Raunchy. Readers who can tolerate an abundance of explicit and raunchy sexual narrative will find Howard Jacobson’s novel, No More Mr. Nice Guy, entertaining and funny while addressing the serious subject of marital relationships. Protagonist Frank Ritz finds himself thrown out of his house by his partner Melissa Paul. He travels around the country remembering sex past and looking for sex present. His introspection about his life and sexual activity leads him to view his life in a more complete way. I picked up this novel after I read Jacobson's Man Booker award winning novel, The Finkler Question. The two books hold little in common in subject matter and style, but share fine quality writing from a skilled novelist.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase No More Mr. Nice Guy from amazon.com.

That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back

2011-11-18T09:04:00.001-08:00

Rediscovery. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has teamed with foreign policy professor Michael Mandelbaum to write a stimulating book titled, That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back. As with earlier Friedman books, this one is packed with a ream of selected observations and facts that are used to support the authors’ opinions and desired policies and actions. The core approach is that we need to rediscover how we came to be the country we are today, and to restore those things that made us great. The authors propose that we need to answer the questions of what world are we living in and what do we need to do to thrive in that world. They propose a rediscovery of the public-private partnership we’ve embraced since our founding and deal with education, infrastructure, research and development, immigration and regulation. Whether readers agree or disagree with the diagnosis and prescription, the subject is interesting, the authors offer a lively presentation, and readers are prompted to engage in the issues raised.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Race

2011-11-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Soars. Clive Cussler takes protagonist Isaac Bell to the skies as the heroic Van Dorn detective protects a skilled aviatrix from harm during a cross-country airplane contest. This latest novel, set in 1910, is titled The Race, and no fan of this series will be surprised to learn that Bell masters the skill of flying a plane with ease. There’s a wide cast of interesting characters, and the usual level of detail that Cussler readers demand. Bell’s romance with his fiancé Marion Morgan proceeds at what seems like a glacial pace. The usual contest between the good guys and bad guys turns out as expected. Readers looking for some light reading that entertains without requiring a lot of thought are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Race from amazon.com.

Inheritance

2011-11-18T09:00:00.001-08:00

Understanding. The four volume series that Christopher Paolini started writing as a teenager comes to a conclusion with Inheritance. Readers of the earlier books will want to read the finale to see how everything turns out. I’ve been wondering how Eragon would deal with Galbatorix in this last book and the clever way in which Paolini resolved their conflict was one of the highlights of the book for me. Readers who like a lot of pages for their dollar with find value here. The quality of writing is spotty, but the combination of plot and character provide enough momentum for most readers to overlook the shortcomings. The heroic story in all four volumes might have been better if condensed, but Paolini indulged readers by stringing us along in a story that developed slowly and left the door open to future books with these now familiar characters.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Night Circus

2011-11-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

Repercussions. Erin Morgenstern uses the setting of a magical circus as a place to unveil many components of human relationships that bring illumination to the best and the worst of human behavior. The Night Circus caught my attention from the outset and maintained my engagement throughout. As the complexity of the plot and the development of characters progressed, I gained increased respect for Morgenstern’s skills. The circus becomes the locus of a contest between magicians. Thanks to her writing skills, it became much more than a competition, and the repercussions of what was set in motion became significant. This is a novel that most readers will want to discuss with others.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Night Circus from amazon.com.

Damned

2011-11-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

Spunky. Readers who enjoy satire will find a lot to like in Chuck Palahniuk’s latest novel, Damned. Each chapter begins with these two sentences: “Are you there, Satan? It’s me, Madison.” We get to see the hell of Palahniuk’s imagination through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Madison who finds herself there. She’s a spunky and lively character in every chapter, and the descriptions of hell are vintage Palahniuk.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Damned from amazon.com.

What I Hate: From A to Z

2011-11-14T11:41:00.001-08:00

Neurotic. As a longtime fan of Roz Chast’s cartoons in The New Yorker, I thoroughly enjoyed reading her new collection, What I Hate: From A to Z. A perfect riff on a children’s ABC book, Chast chronicles her list in both grim and hilarious scope. Any reader who can laugh at a bit of neuroticism in oneself and others will appreciate this book. It can also provide a perfect gift to that special someone, especially a person who hates at least one of the things that Chase highlights.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase What I Hate from amazon.com.

Blue Nights

2011-11-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Disconnected. How can one speak about what life is like following the death of a spouse and a child within a short span of time? Joan Didion finds a way to do that in her new book, Blue Nights. Whatever form of grief a reader has experienced will become raw again as one reads this book. Even Didion’s writing seems lost and disjointed at times as she describes her experience. One poignant scene was of Didion filling out her own medical form and struggling with the selection of who to notify in case of emergency. The two people closest to her are dead, and she feels lost.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Blue Nights from amazon.com.

Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain

2011-11-14T11:38:00.001-08:00

Perspective. Curious readers will gain a rare perspective from reading Jim Lehrer’s book, Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain. Having moderated so many political debates, Lehrer can provide both an inside view as well as perspective about this important element of American political life. This short book is presented in the folksy manner that has made Lehrer a popular journalist. Political junkies will devour this book as a tasty diversion from the current round of debates.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Tension City from amazon.com.

Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President

2011-10-27T10:02:00.001-07:00

Mismanagement. Over the course of 500 pages in a book titled, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington and the Education of a President, Ron Suskind presents the many missed opportunities and mismanagement in the early years of the Obama administration. He also explores every possible meaning of “confidence.” Assembled from hundreds of hours of interviews with hundreds of people, I found this book to be comprehensive, and also packed with errors in details that were sometimes distracting. Given the broad scope and journalistic style, some errors are to be expected, and historians should sort it all out. The villains of the book are Larry Summers and Rahm Emmanuel, the best examples of Suskind’s key premise: “the key president’s authority was being systematically undermined or hedged by his seasoned advisors” (p. 458). Any reader interested in contemporary politics will enjoy this book.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
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The Dog Who Came In From the Cold

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Warm. One reason that I enjoy reading books by Alexander McCall Smith is that I know that when I finish, I will have both a smile and a warm feeling. In The Dog Who Came In From the Cold, Smith brings readers back to Corduroy Mansions and to a familiar dog, Freddie de la Hay. Freddie has caught the attention of MI6, who want to use him to spy on a Russian. The many characters in this novel keep a reader engaged as the simple plot proceeds and resolution takes place. Readers who like tender and warm stories are those most likely to enjoy this and other Smith novels.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Dog Who Came In From the Cold from amazon.com.

Misterioso

2011-10-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Jazz. Sometimes when I read a novel translated from its original language, I wonder what I am missing from the original. I never once had that feeling when I read Arne Dahl’s novel, Misterioso. Plot takes prominence in this crime novel, as does character development. The title refers to a classic jazz piece by Thelonious Monk, and like music, this story needs no translation. The protagonist is a detective, Paul Hjelm, and Dahl develops his character in ways that engaged me throughout the novel. The slow pace of the novel and the gradual solution of the mystery was very satisfying; it always seemed just right.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Misterioso from amazon.com.

The Lady of the Rivers

2011-10-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Fortune. Philippa Gregory has written another fine historical novel set the time of the War of the Roses. Titled, The Lady of the Rivers, this book presents readers with the life and times of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, and the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, who became the white queen. In what seems like endless war, the wheel of fortune turns for Jacquetta and her family one way or the other every fifty pages or so. Readers are taken up in the vivid description, and the development of characters that makes us feel that we are in that time and those places. Readers who like historical fiction, especially that period of turmoil in England, are those most likely to enjoy this novel. Also, readers who like to see history from a woman’s point of view will find precisely that on these pages.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Lady of the Rivers from amazon.com.

Lost Memory of Skin

2011-10-27T09:55:00.001-07:00

Shadows. It’s a rare novelist who can hold up a mirror to readers about modern life by using unsympathetic characters to provide insight into human nature from the behavior of outcasts. The shadows and dark corners of society and personality are explored by Russell Banks in his new novel, Lost Memory of Skin. A protagonist whose only name is The Kid, finds himself in his early twenties as a convicted sex offender, a virgin, and living underneath a Florida causeway, the only place far enough away from children to meet the terms of his probation. Another nameless character, The Professor, is also an outcast. Banks uses both characters to lead readers to think about people around us, and ourselves, in new ways.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Lost Memory of Skin from amazon.com.

A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness

2011-10-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Normal. If you’ve ever thought that someone would have to be nuts to run for political office, there’s a book to give you backup for this view. Psychiatrist Nassim Ghaemi has written A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness. Ghaemi presents the psychological profiles of certain leaders, mostly political figures, and presents a case showing that individuals with certain mood disorders can be more successful when facing crisis than their “normal” counterparts because of the resilience they have developed in dealing with their own problems. Readers are likely to think of leadership and mental illness in new ways after reading this book. Anyone interested in psychiatry or leadership will likely find this book to be a good reading experience.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase A First-Rate Madness from amazon.com.

The Novice: A Story of True Love

2011-10-27T09:52:00.001-07:00

Response. Renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has rewritten an old Vietnamese story in a new book titled, The Novice: A Story of True Love. As with most Buddhist teaching, this story helps readers understand the response of love to situations of injustice and suffering. For readers who want to take a break from daily concerns and read a short book that can lead to reflection about our responses to what life throws us, this book is a great choice.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Novice from amazon.com.

Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World

2011-10-27T09:50:00.001-07:00

Delusions. In a case of one good book leading to another, Michael Lewis leaped from his recent book, The Big Short, to a series of Vanity Fair articles focused on financial delusions taking place around the world. Those articles have been bundled in a new book titled, Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World. As a financial tourist, Lewis takes readers to personal and corporate stories in Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Germany and California. In each setting, Lewis’ writing is lively, likely to engage readers of any level of financial acumen. I enjoy the breezy way in which Lewis gets to the heart of a situation, and finds a way to convey what can be a complicated story into one that is easily grasped by any reader.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Boomerang from amazon.com.

The Submission

2011-10-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

Faith. Amy Waldman’s debut novel, The Submission, tackles a sensitive subject with skill. The plot involves the selection of a design for a 9/11 memorial in New York. The judges select a garden motif from a vast selection of blind submissions. When it turns out that the architect is Muslim, the wonderfully crafted characters react in ways that address trust, vulnerability, and the multiple levels and meanings of “submission.” Mo Khan, the architect, reacts with a coldness and rigidity that adds to strength of the novel. Waldman spares no one as the story proceeds, and she allows multiple perspectives to develop simultaneously. Readers can identify with any number of characters. Any reader who likes fine writing, complex characters and a satisfying plot is likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Submission from amazon.com.

The Most Dangerous Thing

2011-10-25T14:30:00.001-07:00

Games. The characters in Laura Lippman’s novel, The Most Dangerous Thing, are developed in ways that blend childhood and adulthood. Through story development in 1979 and the present, Lippman creates the context in which these individuals have become who they are today. The games of childhood, and the secrets long kept, become defining for these characters, and have consequences beyond anyone’s expectations. Lippman sets this novel in Baltimore, as she’s done with her earlier novels, and reprises Tess Monaghan in a minor role late in the book. Readers who like character-driven fiction are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Most Dangerous Thing from amazon.com.

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created

2011-10-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Globalization. Readers who think of globalization as a modern process will learn much from Charles Mann’s book titled, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created. Mann’s lively writing engages readers as he describes the Columbian Exchange, and the ways in which the Americas, Europe and Asia transferred animals, minerals, fauna and flora to create what he calls the “Homogenocene Age.” We’ve been living in one world for hundreds of years, not decades. Readers who like history and biology will find much to enjoy in this book.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase 1493 from amazon.com.

The Leftovers

2011-10-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Grief. It’s possible that Tom Perrotta’s novel, The Leftovers, has created a new genre: the post-apocalyptic comic novel. Perrotta’s action follows an event not quite like the rapture from the Left Behind series in a religious sense, but like it in that that some people have vanished, and others are still around. Families now have missing members, and characters are grieving their losses. While there’s plenty of Perrotta’s fine humor on these pages, there’s a poignancy as well as he allows the characters to grieve and carries readers along with them in a state of disbelief and confusion. One example of that humor was that followers of a certain cult were required to smoke cigarettes. An example of the poignancy was the gift of a cigarette lighter from the daughter of a cult member to her mother, who had been a nonsmoker before joining the cult. The daughter missed her mother who moved out of the house to be with the cult, and the gift was perfect. Unknown to the daughter, the mother used it once and had to throw it away because the cult didn’t keep possessions. Perrotta’s writing is terrific, and most readers will find this to be an enjoyable reading experience.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Leftovers from amazon.com.

Bad Intentions

2011-10-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Control. Bad Intentions is the first Karen Fossum novel that I’ve read. Translated from the Norwegian, this is a crime novel about control and remorse. Part of a series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer, this is a psychological novel, tightly focused and slowly paced as the characters develop and Sejer performs his investigation diligently. Reading a novel in translation is always different from the original, and we rely on the skill of translators to make it work. I found that the characters were well developed in this short novel, and the pacing seemed just right to me. I found Sejer to be an especially interesting character, and I expect to read other Fossum novels in the future.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Bad Intentions from amazon.com.

No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller

2011-10-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Persistence. Six or seven times over the past eighteen months, I picked up and put down Harry Markopolos’ book about Bernie Madoff, No One Would Listen. I’d get interested quickly, then get bored quickly. I found his communication skills to be weak, and I began to understand at least one reason why the SEC didn’t follow up: he seemed like a crank. As everyone knows, he was right, and the whistle he tried to blow wasn’t heeded. My persistence, and his, endured to a resolution. I’m glad I read his account of what happened. I just wish he had made it more engaging. Readers with more patience than me are likely to enjoy this book, and anyone interested in finance and the Madoff scheme will find something of interest in this book.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase No One Would Listen from amazon.com.

The Affair

2011-10-08T12:16:00.001-07:00

Backstory. The fictional character Jack Reacher, who Lee Child created more than a dozen novels back, remains something of an enigma to readers. His backstory is the focus of the latest Reacher novel, The Affair. Set in 1997 when Reacher was in the Army, this novel sends him to Mississippi to investigate a murder that might be linked to a soldier. The local sheriff, Elizabeth Deveraux is also ex-military and she and Reacher understand each other. Reacher’s integrity leads him to uncover the truth wherever it leads, and in Child’s capable hands, readers are unsure about the truth until very late in the novel. Fans of thrillers and Reacher are those most likely to enjoy this fast-paced and entertaining novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Affair from amazon.com.

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues

2011-10-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Brutality. Fans of the Jesse Stone series created by Robert B. Parker will find some familiar elements in Michael Brandman’s debut effort, Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues. The short chapters with simple sentences are there, just weaker. The protagonist, Jesse Stone, remains a complex character, but somehow less appealing. The plot progresses with confidence, and by the end, the issues are resolved and justice is done. But Parker would never have had the dogs killed. This novel is worth a quick read to see the difference between Parker and Brandman. I’m not likely to read another Brandman novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Killing the Blues from amazon.com.

Cure

2011-10-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Mob. Robin Cook’s novel, Cure, has three elements that might appeal to fans: the return of protagonists Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton; an interesting crime uncovered by forensic medicine; and a passionate expression of a point of view about health care. The burden on readers to achieve satisfaction is to plow through four hundred pages of weak writing. I found myself intrigued by Cook’s description of Japanese mobsters. Laurie and Jack are quirky and interesting characters, but their dialogue often falls flat. Most readers will find better books than this to bring reading pleasure. Serial readers like me will put up with weak writing in exchange for a decent story and familiar characters.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Cure from amazon.com.

We the Animals

2011-10-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Brothers. Some debut novelists try to cram every possible component of their writing experience into a first novel. Justin Torres displays intensity and focus on the pages of his first novel, We the Animals. The result is a finely crafted short novel that tells a coming of age story by the youngest of three brothers, and how their entwined lives became one. At times, this writing is lyrical. At other times, there is such fast pacing that I found myself reading faster. Most readers will find something to like in this short novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase We the Animals from amazon.com.

Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State

2011-09-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

Transparency. Investigative journalist Dana Priest and her Washington Post colleague William Arkin, have aggregated their long-held interests in and writing about the national security infrastructure in a finely written new book titled, Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State. Their fine reporting and exhaustive and careful analysis provide citizens with an alarming story about just how huge and costly the security infrastructure has become in response to 9/11. My first reaction was along the lines of “enough already!” A second reaction was sobering: the expectation that even more costs are being incurred that Priest and Arkin were unable to reveal because of the secrecy surrounding many activities conducted in our name. Every reader will come away from this book with new information and knowledge, and perhaps with an interest in reform.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Top Secret America from amazon.com.

Train Dreams

2011-09-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Descriptive. Somehow I missed Denis Johnson’s novella, Train Dreams, when it won the O. Henry prize in 2003. Recently released in hardback, I read it in a single sitting and found Johnson’s descriptive language to be pitch perfect. Readers are transported to the West in the early 20th century, and Johnson wastes no words in fleshing out a protagonist shaped by the West. Any fan of literary fiction, good writing, and especially the West, will find much to enjoy in this finely written short work.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Train Dreams from amazon.com.

Haiti After the Earthquake

2011-09-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Gripping. Dr. Paul Farmer has worked in Haiti for three decades, and his work there was described in a finely written book by Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains, which I recommended highly in January 2004. Farmer has written a book of his own, Haiti After the Earthquake, which presents both his own gripping account of this disaster and the reflections of a handful of others who provide readers with a deep understanding of the plight of the people of Haiti. Farmer’s work with the poor is inspiring, but he does little back patting in this book. He expresses with experience and concern what has brought the people of Haiti to their current situation, and what can be done to help them build a better society. Many readers will finish this book and want to do something to help.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Haiti After the Earthquake from amazon.com.

The Magican King

2011-09-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Quest. It’s a challenge to find decent writing in fantasy fiction geared to adult audiences. Lev Grossman offers good writing in his second Fillory book titled, The Magican King. Readers are more likely to enjoy this book after reading the earlier novel, The Magicians. While the first book focused on coming of age with special skills, this one pays attention to finding purpose in life, and most of the four hundred pages involve a quest that will keep most readers well-entertained. Grossman’s main characters are recognizable to modern readers as friends and neighbors, just ones who are doing remarkable things. Fans of this genre are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Magican King from amazon.com.

Northwest Corner

2011-09-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Taut. John Burnham Schwartz reprises characters from his earlier novel, Reservation Road, and picks up the story twelve years later in his new book, Northwest Corner. Those readers with a bias against sequels may want to suspend that reaction and consider reading this finely written novel. Schwartz excels in three ways: his poetic and descriptive language is taut and often beautiful; the characters are deeply developed and relationships are both troubled and true; and the plot provides more satisfaction than many literary novels in telling a story that readers want to see resolved. Readers need not have read the earlier novel to enjoy this one.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase Northwest Corner from amazon.com.

Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington

2011-09-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Shrinkage. How can I possibly award a three-star rating (recommended) to a book that takes positions opposed to my own on every issue? There’s one clear reason: given Rick Perry’s high poll ratings, any citizen wanting to understand how he approaches political issues will learn a lot from reading his book titled, Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington. If Perry wins the White House, this book warns readers to expect not just minor changes in spending around the edges, but radical transformation, assuming a supportive Congress and Supreme Court. Perry has found little of value from Washington since sometime in the 19th century. Everything from the federal income tax, through the New Deal and the Great Society represent unwarranted federal intrusions into our lives, according to Perry. Republicans and Democrats both come under fire from Perry for expanding spending and for allowing the federal government to take on activities and roles beyond his interpretation of the Constitution. His goal would be to return most decisions from the centralized federal government to the states, where he feels decisions made closer to the governed will best reflect what people want. Whether you agree or disagree with Perry, reading this book can help citizens understand his version of America and the role of the federal government.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Fed Up from amazon.com.

This Beautiful Life

2011-09-14T10:49:00.001-07:00

Vulnerable. Our lives can change in an instant. We are vulnerable to the twists of fate, and to the actions of others that can become tragic for all. Helen Schulman presents a contemporary tragedy in her novel, This Beautiful Life. The Bergamot family has relocated to Manhattan from Ithaca, New York, and they are adapting to their new environment. Fifteen-year old Jake opens an email from a girl at his private school, and in the message the girl appears nude and performs an erotic dance. After Jake forwards this message to a friend, the lives of the Bergamots are changed forever. The image on the book jacket summarizes the plot: there is a house of cards, and being vulnerable to falling apart, we are not surprised when it does. The Bergamots are not the average family, and none of the characters are particularly appealing, but the story of their vulnerability to tragedy can be the story of everyone.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase This Beautiful Life from amazon.com.

The Last Werewolf

2011-09-14T10:47:00.001-07:00

Hunger. Most of the three hundred pages of Glen Duncan’s latest novel, The Last Werewolf, are narrated by Jacob Marlowe, who has become reconciled to his fate: an imminent death as the last of his species. He is being hunted down by an enemy hungry for revenge. Jake asks all the big questions as he records this diary, and explores the depths of hunger that prod us ahead. Duncan’s writing often soars, and his throwaway lines are often the best ones. Jake’s lunacy is an existential one that presents ways in which contemporary life leads to alienation and death. This is also a story about relationships that reinforces the ways in which love conquers all. Readers need not be drawn or repulsed by the werewolf motif; Duncan uses the werewolf as the element that targets Jake as the enemy that needs to be destroyed.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Last Werewolf from amazon.com.

The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris

2011-09-14T10:45:00.001-07:00

Lively. One joy that can come from reading is the pleasure of listening to someone talk about something they really enjoy or love. Such an experience awaits readers of John Baxter’s The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris. A longtime resident of Paris, married to a Frenchwoman, Baxter injects personal anecdotes with the settings he describes, and the spirited writing takes readers into Baxter’s enthusiasm. Readers who have never been to Paris will be enchanted, and will want to be there. Those who have been in Paris will feel as if one has returned. Those most familiar with Paris may quibble with Baxter, but are likely to feel proud of how the city of light shines on these pages. Readers looking for a travel guide will find more useful books than this one, but few of those capture the city’s spirit as well as this one.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Most Beautiful Walk in the World from amazon.com.

The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe

2011-09-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

Roadtrip. Personalized tours of Europe and elsewhere provide travelers with experiences that are tailored perfectly to one’s interests. Tony Perrottet designed such a tour, and used a family vacation for him to present his wife and young children with the experience of a lifetime: a romp through Europe’s best sites with sexual themes. His account of their trip is titled, The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe. Perrottet’s narrative is engaging and entertaining, and the places he describes are peculiar and most of them have been omitted from the history texts most of us have read. Among my favorite chapters: visiting the bathroom that Raphael painted in the Pope’s apartment at the Vatican, and being invited by Pierre Cardin to see the bowels of the house in southern France that had been owned by the Marquis de Sade. Armchair travelers will revel in Perrottet’s crisp writing, but trip planners may want to stick to Baedeker or an equivalent.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Sinner’s Grand Tour from amazon.com.

The Family Fang

2011-09-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

Performance. Readers who are up for a quirky and humorous reading experience may enjoy Kevin Wilson’s witty novel, The Family Fang. The parents of this family, Caleb and Camille Fang, are artists, and for their performance art, they have used their children, Buster and Annie, who are referred to in the videos of these performances as Child A and Child B. The stage for these relationships over time and the things they do for love and art provide a backdrop for Wilson’s sharp writing. The comfort of home takes many forms, and the home that Buster and Annie seek refuge in brought comfort and chuckles to me as I read this engaging novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Family Fang from amazon.com.

The Taker

2011-09-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Story. Over almost 450 pages of her debut novel, The Taker, Alma Katsu weaves a good story that kept me interested throughout. I closed the book with the feeling that character development was weak, and the supernatural elements may appeal best to those readers who enjoy tales outside the scope of one’s own experience. At its heart, this novel is a love story injected with betrayal and redemption. Katsu’s prose presents vivid descriptions of past and present settings. Readers willing to take a chance on a new author, and those who like imaginative fiction in the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe will find this novel to be a good choice.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
Click here to purchase The Taker from amazon.com.

Buried Secrets

2011-09-14T10:37:00.001-07:00

Familial. Joseph Finder continues the story of Nick Heller in a new novel titled, Buried Secrets. Having left his super spy role in D.C. over matters of integrity, Heller has opened his own business back home in Boston, and the case presented in this novel is close to home. His mother’s former employer, a mega-wealthy hedge fund manager, faces financial concerns and his daughter has been kidnapped and buried alive. Finder maintains a thrilling pace with his plot, and his development of Heller as a tough and kind hero continues in this novel, setting an expectation for more to follow. Readers who like fast paced thrillers with strong central characters are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Buried Secrets from amazon.com.

A Trick of the Light

2011-09-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Chiaroscuro. The first Louise Penny novel I’ve read is her latest, A Trick of the Light. Set in Quebec, this is a murder mystery featuring a character she has developed over multiple novels: Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec. I was impressed by the ways in which Penny fleshed out each character with precise strokes, and with how her theme and title, what is real and what isn’t, used a painter’s portraits of darkness and light to reveal the inner character of the individual subjects. This novel is also a study in relationships and in finding ways to overcome the barriers to living an authentic life. Readers will care about these characters and what happens to them, and thanks to Penny’s fine writing, will be absorbed in their stories from beginning to end. The mystery itself respects a reader’s intelligence, and the solution will please most readers.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
Click here to purchase A Trick of the Light from amazon.com.

A Dance with Dragons

2011-09-09T09:18:00.001-07:00

Extravagant. Does George R.R. Martin get paid by the word? Book five of the Song of Fire and Ice series titled, A Dance with Dragons, comes in at over a thousand pages. Considering that this book was meant to extend the stories of half the characters in book four that he left dangling in that large book, the volume seems excessive, and would benefit from editing. The popularity of the Game of Thrones television adaptation will bring Martin new readers, but I expect those who enjoy the visual grandness of this fantasy world will become tired by the prose and the ways in which Martin leaves one storyline and starts up another. Readers with patience and who are tolerant of wordiness will find extravagant and imaginative stories on these pages. Those who find value in more pages per dollar spent will find such value here. Most readers will bore easily and become confused by all the characters and their backstories. Fans will also be bored by the wasted paragraphs retelling the backstories that loyal readers may know as well as the author. All that said, this is a genre with little of decent writing to entertain readers, and for those who like fantasy tales, there’s much to enjoy here, very much.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase A Dance with Dragons from amazon.com.

My American Unhappiness

2011-09-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Offbeat. Protagonist Zeke Pappas in Dean Bakopoulos’ new novel, My American Unhappiness, may be the poster boy for why some politicians want to stop government funding for arts and humanities projects. Zeke is director of the Great Midwestern Humanities Initiative, based in Madison, Wisconsin, and his special area of interest is “The Inventory of American Unhappiness,” which assembles all the whiney ways in which people are bummed by the speed bumps of life and the many irritations that can be part of every day’s experiences. This amusing and offbeat satire will appeal to those readers who like a spot-on critique of contemporary life, but one that doesn’t take itself or ourselves too seriously.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase My American Unhappiness from amazon.com.

La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life

2011-09-09T09:13:00.001-07:00

Enchanté. Readers who enjoy light storytelling in nonfiction may be amused by Elaine Sciolino’s charming book about France titled, La Seduction. Sciolino sees an organizing principle underlying most aspects of French culture: seduction. She moves from personal relationships to politics, to eating and drinking, to intellectual life and every aspect of life, finding in each area ample ammunition to support her premise that understanding seduction is the key to understanding the French. American Francophiles will be particularly amused by this book. It’s a quick read, and her prose keeps readers engaged. Just when she comes close to beating the horse to death, she moves to another area of focus.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase La Seduction from amazon.com.

Flowering Judas

2011-09-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Layers. Jane Haddam’s new novel, Flowering Judas, will satisfy most readers of mystery novels, especially those who like the assurance and stability that comes from a recurring detective. Gregor Demarkian unravels this case, as expected, while readers are presented with the twist of the detective’s distraction because of his concern for the health of his ninety nine year old friend and neighbor, George Tekemanian, who was taken to the hospital as Gregor was called to solve an out of town murder. Haddam explores many layers and levels of familial concern in this novel, and draws readers into both the light and dark sides of close and extended family life. This likeable protagonist can deal with grisly matters and come away with his humanity intact, to the great pleasure of readers who like things to be resolved in the end.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Flowering Judas from amazon.com.

Yossarian Slept Here: When Joseph Heller Was Dad, the Apthorp Was Home, and Life Was a Catch-22

2011-08-23T10:18:00.001-07:00

Place. There’s double pleasure in Erica Heller’s memoir, Yossarian Slept Here: When Joseph Heller Was Dad, the Apthorp Was Home, and Life Was a Catch-22: the family anecdotes she selects are finely written, and the setting for many of them, the apartments in the Apthorp, provide a context and a sense of place that bring the words to life. There’s enough humor throughout this memoir to offset those aspects of family relationships that are marked by alienation and disappointment. All life is packed with contradictions, and Heller writes in a way that most readers will find engaging and interesting.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase Yossarian Slept Here from amazon.com.

One Summer

2011-08-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Melodrama. David Baldacci has taken a break from thrillers to write a family melodrama titled, One Summer. This sappy tear-jerker read as if it were intended for a made for TV after school special. The family dynamics across generations are predictable and the life-changing events are out of a soap opera. Character development is flat. The story can be engaging at times, and after a while most readers will want to stick with it to find out how things get resolved.

Rating: One-star (Read only if your interest is strong)
Click here to purchase One Summer from amazon.com.

No Rest for the Dead

2011-08-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Serial. Writing is usually a solitary experience, and many readers can recognize a writer’s style from a sample. In a break from that consistency, Andrew Gulli assembled over two dozen writers to contribute chapters to a mystery titled, No Rest for the Dead. The result is something like improv: the pleasure of a unique voice, riffing with other voices and assembling a shared piece of art that brings enjoyment. I sampled some chapters trying to guess the writer before seeing his or her name, and I had a lot of lucky guesses. For most readers, then, this may be a chance to see the work of many favorite writers in a single book. The mystery itself was pretty good, and considering the challenges of multiple writers, wrapped up in a satisfying way.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
Click here to purchase No Rest for the Dead from amazon.com.