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spring 2005 ISSUE 11

Thanks to all of you who gave us recommendations for this issue of Bookwatch. Lots of new items have come in, so be sure to stop by the library before Spring Break to check out some great reading, listening and viewing materials. Please send your comments, suggestions, and book recommendations to: millerj@wra.net.

Have a Great Spring Break and Read A Good Book!

NON-FICTION Reviews: The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin

I had never heard about this sudden and deadly blizzard, but was intrigued by the title. The Chil-dren's Blizzard is a devastating look at a freak blizzard that occurred on January 12, 1888, in the northern Great Plains of Nebraska, North Dakota and Minnesota. The blizzard came up so sud-denly that people were unprepared for it (even though it was January) because that morning had started off unseasonably warm. More than a hundred children on their way home from school and scores of adults who were caught in it died that day. This story is about many of those who sur-vived and many who did not. Laskin, who has written other weather related books, gives a de-tailed analysis of the weather and explains the forecasting that was done at the time—a primitive system at best, but perhaps advanced for the time. The human interest stories are fascinating and include many historical details about the pioneers that lived on the Plains at the time, mostly Scan-dinavian and Russian immigrants. (Review by Melissa Slager)

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin & Catherine Johnson

The nationwide boom of autism is quickly becoming entrenched in every portion of our lives. In 2004, autism affected 1 in 166 families – compared to 1 in 2500 families in 1994. Because so many children and adults are diagnosed with one of the many behavioral and/or mental problems on the autistic spectrum, people will benefit from reading about autism to learn different coping mechanisms. Temple Grandin, an animal scientist and professor, is an autistic woman who has had to fight for every professional courtesy she has earned in her career. Now, read her book and hear her unique voice, which shows connections between animals and humans, especially autistic humans. A thought-provoking book, it’s sure to capture and hold your interest, while also giving wonderful insight into the dark, silent world of autism. (Review by Tracy Schooner)

High-Tech Heretic: Reflections of a Computer Contrarian by Clifford Stoll

Stoll makes many good points about the role computers should and should not play in education. Many of his points are worth repeating. Computers cannot replace human teachers. Computers can cause more problems than they solve. Schools should spend money on books and teachers. Learning is not always fun. Stoll makes many outrageous statements – oftentimes going too far in an effort to convince the reader that computers have little place in the classroom. I think his deliv-ery retracts from the integrity of his ideas. (Review by Jane Spencer)

The Mapmaker’s Wife: A True Tale of Love, Murder, and Survival in the Amazon by Robert Whitaker

This is the fascinating true story of a French scientific expedition and their extraordinary saga as they head to Quito in the Spanish colonial Viceroyalty of Peru in the 1730’s to accomplish their mission—to accurately measure a degree of longitude and to determine the accurate shape of the earth. Whitaker offers a rich blend of scientific, cultural (indigenous and Spanish), political, and historical information that vividly portrays the development of the South American colony. One of the members of the expedition, Jean Godin, eventually marries a wealthy daughter of the elite ruling class, Isabel Grameson. Hoping to take her back to France to live, he goes on ahead to make preparations without her, vowing to return. When he doesn’t, Isabel is determined to follow him, leading her on a disastrous trip through the Amazon, where she is given up for dead. This well-written, fact-filled and truly amazing account of survival is utterly gripping. (Review by Jacque Miller)

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

Last week a friend actually told me the old joke about the “panda who goes into a bar and when he finishes his drink - he eats, shoots, and leaves.” Lynne Truss gives us an educational and often humorous book about proper use of punctuation. It should be included on every writer’s book shelf! (Review by Jane Spencer)

A Word from...YOUR Library

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Fiction Reviews:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The riveting tale of childhood best friends, Amir and Hassan. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman and Hassan's father is their servant. Living on the same property the two boys grow up like brothers, racing kites to pass the long winters in Afghanistan. After the Soviet invasion, Amir and his father flee to America. A last wish from a family friend brings Amir back to Afghanistan over twenty years later. Amir is faced with the grim realities of life under Taliban rule. A fascinating portrayal of the culture and life in modern Afghanistan. (Review by Paula Campanelli; recommended by Patti Campbell on page 3.)

The Killing Hour by Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner writes fast-pace psychological thrillers with an emphasize on forensic evidence. In the Killing Hour, a serial “eco-killer” snatches his victims in pairs. One he kills immediately and then plants clues on the body to lead the police to the location of the 2nd women. The murderer always abandons the 2nd victim in a harsh, hazardous environment; and as the clock ticks, investigators must rush to find her before it is too late. Plenty of heart-stopping action! (Review by Holly Bunt)

The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory

Gregory’s historical novel centers on the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and the alleged “love of her life,” Sir Robert Dudley. Childhood mates, and once inhabitants of the tower (he for treason), the two eventually find their way back to power—Elizabeth as she ascends to the throne of England and Robert as her appointed Master of Horse. Gregory’s novel imagines their relationship as Elizabeth struggles to legitimize and maintain control of the throne and as Robert, with kingly aspirations of his own, plots and maneuvers to end his marriage and marry Elizabeth before she agrees to marry any one of a number of powerful suitors. Gregory’s descriptions of the time period, customs, and the court make for a thoroughly engaging story. (Review by Jacque Miller)

Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh

This is the powerful story of five children raised in the ethnic coal mining town of Bakerton, Pa. Against the backdrop of WWII and the sudden death of their father, the lives of widow Rose and her children change forever. Four of the Novak children are desperate to leave the town especially after they see the toll that coal mining has taken on their Polish father and Italian mother. With wonderfully devel-oped characters, the reader is motivated to learn what choices they make as they grow into adults. Jennifer Haigh writes a family saga and love stories that are all intertwined in this exceptional, poignant novel. (Review by Melissa Slager)

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty

This debut novel from Hollywood actor/writer Ron McLarty strikes a chord and captures the heart. What a brilliant story he’s able to tell. McLarty shapes his characters so fully that the reader is amazed to find they only exist on paper. Let me introduce you to Smithy Ide, an extremely overweight, 2 vice-a-day man who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Learn how a family member’s mental illness affects the people closest to them. See how strong and resilient the human character is and sit back and enjoy the ride. After it is over, you will wish Smithy were real so you could invite him home for Sunday dinner. (Review by Tracy Schooner)

Night Fall by Nelson DeMille

Following the superb terrorist thriller, The Lion’s Game, Night Fall focuses on the actual TWA Flight 800 that crashed off the coast of Long Island in July of 1996. Former NYPD homicide detective John Corey has been assigned to the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force. On the five-year anniversary of the crash, Corey and his FBI agent wife, Kate, attend the memorial service of the victim’s families and both find themselves questioning the “official” version of events—that a mechanical malfunction resulted in an explosion of the center fuel tank. Author Demille was inspired to write this book as a result of a series of coincidences in his real life revolving around the TWA crash. While the novel is fiction, DeMille brings into focus the actual eyewitness accounts of over 200 people who testified that they saw a streak of light rise from the water toward the aircraft seconds before it exploded. A real nail-biter. (Review by Jacque Miller)

Honeymoon by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

In true James Patterson fashion, Honeymoon is filled with so many twists and turns, you’ll be guessing until the very end. Nora Sinclair is a beautiful, successful, and seductive woman who has no trouble getting men. Yet she can’t seem to hold on to them; they keep turn-ing up dead. FBI agent John O’Hara moves in close to solve the mystery, but how close is too close? (Review by Kara Lowdermilk)

The Shot by Phillip Kerr

The Shot is a political thriller that weaves an engaging fictional tale with historical events. It’s the 1960’s and JFK is running for presi-dent, Fidel Castro is stirring up the Cuban rebels, and the Mafia is looking to employ an assassin. Enter Tom Jefferson, a hit man from Miami, who is hired to kill a high-profile individual. This story is filled with twists and turns; it will make you wonder who is really in the hitman’s crosshair. (Review by Holly Bunt)

Twisted by Jonathan Kellerman

Kellerman takes a break from his Alex Delaware novels to reintroduce Petra Connor, the tough homicide detective from his earlier novel, Billie Straight. Petra is working without a partner, which suits her fine, as she is called to the scene of a drive-by shooting of four teenagers. Investigation is not her only job, however, as she is also responsible for “keeping an eye” on a graduate student intern who is her boss’s public relations tool. When the intern uncovers a statistical pattern suggesting a serial killer, Petra finds herself im-mersed in this case as well—as the suspense and intrigue continue to build. (Review by Jacque Miller)

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Faculty/staff Recommendations:

Dan Dyer recommends:

My Jim by Nancy Rawles

“...a sequel to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, narrated by Jim’s wife.”

The Barracks Thief by Tobias Wolff

“The first novel by Tobias Wolff, who will be coming to WRA this spring.”

Skeleton Man by Tony Hillerman

“Hillerman’s latest Navajo police thriller about a 1956 airline crash (and its aftermath, years later) over the Grand Canyon.”

Mad Mary Lamb: Lunacy and Murder in Literary London by Susan Tyler Hitchcock

“...a solid little book about the co-author of Tales from Shakespeare. She murdered her mother and was in the care of her brother Charles for the rest of his life (38 years). She was in an institution thereafter.”

Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago by Tim Moore

“A funny book by Tim Moore, who travels across northern Spain on the route of a medieval pilgrimage in company of an obstreperous donkey that travels to the beat of a different drummer!”

Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story by Timothy B. Tyson

“...which, I think, is the best book about race in America that I've ever read. It deals with a 1970 racial murder in North Carolina -- well, it begins there...

but before it's all over, it has shined a bright light on some dark corners in American culture.”

Rita Blakemore recommends:

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

“This one rates a Triple “WOW!”

“The National Security Agency (NSA) is one setting for this exciting thriller; the other is Seville, where on page 1 the protagonist, lately dismissed from NSA, drops dead of a supposed heart attack.

Though dead, he enjoys a dramaturgical afterlife in the form of his computer program.” (Booklist) Rich Hoffman recommends:

The Assistant by Bernard Malamud

“Frank Alpine is an Italian-American drifter who lands a job working for a humble Jewish grocer in Brooklyn. When he falls in love with the storekeeper's daughter, he is forced to reexamine his moral and spiritual beliefs.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

Patty Campbell recommends:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

(see review on page 2)

Cal by Bernard MacLaverty

“...no frills prose … the result is effective, genuine storytelling.”

“...a young Irish Republican Army operative who wants to break the cycle of violence seeks out a woman whose Ulster policeman husband he helped to murder.” (Amazon.com)

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

“The original memoir addresses Barack’s sense of pride in his heritage. The book, newly reissued after the Democratic Convention last July, includes a copy of Barack’s keynote address when he became identified as a new-era American voice.”

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