2007 Staff Picks Book Reviews

For more reviews go to Novelist

December 2007

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
(Reviewed by Robin)
Adult Fiction
F AUS
This lesser known novel of Austen's is shorter and somewhat less polished than her more famous works, but I think it is also her funniest. The social satire that undercuts all of her novels is closest to the surface here as she follows the adventures of the naive, but well-read, Catherine Morland. Catherine's prodigious consumption of thrilling gothic novels sends her imagination into overdrive when she is invited to visit historic Northanger Abbey. Her imaginings result in embarrassing misunderstandings, but Catherine's instincts turn out to be correct on at least one front. Though the character she surmised to be a villain proves himself to be one, it is not in as chillingly evil a manner as she had imagined. Readers who enjoy Jane Austen or the gothic novels she satirizes here will enjoy this book.

A Power Governments Cannot Suppress by Howard Zinn
(Reviewed by Zeb)
Adult Non Fiction
A well written and easy to follow book that analyzes many of today’s popular issues. Zinn explores government imperialism and dishonesty, the nation’s beginnings which created a predestined preference for the wealthy and major corporations, in addition to the growing disparity between public opinion and government policy. Throughout an underlying message of hope that things can and do change to create a more peaceful and universal world for everyone is offered.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
(Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction
F GRU
This novel is told in flashback by ninety-something, Jacob Jankowski. He remembers his brief time spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, during the Great Depression. When Jacob is 23, he learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash. He drops out of Cornell veterinary school and finds a job with the circus, where he cares for the animals. His bond with the elephants and Marlena, one of the show's star performers, are heartwarming.

November 2007

It’s All About Him by Denise Jackson
(Reviewed by Linda)
Adult Biography
B Jackson
Denise Jackson, wife of country music icon, Alan Jackson, describes her spiritual journey. Money did not buy happiness for Denise. Developing a stronger faith did. The Jackson’s family story is detailed from their young marriage through Alan’s ascent to fame. An interesting read for Alan Jackson fans and those interested in Christian spiritual growth.

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
(Reviewed by Robin)
Adult Non-Fiction
394.12 POL
A natural history of four meals, by Michael Pollan In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan traces four types of meals back from the plate to their ultimate origins. A meal from McDonald's leads to discussion of the agro-industrial cornfields and feedlots of the Great Plains, the rise of corn and corn byproducts in the American diet, and the resultant economic and health impacts (but without being preachy). An organic meal from a big natural foods chain shows that when organic products increase in popularity their production methods become increasingly industrial. A locally grown meal from a small family farm that uses ingenious and old-fashioned stock rotations to achieve fully sustainable meat and poultry production was the most interesting to me. Finally, Pollan takes to the "wild" to forage a meal without the help of agriculture. A great read for foodies or anyone interested in environmental issues, nutrition, or the mechanics of the American food production and distribution system.

Bitter Grounds by Sandra Benitez
(Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction
F BEN
This book tells the story of three generations of women in war-torn El Salvador. After losing most of their family during the massacres of 1932, Mercedes Prietas and her daughter Jacinta go to work for Elena de Contreras and her family, who own enormous coffee and cotton plantations. During the next 40 years, the women of both families help each other endure many hardships amid the country's political turmoil.

October 2007

Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman
(Reviewed by Linda)
Adult Fiction
F KEL
An absorbing tale about a teenager whom psychologist Alex Delaware treated for obsessive compulsive disorder as a child. Tanya returns to Delaware looking for help in deciphering an apparent deathbed confession to a crime from her mother.

The Departed by Martin Scorsese
(Reviewed by Dave)
DVD 791.43 DEP
Scorsese does in this movie what Alfred Hitchcock did in several of his (most notably in Shadow of a Doubt), which is to mirror two characters to uncomfortably question identity. Sullivan’s (played by Matt Damon) slick police identity gradually destabilizes and Costigan (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), turning into a frenzied embodiment of panic attacks, is roused into actually saying, “I just want my identity back.” And Mark Wahlberg’s character, Sgt. Dignam, is just quick, crude and cool, a suitable description of the overall identity of the film itself.

Sold by Patricia McCormick
(Reviewed by Chris)
Young Adult Fiction
YA MCC
An eye-opening well written novel that uses prose like descriptions of a 13 year old girl’s life in a mountain village of Nepal. Her life is poor but simple and innocent until her stepfather sends her away to a far away town where she thinks she will be working as a maid to help the family income. She then slowly realizes the harsh realities of the real world that she has been sold into.

The View from Mount Joy: a novel by Lorna Landvik
(Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction
F LAN
In the beginning, one meets the narrator, Joe Andreson, who is a new student and senior at Minneapolis high school class of '72. Like everyone else, Joe has a crush on head cheerleader Kristi Casey. Kristi befriends him, when she feels like it. After graduation, they stay in touch from time to time, when she feels like it. Joe isn’t able to let go of his infatuation. With a twist of fate, Joe becomes a successful grocer. Surprising everyone, Kristi becomes a Bible-thumping radio/televangelist. Joe reconnects with his best friend from high school, Darva Pratt and comes to his senses. -Quirky and larger than life characters.

September 2007

The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer
(Reviewed by Dave)
Adult Fiction
F MAI
If you can get past the scatological preoccupation and the several-lessons worth of bee-keeping, this is a great book, very stylized and witty. It’s a fictionalized account of Hitler’s youth, told from the perspective of a demon whose job it is to nudge Hitler in the direction of Satan’s service. The spiritual fight between good and evil that characterizes the story allows for a psychoanalytic case study with surprising compatibility. It’s Norman Mailer’s last novel and definitely worth the read.

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben
(Reviewed by Linda)
Adult Fiction
F COB
A mystery filled with humor, romance, suspense and twists. Myron Bolitar, sports agent, signs one of the most promising college football players in Deal Breaker. During contract negotiations the player receives a call from his missing and presumed dead fiancé

The Lost Painting: the quest for a Carvaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr
(Reviewed by Heather)
Non-fiction that reads like Fiction
759.5 HAR
IIn this book, Jonathan Harr, author of A Civil Action, takes the reader on an historical journey.  The lost painting is by the artist, Caravaggio, a master of the Italian Baroque. The reader learns more about Carvaggio’s interesting life as a mystery unfolds. The “characters” include a young graduate student from Rome, Francesca Cappelletti, who makes a discovery that inspires a search for a work of art lost for almost two centuries. Francesca then meets Sergio Benedetti, an art restorer working in Ireland, and the pieces of the puzzle begin to assemble. The “Englishman,” Sir Denis, a ninety-one year old Carvaggio expert, is also consulted and adds to this interesting read. A must read for John Berendt fans.

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
(Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction
F FOW
The story follows five women and one man who meet to discuss the work of Jane Austen one hot summer in California. The common factor is that they are all mixed up about love and romance. It is easy to bond with the likeable, but quirky, characters that are very different and in different stages of their lives. The stories are funny, sometimes tragically so. Hint: you don’t have to read Jane Austen first, but you might relate better if you do.

August 2007

Island of the lost : shipwrecked at the edge of the world by Joan Druett
(reviewed by Dave)
Historical Adventure
919.3 DRU
An “account” would best describe the narrative style of the non-fiction gem, Island of the Lost.  I wouldn’t say that it reads like fiction, because it reads better than fiction.  The characters aren’t so much developed as they are illuminated, the pathos so tenderly treated as to cause a hearty laugh from time to time.  Two stories are given, one a hopeful tale of camaraderie peppered with sentimental pessimism; the other, by contrast, a to-hell-and-back tale, persevered through the spirit of independence.  A must read for fans of maritime adventure. 

The Spirit of Disobedience by Curtis White (Reviewed by Dave)
Social/Cultural Criticism
303.3 WHI
This book has range: from an examination of the movies Office Space and Brokeback Mountain, to an analysis of Marx’s philosophy as lacking an ethical base; reading between the lines of the Da Vinci Code, as well as Kant’s Critique of Practical Reason.  He describes the obsolescence the Golden Rule in the wake of Capitalism and the illusory line separating left and right politics and pundits.  The unifying theme is America’s spiritual bankruptcy and the rectification he offers are lessons taken from Thoreau’s Walden and interviews with experts in the fields of time, home and food. 

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
(Reviewed by Merry)
Fiction
F MOS
If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code,  you will appreciate Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth, a thriller combining present-day and medieval intrigue. Alice Tanner is assisting an old friend at an archaeological dig in southern France, when a boulder mysteriously shifts, revealing an ancient cave.  Entering the cave, she finds two skeletons and an unusual labyrinth symbol etched into the wall, as well as a stone ring engraved with the same symbol.  Falling into a trance-like state, she is thrust back to the 13th century into the character of Alais, an intelligent and high spirited young woman who is a Cathar Christian.  The Cathars are supposed to be the Grail guardians and have become the target of the Catholic Church’s notorious Albigensian crusade against heretics.  The Cathars were, among other things, vegetarians who ordained women as priests, believed in reincarnation, and viewed both Jews and Muslims as equals. The two stories weave in and out, revealing a tradition that has lasted for 800 years—and placing the two women at risk from those who will stop at nothing to keep the secret of the cave.  I especially enjoyed this book because the author has done meticulous research and because it takes place in the Languedoc, my favorite part of France.

July 2007

Shosha by Isaac Bashevis Singer
(reviewed by Dave)
Adult Fiction
F SIN (Storage)
Aaron reunites with his long lost childhood friend, Shosha.  Their worlds are drastically different: he’s an intellectual and a writer and, though childlike and innocent, she’s something of a dolt; he’s worldly and experienced and she’s rarely ventured beyond the block of the ghetto where she grew up.  Despite the differences and his chaotic life, he falls in love with her, a position especially challenging considering this takes place in a Jewish ghetto in Poland just before the Nazi’s invaded.  Aaron maintains a paradoxical attitude of tense resignation, making for a lyrical read – I highly recommend it! 

The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
(Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction (Historical)
F URR
This is the epic tale of the author’s great aunt, Teresita. She was the real-life "Saint of Cabora," a healer, born to a 14-year-old Indian girl impregnated by a prosperous rancher near the Mexico-Arizona border. The setting is pre-revolutionary Mexico, 1873. Even though Teresita was raised in poverty, she became a "chosen child," showing such remarkable healing powers that the ranch's medicine woman took her as an apprentice. She was later denounced as a heretic by the Catholic Church. Part Latin-American magical realism and folktale mixed with historical fiction, this book tells an interesting story of struggle.  A must read for those who love Isabel Allende’s magical realism stories.

No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
(reviewed by Linda)
Adult Fiction
F COB
Doctor Marc Seidman awakens to the sound of life support machines in the hospital and the realization that he is the patient.  This is only the beginning of the new reality he must face as he learns that his wife has been killed and his infant daughter is missing.  A ransom request follows but there is much more to the story than a simple kidnapping.

June 2007

Atonement by Ian McEwan
(Reviewed by Linda)
Fiction
F MCE
This Pulitzer Prize nominated novel begins in England in 1935 where a simple misunderstanding of events witnessed by a thirteen year old girl alters the course of several lives dramatically. McEwan expertly develops the characters and brings World War II England to life with detailed descriptions from the viewpoint of a nurse and a soldier in the field.

Nineteen minutes by Jodi Picoult
(Reviewed by Trish)
Fiction
CD F PIC
As a commuter who spends many hours in my car each week, I get a lot of my "reading" done by listening to books on CD. When a book is so compelling that it keeps you glued to your car seat even after arriving at your destination, it is known as a "driveway moment". Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult had too many "driveway moments" to count! Perhaps it was just the timing, I listened to the book just after the Trolley Square shootings, and about half-way through it, the shootings in Virginia took place, making it an eery coincidence. The story, a fictional account of a school shooting in New Hampshire, tells the story from all sides; the victims, the shooter, and the parents involved. Picoult's insight into the lives of her characters is uncanny and thought-provoking. Although I have enjoyed all of Picoult's books, this is her best novel to date. It is both emotionally charged and timely, and definitely worth a read or listen.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (Reviewed by Dave)
DVD
DVD 791.43 THR
Tommy Lee Jones plays Pete Perkins, a taciturn rancher whose mission it is to return wrongfully-killed Melquiades Estrada to his home town in Mexico for a proper burial, a course of action agreed upon when Mel was still living. The journey from the states to Mexico parallels (and at times intersects) the journey made by illegal immigrants from Mexico to the states, with a poignant message of disillusionment about the destination. Even thought the film has an unassuming feel, it requires extra attention due to its non-sequential order, but extra-attention well worth it – in my opinion, one of the best films of last year.

May 2007

Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief by Bill Mason
(Reviewed by Dave)
True Crime
364.15 Mas
I reviewed a book in August of 2005 called You Can’t Win, an autobiography of Jack Black, professional home invasion thief of the early 20th century.  I recently discovered in our collection what could be the late 20th century companion piece to You Can’t Win, called Confessions of a Master Jewel Thief.  Every bit as fascinating as You Can’t Win and even more exciting and contemporary.  If you’re a fan of true crime without a lot of apologies, then this book is for you!

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War  by Nathaniel Philbrick.
(Reviewed by Brian)
History
973.22  PHI
What begins as an amazing survival story of the Pilgrims in a vast new world, grows into a commentary on New England cultural and political dynamics. The Pilgrims need the native Pokinoket tribe to help them survive; but the tribe, decimated by disease, needs the pilgrims as allies against stronger neighboring tribes. After the first generation, both groups take for granted their shared history and may lose hold of their uneasy truce…

The Commission by Michael Norman
(Reviewed by Mary)
F NOR
The Commission is a neat police procedural novel set in Salt Lake City.  It differs from others of this genre in that it involves the Dept. of Corrections personnel and administration.  Norman writes knowledgably and openly about the politics surrounding police, corrections and political office holders as they relate to a crime situation. This is a quick, easy read about a complex situation with lots of underlying political overtone.

Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes.
(Reviewed by Teresa)
Adult Fiction
F KEY
I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one day. I loved the mystery surrounding Anna’s life as she is trying to come to grips with what is happening to her and when it finally becomes clear in a dream a third of the way into the book I was amazed at the wonderful way Keyes let us in on the secret. Keyes takes a serious topic and still provides us humor since the Walsh family continues to deal with their lives in their own personal way. This is the fourth book featuring the Walshes. (For more about Keyes go to her official website: www.mariankeyes.com)

Inés of my soul by Isabel Allende
(Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction
F ALL
This historical fiction story is set in the 16th century. It follows the life of Doña Inés Suárez, often called “the mother of Chile.”  Inés writes to her daughter in the year of her death, about her childhood in Spain and her travels to the New World as a young wife to find her missing husband, Juan. Upon learning of Juan's death in battle, Inés stays in Peru, where she falls in love with Don Pedro de Valdivia, loyal field marshal of Francisco Pizarro. The two lovers strive to settle Chile and start a new society based on Christian principles. They battle the native people and the land. A great read!

March 2007

The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman (Reviewed by Heather)
Young Adult Fiction
YA CUS
Thirteen year-old Francine lives down the street from a Hollywood film studio and loves the actor, Montgomery Clift.  The year is 1949 and Francine attends Catholic school. It is there where she meets her best friend, Sophie. Sophie questions everything including God. Francine begins to question things she’s never thought of, including the atom bomb, free speech, Communists, and the black list.  A wonderful historical read for all ages.

The Cat who went to Paris by Peter Gethers (Reviewed by Heather)
Travel Memoir
818.54 GET
Animal lovers will love this book. However, it is not just for animal lovers.  The author begins as a cat hater and is transformed by a Scottish fold kitten named Norton.  Norton becomes Peter’s constant companion through his travels and his romances.  A short, fun read for all.

The God of Small Things: a novel by Arundhati Roy (Reviewed by Heather)
Adult Fiction
F ROY
This story is set in Kerala, India, during the late 1960s. The protagonists include Rahel and her fraternal twin brother, Estha.  It is a time when Communism rattles the caste system.  The story reveals family tensions, local politics, and forbidden love. The narration is from a child’s point of view, and takes on the magical quality of storytelling.
For those readers who like a complex read and don’t mind tragedy.