The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
HarperCollins, 2011, 256 pgs.

Kamila Sidiqi was raised in a family that prized education. She graduated from a teaching institute in Kabul shortly before the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. Confined to home under Taliban laws, Kamila and her siblings were anxious and fearful as Kamila became the sole support of her family when her brother and father fled to Pakistan to avoid arrest. Defying Taliban rules she started a dressmaking enterprise that grew to support her family and others in her neighborhood.

Though the book is a biography, the style borders on fiction as the author alternates events and background with reconstructed conversations. This style creates a quick moving and readable story, but, as a result it often feels more like fiction than fact. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoyed Three Cups of Tea or The Kabul Beauty School and works of fiction about Afghanistan such as Under the Persimmon Tree or The Swallows of Kabul. SH

Ruby Red

Ruby Red
By Kerstin Gier
Henry Holt, 2011. 330 pgs. Young Adult

Gwyneth has only had to deal with normal teenage issues and the fact that she can see and talk to ghosts during her sixteen years; her cousin Charlotte has the time-traveling gene in the family. So when Gwen travels back in time unexpectedly, twice in 24 hours, she realizes some mistake has been made. Quickly initiated into the Order, a secret society devoted to the twelve people who time-travel, Gwen is sent on a mission with Gideon, a fellow teen and time-traveler. Their goal is to find the rest of the time travelers whose blood is not in the Order’s special chronograph. When the mission is ambushed, Gwen begins to think that her mother’s forebodings and warnings about the Order might be correct.

This great, fast-paced read has it all—adventure, humor, secrets, mystery, and a little romance. Gwen is an appealing heroine, Gideon is a swoon-worthy love interest, and the twists are intriguing. The time-traveling aspect can be a bit confusing at times, but I have faith that it all works. I eagerly look forward to the next two in the series.

MN

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair
By Elizabeth Laird
Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 423 pages. Young Adult

Maggie and her granny live in a one-room cottage and live day-to-day in 1600s Scotland. Granny is accused of witchcraft after a baby she delivers dies and Maggie is also accused when she defends Granny. With the help of an old friend, Maggie escapes prison and sets off to find her uncle, whom she has never met. A devout Covenanter, Maggie’s uncle believes in the right to worship as he chooses. Maggie’s life changes drastically in her uncle’s home, but Maggie begins to wonder who she is and what she believes. I had higher expectations for this and felt let down. It wasn’t horrible, but was rather pedestrian.

MN

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories
By Paul B. Janeczko
Candlewick Press, 2010. 248 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Spies and spying is such a fascinating topic. Why else would we have so many movies, TV shows, and novels? In The Dark Game, the author presents the evolution of American spying and espionage. The book covers from the Revolutionary War, where the colonists just may have won their freedom by out spying the British, to its peak during the Cold War. There are also break out sections on gray pages that cover interesting spy topics such as invisible ink, WWII Navajo and Choctaw code talkers, and spy gadgets and gizmos.

This is a quick and easy way to get into the history of spying in America. I breezed through this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.

AJ

...Then I Met My Sister

...Then I Met My Sister
By Christine Hurley Deriso
Flux, 2011. 269 pgs. Young Adult

Summer's sister, Shannon, died before Summer was even born, and although she never got the chance to know her, she's certainly had the chance to resent her. Shannon, seemingly perfect in every way, is the standard their mother expects Summer to live up to, but Summer doesn't even try. Then Summer's aunt gives her Shannon's diary, and Summer learns there was a lot more to her sister--and their parents--than she knew. With the help of her best friend/crush Gibs, Summer sets out to learn about the sister she never met and to figure out what to do about her family now.

I think my favorite part of this book was actually the budding romance with Gibs, which is awkward and adorable, but readers will enjoy seeing Summer's growth and empathize with her difficulties understanding and communicating with her parents.

AE

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation
By Simon Elkeles
Flux, 2006. 234 pgs. Young Adult

Amy Nelson's father, who she refers to as Sperm Donor, since he hasn't exactly been a big part of her life, drags her to Israel for the summer because her grandmother--whom she's never met and who doesn't even know Amy exists--is ill. Amy doesn't want to go, and when she gets there, she and her cousin Osnat (Snotty) don't exactly hit it off, and one of Snotty's friends, sexy Avi, thinks Amy's a spoiled American. Amy sets out to prove Avi wrong.

On the one hand, there were some funny aspects of this book. On the other hand, I think Amy is a spoiled American, and there were definitely times that it was hard for me to care about her. I thought there were some interesting insights into life in Israel, but there were also some topics that were completely glossed over and probably should have been left out of the story if they weren't going to be more developed. I don't think I'll bother with the rest of the series.

AE

The Boy Who Dared

The Boy Who Dared
By Susan Campbell Baroletti
Scholastic Press, 2008. 202 pgs. Young Adult

In Nazi Germany, some people recognized Nazi propaganda and violence for what it was--a violation of civil rights and a bunch of lies to cover the truth. Helmuth Hubener, a teenager, was one of those people. Troubled by the Nazis and their beliefs and adhering to his own beliefs (he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints) he only reluctantly participated in the Hitler Youth (a requirement for all German youth), and, after listening to illegal BBC broadcasts about the war, began writing and distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets. Caught, he was sentenced to death but was at peace with his decision to tell the truth.

Based on the true story of Helmuth Hubener (whose last name actually wasn't Hubener for much of his life), this book is an intriguing look at how those who didn't support the Nazis might struggle with their own conscience--on the one hand, they wanted to protect themselves and their families, but on the other, how could they stand by as the Nazi madness spread? This is an inspiring story, and while occasionally, the writing felt a little simplistic to me, the message is powerful.

Spiral

Spiral
by Paul McEuen
Dial, 2011. 310 pgs. Mystery

Microcrawlers and a death-dealing fungus combine in this thriller that begins just after World War II when the Navy bombs its own sailors to destroy a biological weapon designed by the Japanese to exact a terrible revenge on the allies. Liam Connor was on a ship at the scene along with Hitoshi Katano, one of seven men sent to disperse the fungus. Six are accounted for. Connor finds the last cylinder slotted into one of Katano's finger bones. He pretends to throw it into the ocean but he really keeps it. Years later Connor is a distinguished professor at Cornell University and the leading expert in the world on fungi. When his body is found at the bottom of one of Cornell's famous gorges, suicide is the verdict, but security footage of a mysterious woman on the bridge with Dr. Connor suggests otherwise. Maggie, Liam's granddaughter, Dylan, his great-grandson, and Professor Jake Sterling are instantly and almost irretrievably endangered as they are stalked by a frightening Chinese assassin and psychopath named Orchid. McEuen's debut novel is breathtaking in every sense of the word. A terrific and deeply unsettling thriller to begin the summer reading season.

LW

The Tourist

The Tourist
By Olen Steinhauer
Minotaur Books, 2009. 408 pgs.

Milo Weaver has a desk job with the CIA. Milo interrogates a man being held believed to be an assassin--"the Tiger." Soon "the Tiger" is dead in his cell. When Angela Yates, a colleague from Milo's days in black ops, is under suspicion of trading secrets, Milo pays her a visit. Soon Angela is dead in her apartment. Milo returns home to vacation with his family in Disneyland when his superior call him with a "go" code and Milo sets off on the run. Milo has to figure out what's going on while Homeland security and and the CIA itself are trying to bring him in.

This is a fine espionage thriller. Fast paced and a quick read. If the description above sounds nothing like the movie you might have seen, that's because this book is nothing like the movie you might have seen.

SML

Cold Wind

Cold Wind
by C. J. Box
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2011. 388 pgs. Mystery.

What if you were called upon to defend your mother-in-law against murder charges and you hated your mother-in-law? This is the dilemma facing Joe Pickett, Wyoming game warden, husband, father, and fed-up son-in-law. Joe, in fact, discovered the body of Missy's fifth husband, lashed to the vane of a windmill on his own newly-constructed wind farm. Many signs point to Missy's involvement--the murder weapon was found in her Hummer, and she had allegedly made many phone calls to husband number four trying to talk him into killing number five. But how could the small-boned Missy have lugged Earl up the windmill's shaft and lashed him to a whirling blade? Seems unlikely, so Joe sets out to try to clear Missy's name for his wife's sake. Turns out there are no shortage of people who wanted Earl dead or who would like to see Missy go down for murder and Joe's trail leads him from resentful neighbors to a mafia-connected bank in Chicago. Although Box lays plenty of groundwork for the book's ending, it is still startling. Joe Pickett is no surprise, however. He remains a steady, persistent, honorable family man, just like in his previous ten novels which you may want to go back and read if you enjoy this one.

LW

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World
By Penny Coleman
Henry Holt and Company, 2011. 256 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

From the time that Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, two of the pioneering forces in the fight for women's rights, met, they were fierce friends, despite their difference. Stanton, a married woman who went on to have seven children, was more radical in some of her beliefs (such as challenging the clergy and even publishing a women's Bible), while Anthony was a single schoolteacher whose first interest was the temperance movement but who soon pushed women's rights beyond . Anthony thrived on organizing conventions; Stanton would rather not attend but enjoyed writing fiery speeches which she often had Anthony present at the conferences for her. Despite their disagreements, they did agree that women needed to be equal citizens and worked tirelessly to achieve that, and many advance were made during their lifetimes, although women's suffrage, one of their biggest goals, was only achieved in a few states before their deaths.

Before reading this book, I was of course aware of Stanton and Anthony, but I didn't realize how much controversy there was within the women's right movement or how long and how hard they worked for their cause. This was highly informative not just about these two women but about the women's right movement and the political climate in 19th century America. Well worth reading.

AE

Le Ton Beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language

Le Ton Beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language
By Douglas R. Hofstadter
Basic Books, 1997. 632 pgs. Nonfiction


This is one of the most unique and interesting books I've ever read. It is a playful and intelligent look at the vagaries, difficulties, and joys of translating even the simplest literary work from one language to another. Hofstadter takes up Clement Marot's "A une Damoyselle malade"--a French poem of 28 3-syllable lines--and attempts to translate it into English. There are over 80 (very) different translations of this poem in this book, each displaying different qualities of the original, but none capturing all the qualities of the original.

Several translations of the poem with accompanying discussion appear in every other chapter of the tome. The alternating chapters are filled with autobiographical anecdotes and a variety personal tidbits on literature, linguistics, computer science, music, and creativity. Hofstadter's education is in mathematics and physics and he's a professor of cognitive science. Although I know virtually no French whatsoever (you don't need to at all)--this book was thoroughly engaging and entertaining.

SML

Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem

Revelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem
Translated by Brent Landau, with introduction, conclusion, and notes
HarperCollins, 2011. 149 pgs. Nonfiction.

We don't know much about the wise men beyond what is recorded in Matthew 2:1-12. We don't even really know that there were only three of them; three gifts doesn't necessarily mean three people as it turns out. In fact, there were probably many more wise men and we learn more about them from Landau's translation of an ancient Syriac text written as a first-person account of the magi from the land of Shir, by the ocean. According to this text, the wise men are called "magi" not because they are wizards or magicians, but because they pray silently. The star of Bethlehem is a manifestation of the Christ Child himself. The "star" appears to the magi as "a pillar of light" from which the child materializes and speaks to them. They are also conveyed quickly, almost effortlessly to and from Bethlehem by supernatural means. An apparent addenda to the Revelation, written in third person, tells of the apostle Thomas' journey to Shir to enjoin the wise men to spread the gospel. The slim text is supplemented by a wealth of notes which would be more helpful at footnotes but which are well worth reading as endnotes. Of particular local interest is the fact that the Revelation of the Magi places the wise men in Bethlehem in the time of flowers, i.e., April.

LW

Blue Blood

Blue Blood
by Edward Conlon
Riverside, 2004. 562 pgs. Biography.

Edward Conlon is a Harvard-educated policeman who likes being a cop, rather than a policeman who signed up so he could write about his experiences. Intermingled with his stories of narcotics busts, rooftop surveillance, good partners, and bad bosses, are narratives of his own history. His father was an FBI agent, his grandfather a crooked cop who "carried the bag" between the mob and the precinct. His uncle policed the waterfront, and all were NYPD through and through. Much of Conlon's book describes the daily life of a policeman, in his case, the life of a policeman who always likes his job but wants to try something harder. From a beat policeman in the Projects to a gold-shield detective, Conlon tells his story with vigor, good humor, apt analogies, and a prose style that draws the reader effortlessly through a long book.

LW

What Happened to Goodbye

What Happened to Goodbye
By Sarah Dessen
Viking Childrens Books, 2011. 402 pgs. Young Adult

Since her parents' divorce, Mclean Sweet has followed her father around on his job as a restaurant consultant. That means she's lived in four towns in two years--and in each place, she has created a new identify for herself, complete with a new name (she's been Beth, Eliza, and Lizbet) and new hobbies and interests, molding her personality into whatever works best for her current location. She doesn't get attached, and she doesn't say goodbye. However, in the fourth town, before she has a chance to role out her new persona (Liz), she's forced back into being Mclean--except she doesn't really know what that means anymore. As she's trying to deal with her family troubles--she's basically avoided her mother ever since the divorce--and making new friends, she has to figure out how to be herself again.

I always enjoy Sarah Dessen's books and this one is no exception (although I will say it's not my favorite of hers). There's a little bit of romance (although some readers might wish there was a little more, since it doesn't garner many pages of coverage), and a lot of realistically-developed family and identity issues. Dessen is great at portraying deep characters and getting inside the head of teen girls. I thought the ending wrapped up a little too quickly, but overall, another teen book with some substance to recommend to teens and adults alike.

AE

The Paris Wife

The Paris Wife
By Paula McLain
Ballantine Books, 2011. 320 pgs. Fiction

In The Paris Wife, Paula McLain opens a window for us into the private lives of a young Ernest Hemingway, his first wife, Hadley Richardson, and their expatriate writer and artist friends living in 1920s Paris, France. Though Hemingway and Hadley’s relationship was ultimately doomed, this novel takes a look at how this unlikely couple (Hadley was 28 when she met a 20-year-old Hemingway) met, fell in love, and stayed together through many problems such as destructive friendships, poverty, and drunkenness.

The hardest thing about reading this novel is that, as a character, Ernest is not an easy man to like. He is selfish, chauvinistic, bull-headed, judgmental, and rude. On the plus side, this is an interesting testament to the woman behind the man, and even more, is a very well written book. I just had a hard time getting past Ernest.

AJ

Small Acts of Amazing Courage

Small Acts of Amazing Courage
By Gloria Whelan
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011. 217 pages. Young Adult

Rosy is very happy in India. She is free to roam the bazaars with her friend Isha, even though it is not proper for a young British woman. When her father returns from fighting in the Great War, he forbids her from her unwholesome activities. But Rosy is beginning to think for herself and sees opportunities to help in India, especially with the unrest towards the British and Gandhi’s rise. When she is sent to England for her education, Rosy continues to help others, including her aunt. This quick read is a lighthearted book about familiar struggles. Rosy is a fun, mischievous girl and it’s nice to see a young adult novel describe India and its fight towards independence.

MN

Candy Bomber

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot"
By Michael O. Tunnell
Charlesbridge, 2010. 110 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Following WWII and the division of Germany between the Allied powers, the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin, hoping to be able to gain control of West Berlin as well as East Berlin. However, the British and American forces found a solution: they began airlifting supplies into West Berlin. Gail Halvorsen, an American pilot, was touched by the German children, and came up with the idea to drop mini-parachutes with candy and gum to them as he flew overhead. His small act became something much bigger, as soldiers and civilians alike caught wind of what he was doing, donating time, parachutes, and candy to help with the cause. As candy and gum rained down, the Germans sent letters of gratitude and even instructions of where to drop candy.

This is an endearing story of a man who found a small way to make a big difference. With photographs and letters (some humorous, some touching) and drawings from the Germans to Halvorsen, this book helps readers really get into the story.

AE

The Throne of Fire

The Throne of Fire
By Rick Riordan
Disney/Hyperion Books, 2011. 452 pgs. Young Adult

In book 2 of the Kane Chronicles, Sadie and Carter Kane have 5 days to save the world. Apophis, the god of Chaos, who has been bound for many years, is struggling to get free and even has magicians working to help him. Sadie and Carter have to locate the pieces of the scroll of Ra, the sun god, and use the spells contained in them to locate and revive him in order to balance out Apophis. At the same time, Carter is determined to find Zia, who was hidden somewhere by the world's most powerful magician before he died, and Sadie is dealing with her feelings for Anubis, an Egyptian god, and Walt, one of the Kanes' magical trainees, who seems to be hiding something from them.

This is another rip-roaring adventure with the Kanes and the Egyptian gods who they fight with and against. I have a harder time following this series than Riordan's other series, but that's probably because I'm not as familiar with the Egyptian gods as the Greek ones. It follows the same pattern as his other books, which for some readers can get a little old, but others will enjoy the familiarity as well as sarcastic Sadie and more serious Carter.

AE

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School
By Alexandra Robbins
Hyperion, 2011. 436 pgs. Nonfiction

Alexandra Robbins new book focuses on her ‘Quirk Theory’ which states that the very characteristics that make some students outcasts during their middle school and high school years are the characteristics that may make them more successful adults once they enter the real world. To prove her point, she introduces readers to seven people representing the “lunchroom fringe”. We me meet the loner, the popular bitch, the nerd, the new girl, the gamer, the weird girl, and the band geek. Each of these characters is given a challenge to change other’s perceptions of them by stepping outside their comfort zone and engaging with others.

If you are reticent to return to the awkward moments we all had in high school, I’d veer clear of this book. However, if you are interested in the psychology of cliques and teen self esteem this is a great place to get an honest look at what it means to be a teen in today’s high schools. It is difficult not to start rooting for each of these characters as they try to make a difference and gain the confidence we wish all young adults had access to. Robbins ends the book with a list of things teens, parents, teachers and administrators can all do to improve the social aspects of our educational system. I believe the one overwhelming lesson to be taken from her narratives is that we need to encourage the celebration of diversity and individuality in ourselves and others, not only in high school, but far beyond.

CZ

Swamplandia!

Swamplandia!
By Karen Russell
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. 315 pgs. Fiction

On a small island in the rural swamplands of Florida lives Ava Bigtree and her family. They run a tourist attraction headlining Ava’s mother, Hilola, who swims with and wrestles the alligator. Business was never booming but when Hilola dies of cancer the family is left with a gaping hole and no star performer for Swamplandia!. The family begins to crumble apart as Grandpa’s dementia requires he be sent to a home on the mainland; Ava’s brother’s resentment of their father’s desperate attempts to keep the park open eventually forces him to run away from home; her sister hides from her disappointing life by communing with the spirits which haunt the swamp; and Ava is left trying to hold the family together as she desperately clings to the only life she has ever known.

Florida’s Everglades is a great setting for an interesting coming of age story and family drama. However, I never felt a real connection to the characters or their stories. Ava’s older brother, Kiwi, was the most believable or at least the most accessible of the characters and his efforts to acclimate himself to life off the island were some of my favorite parts of the story. But I felt the ending was unexpectedly dark and a bit contrived leaving me somewhat unsettled.

CZ

Illusions

Illusions
By Aprilynne Pike
Harper, 2011. 375 pgs. Young Adult

As her senior year of high school starts, Laurel is just beginning to adjust to Tamani's absence when he suddenly reappears, telling her he must guard her against the returning threat of the trolls that pose a danger both to her and to Avalon.

We are introduced to a new character, Yuki, in this book which adds a twist to the story. However, I felt like much of this book was again simply looking at the love triangle of Laurel, Tamani, and David. The book leaves you hanging, but hopefully all will be resolved in the fourth and final book.

AMM

The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality

The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality
By Richard Panek
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. 297 pgs. Nonfiction

We live in a surprising universe--only 4% of which we can see. Astrophysicists made startling discoveries in the 1990s and Panek reports these discoveries as well as several decades of astronomy leading up to the "discovery" of dark matter and then "dark energy."

Panek is focused on story of the science here and ventures seldom into anecdotes about the people involved. His style and approach reminded me a lot of Dennis Overbye's The Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, which chronicled the developments in physical and theoretical astronomy up through the 1980s. The 4 Percent Universe nicely extends this history into the most recent developments.

SML

The Queen of Attolia

The Queen of Attolia
By Megan Whalen Turner
Greenwillow Books, 2000. 368 pgs. Young Adult

Eugenides, the thief of Eddis, gets caught in Attolia, and the Attolian queen gets her revenge by cutting off his hand and sending him, feverish and maimed, back to Eddis, where his cousin, the queen, declares war on Attolia while Eugenides wallows in his misery. As Attolia prepares for war, Sounis, the nation on the other side of Eddis, watches, eager to attack Eddis if Attolia's attack goes well. Meanwhile, the Mede ambassador to Attolia is trying to embed himself in the queen's good graces, and all three countries will be at risk if the Medes advance to their land. Despite his handicap, the queen of Eddis needs Eugenides' help more than ever, and it will take all his cunning to keep Sounis at bay, rid the land of the Medes, and bring the queens of Eddis and Attolia together in peace.

Readers will enjoy this second book in the Queen's Thief series, with its dashing protagonist and its many layers of stories. It's as full of twists and turns and stories within stories as the first book, and while I didn't like it quite as much, I'm eager to continue with the series. A great choice for fans of adventure, fantasy, or well-written books.

AE

The Ruby Notebook

The Ruby Notebook
By Laura Resau
Delacorte Press, 2010. 373 pgs. Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Zeeta is living in France, the 16th country she and her flighty mother have lived in, which is something Zeeta deals with but also can't help resenting sometimes, as she's forced to leave behind friends, and she feels, even pieces of herself . This time should be different, though, because Zeeta's boyfriend Wendell is supposed to come to study art for two months, and Zeeta can't wait to be with him. However, before he gets there, she meets Jean-Claude, who sparks her interest even though she doesn't want him to, someone from her past begins slipping notes and gifts into her bag, and an elderly couple wants her to find a fountain of youth they believe is hidden in their town. Soon, Zeeta is on a quest not to find the water and the mysterious gift-giver but also to find herself.

This book started out a little slow for me, but once it got going, I really enjoyed Zeeta's quest, as well as her relationship struggles, and the symbolism woven into the book. It's more literary than a lot of teen literature but also still very accessible to readers. It's partially an introduction to a foreign culture, partially an invitation to be moved by characters and their journey, and completely lovely.

AE

Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
By Stephen E. Ambrose
Simon & Schuster, 2001. 333 pgs. Nonfiction

This is the story of one company in WWII. "Easy" company. Their basic training at Camp Toccoa in Georgia was grueling. They then literally jumped into the war at Normandy on D-day. Ambrose takes you right along with the company as they struggle to overcome the enemy while enduring extreme weather conditions, lack of food and supplies, and some difficult changes in command. Easy company participated not only at Normandy but also during operation Market Garden, the Battle of Bastogne, and the capturing of Hitler's "Eagle's Nest."

I am not at all enamored with war stories or military history, yet this was a completely engrossing story. Action is frequent. The soldiers are brought to life through Ambrose's powerful storytelling. This is one of those nonfiction page-turners.

SML

Buddha

Buddha
By Karen Armstrong
Viking, 2001. 205 pgs. Nonfiction

It seems that no one would argue that the Buddha was a remarkable and dedicated individual. Siddhatta Gotama  was born to privilege, was married and a father when he renounced the conventional way of life. Initially he sought someone who could teach him the path to enlightenment and although he learned various approaches to meditation and living he ultimately created a new method of his own which transformed his life completely and evolved into one of the world's great religions.

This short biography is a good introduction to the Buddha--it presents all the relevant aspects of his life and provides some historical and philosophical context. In the introduction Armstrong discusses her sources and her approach. There is a helpful glossary at the back of the book for those that continue get their Dhamma and Dhārāna confused.

SML

The Dangerous Edge of Things

The Dangerous Edge of Things
By Tina Whittle
Poisoned Pen Press, 2011. 281 pgs. Mystery

Tai’s life is already a bit complicated. Despite her brother Eric’s adamant disapproval, she has inherited her uncle’s gun shop and is in the midst of establishing a new life for herself in Atlanta. So when she finds a dead woman in a car parked outside Eric’s home she is quickly in over her head. To help her in his absence, Eric hires a security firm to protect her, a job that would be infinitely easier if she could overcome her uncontrollable curiosity. Trey Seaver, her protective service agent, has his work cut out for him as he tries to keep her safe while keeping her from discovering his own secrets.

This book has been compared to Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. It does share a fairly incompetent female protagonist placed is situations she is far from being equipped to handle and a cast of intriguing and entertaining supporting characters. However, Whittle’s new series doesn’t include the madcap hilarity, not to mention the language and sex, Stephanie Plum is famous for. Despite these differences, and possibly because of them, I found The Dangerous Edge of Things completely enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of Tai’s adventures in the future.

CZ

Bitter End

Bitter End
By Jennifer Brown
Little, Brown and Company, 2011. 359 pgs. Young Adult

Alex and her two best friends, Zack and Bethany, are planning a trip to Colorado after graduation--a trip they've been planning for years because Alex's mother died in a car accident en route to Colorado, and Alex, desperate to figure out what her mother was going toward, thinks if she goes to Colorado, she'll finally understand her past. However, Alex starts dating Cole, a new boy, who initially seems wonderful, and with his own messed up family life, he understands Alex's inner demons in a way Zack and Bethany don't. However, he doesn't like Zack, and although he tells Alex he loves her, she soon finds that he is physically abusive, and while she knows that's not okay, she also doesn't know how to leave him.

I had mixed feelings about this book; on the one hand, I didn't quite feel like Alex and Cole's relationship was built up enough to justify her not just leaving him the first time he's abusive. On the other hand, I also felt like maybe that's because I'm an adult, and a teen reader might find it to be realistic. Overall, I enjoyed it, even if I didn't wholeheartedly believe Alex's need to stay with him.

AE

Main Street

Main Street
By Sinclair Lewis
Signet Classic, 1998

Originally published in 1920, this satirical novel depicts life in a small rural town during the 1910s. Carol Milford is a liberal woman from St. Paul, Minnesota. She marries Will Kennicott, who takes her to his home in Gopher Prairie. The story is about Carol's perception of the town's lack of culture and her unsuccessful attempts to bring more culture and civilization to this prairie town. My favorite line comes from early in the novel when Carol is still single and working as a Librarian in St. Paul: "She [Carol] almost gave up library work to become one of the young women who dance in cheese-cloth in the moonlight."

SML