NONFICTION
About Trout: The Best of Robert J. Behke from Trout Magazine
Robert J. Behnke, illustrations by Joseph R. Tomelleri. Lyons, $29.95 (259p) ISBN 9781599212036
Colorado State professor of ichthyology Behnke brings scientific expertise, a sense of humor and a flair for drama to this collection of 43 essays previously published as his “About Trout” column in conservation organization Trout Unlimited’s Trout magazine. Behnke considers the evolution, historic and current distribution, biological characteristics and defining physical traits of various species of trout and salmon—from the common brown trout and well-known Atlantic salmon to the rare Apache trout and the once-presumed extinct, now-endangered Alvord cutthroat trout. He zeroes in on why certain salmonid species are struggling to survive and what can be done (and usually isn’t being done) to preserve the diversity of species. A conservationist and a fisherman, the author debates the scientific pros and cons of “catch-and-release only fishing,” “wild trout management” versus hatchery-bread “catchable trout” and man-made “[t]ailwater trout fisheries where trout never naturally occurred.” Tomelleri’s colorful illustrations underline the uniqueness of each type of trout and why the fish inspires such passion among those who protect and catch them. Illus. (Nov.)
Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility
Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. Houghton Mifflin, $25 (368p) ISBN 9780618658251
Three years after their contentious, seminal essay “The Death of Environmentalism” advocated a radical reassessment of the global warming delimma, career environmental activists Nordhaus and Shellenberger present the book version, which mines post-materialist thought for solutions that fall somewhere between the death threats and band-aid solutions they say are currently masquerading as debate and progress. Arguing that preservation requires something “qualitatively different from limiting our contamination of nature,” Nordhaus and Shellenberger contend that, as Americans, we must collectively sacrifice our standard of living to reverse the inevitable, a seemingly impossible but necessary task in a nation plagued by affluence envy and credit card debt. Referencing a wide array of current political and environmental work, Nordhaus and Shellenberger show how current pop-environmentalism (think Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth) is mired in a “pollution paradigm… profoundly inadequate for understanding and dealing with global warming.” True progress, they contend, requires embracing a pragmatic approach to the constantly changing world, rather than a stubborn belief that “all things have an essential unchanging nature” which can be protected or restored. Though their plan to sell the largest middle class in history on “a new vision of prosperity” (defining wealth by “overall well-being”) seems like a long shot, their big-picture ideas are important and intensely argued, making this a convincing, resonant and hopeful primer on “postenvironmentalism.” (Oct.)
The Brotherhood of Eternal Love: From Flower Power to Hippie Mafia: the Story of the LSD Counterculture
Stewart Tendler and David May. Cyan, $24.95 (270p) ISBN 9781904879954
This is a reprint of the authors’ 1984 exploration of the drug underground of the 1960s, which has become known as a classic in its field. Crime reporter Tendler and journalist May combined to produce one of the first extensive and in-depth histories of LSD, from its discovery by Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman in 1943, through various efforts by the CIA in the 1950s in their search for the ultimate truth serum, through its manufacture and distribution into the Hippie communities of the 1960s by psychedelic supporters such as Augustus Owsley III, Grateful Dead-patron and master drug manufacturer. But while the media of the time focused on Timothy Leary as the main proponent of LSD, Tendler and May focus on the real key players: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love, a group of young drifters based in Laguna Beach, Calif., who started out as “missionaries” spreading the gospel of altered consciousness into big-business drug distributors who by the mid-1970s had reaped “$200 million through an estimated membership of 750 people.” Through solid reporting—and including new material and interviews—the authors chart the Brotherhood’s expansion from California to Hawaii to Afghanistan, and its pursuit by international narcotics police, in what still remains a great combination of social history and true crime suspense. (Nov.)
Come On, People!: On the Path from Victims to Victors
Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint. Thomas Nelson, $25.99 (288p) ISBN 9781595550927
With his at-times controversial social commentary fresh in the public mind, legendary comedian Cosby (Fatherhood) teams up with psychiatrist Poussaint (Lay my Burden Down) to take a hard look at the state of black America, bearer of “more than their share of poverty,” and present ways to overcome the “deep-rooted” challenges of the poor—including crime, lack of education and broken families. While aimed at a specific group, the authors’ advice is broad and largely unsurprising—stay in school, work your way up, be independent, parent your children, stay out of debt, be a voice for change—but the context is genuine concern and hope for the community: “black strength lies in our resolve to keep on keeping on... never yielding to the role of cooperative victim.” The authors are particularly concerned about young black males, who they say are relinquishing family responsibilities in increasing numbers, largely for lack of proper role models: “A house without a father is a challenge. A neighborhood without fathers is a catastrophe.” Taking a long view of black Americans’ struggle, Cosby and Poussaint draw cogent and historically-minded arguments against the excesses of gangsta rap, but prove even more vehement on the destructive influence of corporal punishment on kids. This tough, thoughtful guide to life will prove valuable not just for its target audience, but for the activists, social workers, clergy and teachers able to “provide our youth with the love and guidance that keeps them strong and on that positive path.” (Oct.)
Designing the Good Life: Norman M. Giller and the Development of Miami Modernism
Norman M. Giller and Sarah Giller Nelson. Univ. Press of Florida, $39.95 (192p) ISBN 9780813030715
One of Miami Modernism’s most influential architects, Giller may not enjoy the same recognition as his contemporary Morris Lapidus, but among the 10,000 buildings he worked on over his career, the extremely prolific designer contributed such hallmark “MiMo” buildings as the Carillon and Diplomat Hotels. In this handsomely appointed volume, filled with photos, conceptual illustrations, floor plans and period advertisements, Giller writes about the popular, progressive mid-century Miami style with some technical heft, discussing key components like cantilevers, flat roofs, planters and concrete: “Cost-efficient yet expressive, concrete enabled my colleagues and me to freely incorporate circles, zigzags, arcs and ellipses into the structure of our buildings.” Giller’s text is characterized by that kind of simple, informative recollection; avoiding bombast or over-theorizing, Giller’s voice is light, helpful and engaging. What’s most interesting is his clear sense of perspective on the cycle of architectural tastes, as in his discussion of the “exciting, sophisticated” Copa City Nightclub he designed: “Eventually… the club succumbed to the fickleness of fashion… [and] the newer, larger venues inside the swank hotels along Collins Avenue (a number of which, ironically, I had also designed).” Setting aside his ego for an even-handed look at the distinctive genre, Giller’s book has authenticity and intelligence to spare. Color and b/w photos. (Oct.)
The Ghost Mountain Boys: The Terrifying Battle for Buna—the Forgotten War of the South Pacific
James Campbell. Crown, $25.95 (400p) ISBN 9780307335968
Author Campbell (The Final Frontiersman) retraces the steps of the U.S. Army’s 32nd Infantry Division, and its harrowing fight to capture Buna, New Guinea from the Japanese, in this grunt’s-eye-view of one harrowing WWII mission. The 32nd was a National Guard Division that had made a name for itself on the battlefields in WWI, but by the time America entered WWII, they were less than prepared. Still, the division was shipped to Australia without any effective combat training, from which they were sent to navigate New Guinea’s rain forests without any jungle training, or even proper supplies. Eager to take the fight to the enemy, the men of the 32nd were not ready for their fight against the island itself, a poorly mapped country with no overland roads, virtually impassable mountains, crocodile-filled swamps and disease-carrying mosquitoes. Campbell’s novel-like retelling shows how they accomplished what many would call impossible, or at least suicidal; at the same time, Campbell accounts for the Japanese in New Guinea, who suffered the same, if not worse—both high commands viewed New Guinea as crucial, but not crucial enough to properly support. This intense narrative is a fitting tribute and an excellent, relevant illustration of that elusive phenomenon known as the fog of war. (Oct.)
Listening to Cougar
Edited by Marc Bekoff and Cara Blessley Lowe, foreword by Jane Goodall. Univ. Press of Colorado, $24.95 (228p) ISBN 9780870818943
This excellent and compelling collection of primarily personal essays by conservationists on their encounters with cougars successfully gives voice to a “controversial” animal. In “The Growl,” naturalist Steve Edwards traces his journey from fear, after finding a cougar under his cabin, to collaboration, as he helps what he dubs the “innocent” animal avoid being killed by state police. Cougar expert David Stoner describes in detail how the animals live in the Colorado Plateau, which he calls one of the most rugged and least accessible landscapes left in North America, while American Indian expert Steve Pavlik examines the role of the cougar in Navajo mythology, emphasizing the importance of mountain lion beliefs and practices in traditional culture. But most notable are those essays that explore the “psychological value” of cougars, exemplified by teacher and activist Suzanne Duarte’s “My Bush Soul, the Mountain Lion,” a beautiful evocation of and tribute to her experience with the spirit of the mountain lion and how it began her initiation into the “deeper secrets of the psyche.” With its wide range of scientific and cultural approaches, this impressive collection will help to shed light on America’s greatest cat. (Nov. 16)
Literary Genius: 25 Classic Writers Who Define English & American Literature
Selected and edited by Joseph Epstein, wood engravings by Barry Moser. Paul Dry (Consortium, dist.), $18.95 paper (256p) ISBN 9781589880351
Essayist and former editor of The American Scholar Epstein (In a Cardboard Box: Essays Personal, Literary, and Savage) assembles a stellar cast of 25 contemporary authors to explore how and when literary genius emerged from the pens of 25 classic English and American writers. In an introductory essay, Epstein observes that timelessness, grandeur of vision, and originality of outlook comprise genius in the writer. Writers ranging from Reynolds Price to Joseph Blotner explore the works of classic authors from Shakespeare to Hemingway, weaving together biography and literary analysis to reveal the nature of the particular writer’s genius. Tom Shippey observes that Chaucer’s genius “lies in his unique ability to combine a clear and penetrating insight into human weaknesses with a warm and wide-ranging sympathy,” while Reynolds Price argues that it is Milton’s manipulation of words and phrases toward a larger end that demonstrates his literary power. Yet the rationale behind the selection of classic authors isn’t as complete as it could be: where are Shelley, Coleridge, and Woolf, whose genius arguably rivals that of Joyce and Faulkner, who are included? Nevertheless, these essays shed light on the creative fires that burned in the minds of our most cherished writers. (Nov.)
The Little Book that Makes You Rich: The Growth Investing Method that Guarantees Big Returns
Louis Navellier. Wiley, $19.95 (208p) ISBN 9780470137727
Self confessed numbers geek Navellier has developed what he claims is an effective and durable system to beat the stock market, long thought a money-loser by financiers due to its self-correcting nature. Rather than focus on one or two indicators, Navellier has weighted a basket of eight variables (“earnings revisions,” “operating margins,” “free cash flow,” etc.), a quantitative strategy he shares in complex detail and happily accessible prose. Looking into the hows and whys of stock performance, Navellier lays open the complex economic environment and explicates his eight indicators in depth, showing how they relate to the market and the real world. Though he relates choosing stocks to everyday activities such as household budgeting and sports (“Never fall in love with your second baseman or your stocks”), his precise “by the numbers” approach is far removed from emotional interference. Still, he does take into account investors’ personal preferences and predicament—risk level, stress, age, tax situation and so on. Providing numerous successful examples of his system’s past performance, one can’t help but wonder how long this system will continue to yield results; still, this good-natured guidebook will help anyone new to investing or interested in learning a new way to look at the market. (Oct.)
Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Evolution in Human DNA
Daniel J. Fairbanks. Prometheus, $24.95 (280p) ISBN 9781591025641
Genetics professor Fairbanks, author of several science books for laymen (Genetics: The Continuity of Life), presents the details of evolution as gleaned from a close study of genetics, but marshals his evidence in a conversational style readily comprehensible to general readers. Fairbanks excels at explaining the momentous discoveries in genetics in the past 20 years in clear, concise language, helpfully defining relatively new terms (introns, telomeres, transposable elements) as well as older terms (mutation, natural selection). Using comparative genomics, in which the human genome is compared to those of other primates, mammals, vertebrates, insects and bacteria, Fairbanks shows how the human genome can only be explained as the evolutionary product of numerous pre-existing species, placing humans in a family tree that ties together all life on Earth and maps its genetic changes over time. From there, he engages in a familiar critique of the “intelligent design” theory of creation (“When Faith and Reason Clash”); himself a Mormon, Fairbanks makes some interesting points regarding the canard that the sciences in general, and evolution in particular, are at odds with religion. Notes, references and extensive appendices go into greater technical detail; general readers looking for an overview of current genetics and evolution science will find this a great place to start. (Oct.)
Super Volcano: The Ticking Time Bomb Beneath Yellowstone National Park
Greg Breining. Voyageur, $24.95 (256p) ISBN 9780760329252
Science writer and author Breining (Return of the Eagle) gives readers a solid introduction to modern volcanology in this look at “super volcanoes” in general (those that “have expelled at least 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma… all at once”) and the Yellowstone caldera—“potentially [the] most explosive, most violent, most deadly active volcano on the planet”—in particular. Most readers will be astonished to learn that 2.1 million years ago, the area that is now Yellowstone National Park burst “with the force of hundreds of thousands” of Hiroshima-sized explosions; more surprising is that the site is past due for another, possibly larger eruption. Breining has done a public service by bringing these hazards to light with straight-forward writing and a well-organized text, clearly explaining complicated, violent geological processes without ignoring the awe-inspiring beauty of volcanic landscapes. He also includes the history of geological studies in Yellowstone, the critically important field of plate tectonics and what kind of fossils are generated by sudden, magma-induced death. Reviewing the largest known eruptions, Breining enumerates still-active threats to populations in Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Naples, Italy and, of course, the U.S. Bolstered by clearly laid-out maps, Breining’s talent for elucidating complex phenomena makes this one of the best books on volcanoes a general reader can hope for. (Oct.)
Sweat: The Story of the Fleshtones, America’s Garage Band
Joe Bonomo. Continuum, $17.95 paper (432p) ISBN 9780826428462
Everyone has a favorite overlooked band they feel should have sold millions of records, filled arenas and enjoyed household-name status; among those commercially unsuccessful stalwarts, the Fleshtones rank as one of America’s most enduring musical forces. Crawling out from under New York City’s punk and new wave scenes in the mid-1970s, this gang of misfits dubbed their fuzzy yet danceable mix of guitars, Farfisa organ, old-school R&B, rockabilly and surf music as “Super Rock,” then watched contemporaries such as the Ramones, Talking Heads, R.E.M. and Blondie became stars. Topping out on the Billboard album charts at no. 174, the Fleshtones, still active 30 years on, make for an unconventional study in rock ’n’ roll survival. Bonomo, better known for his essays and poetry, has conducted new interviews with all the principles to provide an exhaustive account of the band’s checkered history, colored by excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs, mismanagement and the 2005 suicide of sax man Gordon Spaeth. Bonomo marches a parade of colorful characters in and out of his narrative, including past and present band members, business associates, friends, family members and fellow musicians, to present an honest and dramatic look at rock semi-obscurity. B/w photos. (Sept.)
LIFESTYLE
Body: The Complete Human: How It Grows, How It Works, and How to Keep It Healthy and StrongLisa Stein, Trisha Gura and Patricia Daniels. National Geographic, $40 (416p) ISBN 9781426201288
Long known for stunning photography and quality prose, the National Geographic Society brings those qualities to bear on this enthralling exploration of the human body. In 13 chapters (and an epilogue on the future of human development), each physical system—“body armor,” “structure,” “messengers,” “reproduction,” etc.—is explained in clear text and full-color images. Photographs are sensational, many the result of improvements in microscopic photography developed over the past decade; likely the first time many readers have seen their inner workings in such detail, stunners include a photograph of an actual cancer cell with three T-lymphocytes attached to it. Topics are well-organized and illustrations impeccable; in addition, sidebars cover important figures and developments such as pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey; “what can go wrong,” including closer looks at diabetes and Alzheimer’s; and tangential concerns like hiccups, circumcision and nose jobs. In addition, each info-packed chapter includes a useful glossary of terms, making this guide an accessible and highly informative reference for all ages. (Oct.)
Hometown Recipes for the Holidays
Editors of American Profile. William Morrow, $18.95 paper (320p) ISBN 9780061257896
The editors of American Profile magazine asked their readers to submit their favorite holiday recipe, taking the top 250 (of some 1,500 entries) for this compilation covering everything from Valentines Day, Cinco De Mayo and Passover to Groundhog Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Organized by course (appetizer, dessert, side dish, etc.), submissions range from classics such as Spinach and Oyster Dressing to everyday dishes like Tortellini in Sundried Tomato Sauce to holiday-specific recipes, including a questionable concoction called Marcia Emig’s Pumpkin Dip, comprised of cinnamon, nutmeg, two packages of cream cheese, a 16 oz bag of powdered sugar and a can of pumpkin (“Serve with gingersnaps”). Tellingly, the grand prize winner, Cranberry Cake with Hot Butter Sauce submitted by Phyllis Willink of Baldwin, Wisconsin, is simple, to the point, and cheerfully decadent. Though all the recipes have clear, concise instructions, some dishes—like the complicated but delicious Christmas Cinnamon Rolls—should probably be left to experienced bakers and cooks. That said, there is something for virtually all tastes and skill levels, ensuring that your next Flag Day will be a tasty one. (Nov.)
Rachael Ray: Just In Time!
Rachael Ray. Clarkson Potter, $19.95 paper (336p) ISBN 9780307383181
Cookbook dynamo and television personality Ray (30 Minute Get Real Meals, 365: No Repeats, etc.) is back with another collection of dishes, this time offering plenty of her trademark 30 minute meals, give or take a few 15- and 60-minute dishes, virtually all of which are within the capabilities of most cooks, provided they have a well-stocked pantry. Doubling her typical prep time, Ray’s able to whip up work-intensive fare such as Crab Stuffed Shells, as well as straightforward dishes requiring longer cooking times such as Sausage, Mushroom and Polenta Lasagna, and Roasted Poblano and Sliced Steak Chili. Most of Ray’s recipes are solid, family-pleasing fare, though her Grilled Eggplant Roll-Ups, in which the vegetable is stuffed with a slice of ham and a ricotta cheese mixture, may prove frustrating and messy. Still, the hits outweigh the misses, and if readers enjoy (or can at least tolerate) Ray’s tendency to make up and overuse cutesy food terms (“EVOO,” “sammies,” “stoups,” etc.), they will find this to another solid, reliable source for everyday meals. (Nov.)
Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!)
Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Running, $14.95 paper (192p) ISBN 9780762431069
The follow-up to bestselling diet guide Skinny Bitch, this irreverent cookbook orders readers to toss out all their meat, eggs and dairy, and make room for nutritional yeast, seitan and something called “Bragg’s Liquid Aminos” (although soy sauce will do in a pinch). The authors’ philosophy is simple but rigid: in order to be skinny, one must also be vegan (and, preferably, willing to give up coffee and white sugar). Not to despair—the svelte can eat all the tofu-based fake meat and cheese they want, and follow it up with dessert-alikes such as Bitchtastic Brownies or Cheezecake. For the most part, recipes are easy and inoffensive; while a “Chicken” Parmesan Panini will fool nobody, other offerings, like Japanese Soba Noodles with Steamed Vegetables and Tofu, are perfectly satisfying. But to enjoy this cookbook in full, a reader must be content to be addressed (repeatedly) as “bitch,” as in, “Who’s a boring old fart now, bitch?” Confusingly, there’s no nutritional information for any of the recipes, nor is there any information on the specific dietary needs of vegans—apparently, you’ll need to buy Freedman and Barnouin’s first book for that. (For those who haven’t tried, switching to a vegan diet is difficult even with a proper guide; this book’s complete lack of support should make it a real bitch.) (Dec.)
ILLUSTRATED
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren. Rizzoli, $135.00 (480p) ISBN 9780847829903
Larger than life, luxuriantly priced, and filled with simple, elegant work, this volume mirrors the universal style and global reputation of its subject, American fashion icon Ralph Lauren. At first heft, this 14-and-a-half pound retrospective might seem excessive and ostentatious; once one starts turning the pages, however, it’s hard to imagine the work any smaller. Following a warm introduction by Audrey Hepburn (presenting Lauren with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992), Lauren takes readers on a pictorial history of his life, family and work. Every photograph is rich with texture and depth, rendered in a style immediately familiar to anyone who’s flipped through a fashion mag over the past several decades, but far more striking and sumptuous in this large format (each easily worth two or three times the standard thousand words). The variety of gifted photographers included (Bruce Weber, Claus Wickrath and Sheila Metzner among them) capture well Lauren’s talent for anyman elegance, even on the imposing frames of such models as Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford. Those with a fever for fashion (and a strong back) will find this largely text-free tome a real page-turner. (Oct.)
FICTION
A Grave Breach
James Macomber. Oceanview (www.oceanviewpub.com), $24.95 (360p) ISBN 9781933515076
In Macomber’s unremarkable third legal thriller to feature John Cann (after 2003’s Art & Part), Cann, a lawyer at a prominent white-shoe Washington, D.C., firm with links to the CIA, reluctantly agrees to represent Dubran Mribic, a suspected Bosnian Serb war criminal, being held by the German authorities. Cann dislikes being put in a position where he knows his client is guilty. Mribic has links with an old massacre with a personal connection to Arthur Matsen, the founder of Cann’s firm. An unrelated subplot mostly occupies the requisite beautiful and brainy sidekick. Thriller fans will likely find Cann’s transformation from desk attorney to action hero unconvincing. (Oct.)
The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur
Derek Armstrong. Kunati, $24.95 (384p) ISBN 9781601640109
The 13th-century French inquisition that targeted the heretical Cathar sect provides the backdrop for Armstrong’s action-packed second novel (after The Game), the first in a planned trilogy. Ramon, “last of the Occitan’s famous heretical troubadours,” and his motley band of allies take on the forces of evil as personified in the witch-hunter known as the Diableteur, whose scarred and burnt face strikes terror in those who behold him. The Diableteur was responsible for the burning at the stake of Ramon’s mother decades earlier, and the minstrel’s desire for revenge remains strong. Workmanlike prose and superficial characterization make this a less satisfying read than Zoe Oldenbourg’s Destiny of Fire, which likewise centers on the Cathar heresy. (Oct.)
A Push and a Shove
Christopher Kelly. Alyson, $14.95 paper (312p) ISBN 9781593500481
Texas journalist Kelly delivers a pitch-perfect combination of revenge and coming-of-age story in his searing debut. Ben Reilly teaches high school English in Staten Island, N.Y., and remains scarred from the emotional and physical bullying he suffered in high school at the hands of Terrence O’Connell, a popular jock. At home, Ben’s family is still reeling from the unexpected death of Ben’s older sister, Mary, from a brain tumor several years earlier. Tormented by Terrence for being gay, the semi-closeted Ben is now resigned to his unfulfilling life until an unexpected act of violence at his school triggers a desire to put his demons to rest. After he tracks down Terrence, who’s now a successful but unsatisfied writer in Manhattan, the two men form an unlikely and dangerous friendship as they both search for their identities. Kelly moves effortlessly through time, giving the reader firsthand glimpses into Ben’s high school years as the victim of constant homophobic abuse at school, as well as his current desire to settle the score with Terrence. Equally about discovering who you are and who you’re not, Kelly’s novel is not to be missed. (Sept.)
Racing can be Murder
Edited by Brenda R. Stewart and Tony Perona. Cardinal Publishers Group/Blue River, $12.95 paper (280p) ISBN 9780976336198
The history of the Indy 500 obviously revved up the imaginations of the Speed City Indiana Chapter of Sisters in Crime, whose members produced the 19 stories that fill this niche anthology. Few of the contributors are well known and some selections aren’t as polished as one would hope, but all show the writers have done serious homework to provide authentic grounding for their tales. In addition, chapter members have interlaced brief pages of entertaining and informative Indy lore, superstitions, records and trivia. Standouts include S.M. Harding’s “One Cold Dish,” which features Kate St. John, a very together chef who caters an unusually deadly Indy party; Sheila Boneham’s “Tracks,” an adventure at the Indy 500 Hall of Fame Museum involving pet photographer Janet McPhail and her dog, Jay; and Sherita Saffer Campbell’s “Pole Day at the Track,” a clever tale of an ex-con wrestling with going straight or getting revenge. Indy fans should race for this one. (Oct.)
Sisters on the Case: Celebrating Twenty Years of Sisters in Crime
Edited by Sara Paretsky. Signet, $7.99 (352p) ISBN 9780451222398
This eclectic anthology from a variety of female mystery writers has something to please every fan. Editor and contributor Paretsky (V.I. Warshawski series) introduces the anthology with a brief history of Sisters in Crime, an organization formed by Paretsky in 1987 to help boost the profiles of women crime writers. The stories range in tone from Sue Henry’s (Jessie Arnold series) haunting, lyrical “Sister Death” to “Murder for Lunch,” Carolyn Hart’s (Death on Demand series) tale of misunderstandings and murder. Libby Fischer Hellmann (Ellie Foreman series) and Susan Dunlap (Jill Smith series) both tackle the turbulent world of 1960s radicals from different perspectives, with tales of a captured fugitive and violent conflicts with the police. The collection also includes an early story from the late Charlotte MacLeod’s impressive body of work, as well as a new story from Dorothy Salisbury Davis, a pioneer in the genre since the 1950s. Mystery fans will delight in reading new pieces from old favorites, as well as discovering new voices from every corner of this diverse genre. (Oct.)
Twin Time: Or, How Death Befell Me
Veronica Gonzalez. MIT, $14.95 paper (288p) ISBN 9781584350484
Defying easy categorization, Gonzalez’s debut novel is an often-mesmerizing account of a young woman’s search for the truth about her parents, with absorbing stream-of-consciousness passages that draw the reader into her mind. After her father dies, Mona tries to track down her twin brother, from whom she was separated in childhood. As Mona envisions the past, she sees her naïve mother, Mara, trying to escape from her depressing youth in Mexico City by indulging in a rich fantasy life, fueled by frequent attendance at the local movie theater, until her pregnancy forces her to face reality. Gonzalez’s hypnotic writing has some elements of noir, but the absence of a crime or more formal investigation might disappoint genre readers. (Oct.)
The Voyage that Never Ends: Stories, Poems, Drafts, Letters
Malcolm Lowry, edited by Michael Hofmann. New York Review Books, $24.95 (536p) ISBN 9781590172353
British precursor of everyone from the Beats to Bruce Chatwin, Lowry (1909-1957) published the fierce, feverish Under the Volcano in 1947, and, haunted by that novel’s kitchen-sink perfection, worked on other projects but never completed another book before his alcohol-related death. Here, poet and translator Hofmann selects from among the plethora of Lowry’s fugitive output: seven prose fiction pieces, a sampling of poems, excerpts of drafts from three posthumously edited and published works and a selection of letters from Lowry’s writings. “Under the Volcano,” a short story that was eventually engulfed by the novel, appears early on here. The story “Through the Panama,” one of two stories concerning Sigbjørn Wilderness and his journal, mentions his novel “about a character… enmeshed in the plot of the novel he has written,” and proceeds through a thicket of allusion to British and American literature. The most memorable (and most reprinted) piece here is the heavily autobiographical “The Forest Path to the Spring,” richly evocative of a northern British Columbia seascape and the outcasts who inhabit it. The specter of Fascism, the generations of writers in Lowry’s head, and various figurative transformations (“something of vast importance to me had taken place, without my knowledge and outside time altogether,”) play in throughout. The lack of annotations leaves one a bit at sea amidst the often startling flotsam and jetsam, but with Lowry it’s almost appropriate. (Oct.)
