Lexink - Book Reviews

Books I have read.

After their father is gunned down by terrorists in LaGuardia Airport Jack calls upon his brother Tom to collect the body since he doesn't officially exist. Tom, as Jack learns, has become a crooked federal judge and is on the run from the law. This ninth installment in the series is slower-paced and perhaps more reflective than previous volumes. The two brothers go off to Bermuda together, even though they have nothing in common - Tom wanting Jack for what he thinks Jack is and Jack going along out of a sense of duty to their fathers' memory. Things don't go as planned, especially when Tom admits to having a 16th century map showing the location of a sunken "treasure" the Lilitongue of Gefreda. What the Lilitongue is worries Repairman Jack and doing two fixes ends up more complicated than he thought. Less reflective on a specific issue in particular the story is nonetheless packed with action, the supernatural is hovering on the sidelines as usual and the character -development continues hooking the reader ever deeper into the series. The newest installment, Harbingers, is just out.

Third and final volume in the trilogy recounting the return of King Arthur to our modern world. The 2nd volume had left off as Arthur and Gwen sailed off for their happily ever after and Fall of Knight opens with Arthur Penn bored and photographs of a healthy Gwen on the news. Arthur who has been Mayor of New York and President of the United States is forced to tell the world who he really is. Not only that but he tells the world that Percival, his bodyguard and last of his knights of the Round Table, is in possession of the Holy Grail. Mayhem ensues and they go into hiding at Belvedere Castle until a businessman approaches Arthur with a plan to distill the power of the Grail, bottle it and commercialize it under the name "Grail Ale". With the powers of the Church seemingly aligned against him, with Merlin surprisingly absent from his side Arthur must deal alone with the karmic backlash from using the Grail to such extent as embodied by a necromancer who seeks both the Grail and the Spear of Destiny to cleanse the world.
Humanizing myth and modernizing them is never an easy task and while Peter David does so adroitly this third volume falls short of expectations or perhaps making myths real simply removes some of their charm. The concept of Arthur Pendragon returning to the modern world is an interesting premise yet here it seems too pat. Nonetheless a logical and fairly good ending to the series, efficiently wrapping loose ends up and offering many explanations by seamlessly weaving together different Arthurian legends and providing possible answers as to the origins of Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, Stonehenge and Excalibur.

Winkie is a teddy bear forgotten on a shelf for years until one day his frustration boils over and he suddenly wills himself to life. Unfortunately one night a SWAT team arrests him as a terrorist. At first put on trial for being a mad-bomber Winkie then finds himself facing 9,768 separate charges, including treason, social endangerment and "corrupting the youth of Athens". In this first novel Clifford CHASE has written a social critique of the war on terror, of the politics of difference, of the fear of difference and also an allegory on what it mean to be human.
Nonsensical and absurd (actors for witnesses to preserve the safety of the individuals involved) Winkie's trial winds its way steadily forward interspersed with falshbacks of Winkie's life. In court Winkie is defended by a lawyer named Unwin whom the judge overrides repeatedly; the Pope, the Witches of Salem among others are brought forth to indict Winkie as the source for all our fears. Fear of the unknown, refusal to believe in simple truths animate the court and the gallery just as Winkie animated himself. A witness provides Winkie with his origins and another explains his essence and yet, because he is different, the Court moves on. An indictment of our system, a parody of our fears, Winkie reminds us to watch out for over-doubting and overreaching the truth. Winkie examines his life trying to understand himself, as the judicial system and society try to comprehend who he is.
His memories trace back how lovelorn and loveworn he jumped from his shelf before jumping through the window decided to be his own bear, tired of seeing his love not returned or banished to a dusty shelf. For once in control of life Winkie delights in living, cheerfully "doing a doo-doo" for the first time and so thrilled with himself that he'll do so on 25 different lawns. He later wonders if he is male or female, remembering having been both depending on the child. Full of such whimsical moments, childhood and life as seen from a teddy bear's unique point of view, Clifford CHASE has created a nostalgic book of innocence found and lost, of discovering freedom and of experiencing grief for the first time, of love and all that it can mean.
Profoundly satirical, Chase creates a system that is absurd, full of irony and feeding on the terror it can create within society by preying on our fears. He reminds us of the necessity to be ones' own person and of the fear pursuing individuality can generate.
What could have just been an adult bedtime story or a character study of a teddy bears' life, becomes a symbolic example of innocence and purity misrepresented and hopeless to defend himself. Winkie reminds us that there is no escape from mindless group terror, just a never ending spiral and therefore it is necessary to break the link. Ultimately, Winkie learns and experiences that "you just have to let them know you exist".

This sequel to his Majesty's Dragon expands on volume 1, and on the relationship between Will Laurence and his dragon Temeraire. We learned in volume 1 that Temeraire is a rare Chinese dragon breed: a Celestial. As this novel opens, the Chinese are in London demanding the return of their dragon captured as an egg by Will from a French frigate.
Both Temeraire and Will refuse to be separated and angry at the lack of support they receive from the British government who fear the Chinese will ally themselves with Napoleon (the egg Temeraire hatched from was meant as a gift to him). Temeraire takes matters into his own hands, nearly gets Laurence arrested, provoking an agreement to be reached and soon the two are on a transport to China along with aviator crew.
The sea voyage is a change of pace and allows for further character development, and a testing of the bond between dragon and human. Both learn of the wide gulf between British and Chinese treatment of Dragons and Will worries that Temeraire might prefer to lead the pampered life of a Celestial dragon venerated and catered to in the Forbidden City. The chinese envoy, Prince Yongxing, tries to separate the two arguing that Temeraire deserves a more "valued" companion but perhaps there is more than that to his insistence. During the voyage, which includes an attack by sea serpent and a philosophical discussion of slavery which leads Temeraire to some revolutionary ideas concerning his kind and their treatment in Britain, there are at least two attempts on Laurence's life. Instinct indicates YongXing but there is no evidence and accusing the envoy would be a bad diplomatic move, jeopardizing all hopes for freer trade with China. Balancing diplomatic needs with emotional ones, determining the limits between duty and obligation are the backdrop to Temeraire and Will's arrival in China where they both are stupefied to discover the overreaching differences in treatment, respect and acceptance of dragons in society. Political motives for the ownership of Temeraire going beyond mere tradition or Chinese isolationism come to light, the duo find themselves pawns in an internal Imperial power game and the author delicately winds her second volume to an end.
A study in cultural differences, from traditions to everyday life, Throne of Jade explores in depth the relationship between humans and dragons with thrilling action and emotional moments. This is a wonderful series, addictive and requiring possession of all three volumes to ensure no reader frustration.

When Navy Captain William Laurence captured a French ship during battle he did not expect to find a dragon egg and much less to become bonded to the dragon it hatched. Forced to leave the Navy and become a member of the British aerial corps he discovers a new world. This opening volume of the Temeraire trilogy is more than just an alternative history, more than just yet another dragon tale. Based during the Napoleonic Wars Naomi Novik weaves a fantastic character-driven story where the dragons are common-place if not fully accepted; intelligent, sensitive as well as able to speak and think for themselves the dragons are full characters in this novel. Focusing on the relationship between Temeraire and Will the story describes in wonderful detail an armed-forces milieu never before heard of and is full of interpersonal and internal struggles as their bond becomes a friendship unlike any other. Not only must Will leave the Navy, adapt to a new corps but he must also deal with the fact that Temeraire is a breed of dragon not found in Europe; the only of his kind in the west: a Chinese Celestial Dragon. We learn later that the egg was a gift meant for Napoleon, and its capture not taken lightly. Aerial battles between the French and the English along with action are interspersed with wonderful dialogue and scenes where Will reads to cares for and reads to Temeraire in order to satisfy his friends' thirst for knowledge.
A wonderful first novel, His Majesty's Dragon is an original and highly addictive addition to the genre.
NB - Peter Jackson has bought the rights to the series.

Grandson of the founder, Leon GORMAN produces here a first-hand account of the last 40 years of L. L. Bean. He started with the company in 1960 without a specific job title when L.L. Bean was still a quirky specialist catalog selling mainly to fisherman and outdoorsmen. In 1967 he took over the company and began the expansion that brought L.L. Bean to where it is today: An American Icon with a loyal customer base.
This non-fiction first-person account highlights not only the changes in merchandising, catalogs and business in general but also the pitfalls and rewards of leading a family-business with a strong corporate identity forward in the difficult balancing act of tradition versus growth. Fascinating and insightful.

Joe DeMarco is a fix-it man for the Speaker of the House, taking care of things that need to stay out of public eye. In this second thriller DeMarco must investigate a rumor that there is a possible spy ring at the Naval base based on a request from the Secretary of the Navy who is unwilling to launch an investigation based on a rumor heard from his nephew.. Soon it becomes apparent that the spy-ring is only the tip of the iceberg and DeMarco, with co-hort Emma who is retired from the DIA, find themselves in the middle of a dangerous intrigue. The stakes are personal as Emma faces an enemy from the Cold War who has vowed to ruin her and as more bodies turn up the pair find themselves embroiled with almost every alphabetical agency in existence in the U.S. Since the author is a retired civilian contractor of the Navy he has sufficient insider knowledge to make this political/spy thriller work. Also since the debate on a multi-pronged approach to the war on terrorism continues to make headlines it is a very current issue that the reader can learn a little more about in an engaging way with this fast-paced action-packed political/spy thriller.

A broad sweeping tale of the China and the Cultural Revolution "Brothers" is told in alternating voices. Half-brothers Shento and Tan ignore each others existence growing up. Shento is the illegitimate son of a Chinese general and grew up an orphan in the Chinese countryside while Tan is the legitimate son and grows up in Beijing as a "favored son" of China. They look alike, they both fall in love with the same woman and yet each represents a different facet of the last 40 years of Chinese history and cultural evolution: One is old-guard and the other pro-democratic/capitalist. One is motivated by revenge and a sense of injustice, the other by duty and family tradition. Following different roads, from very different points of origin their paths converge as young adults on opposing sides at Tiananmen Square. Brothers is a novel of family hosts, of love and revenge, of family ties and of the choices we make. A fascinating and well-written read.

Life in Elmwood Springs is still full of the everyday quirks and whatnot that make Fannie Flagg a treat to read. Elner Shimfissle, previously a minor character, takes the spotlight here, starting with her fall off a ladder while picking some figs to make jam. It appears she disturbed a wasps' nest and died from wasp's stings or maybe she isn't dead, at least not yet. But at first the town thinks she did indeed die and in short chapters Fannie Flagg shows us how one life can affect the many. Through this ripple effect we learn more about them and their families as well as about the meaning of life and love... Maybe Heaven isn't such an abstract notion after all, and if it is anything like what Elner experiences the first time she dies then we have nothing to be afraid of. Chock full of those tiny little character details the author excels in the book is at turn smart, thoughtful. sweet and funny.. In sum this is another Fannie Flagg book to relish.

The English master of horse-racing mysteries is back after 6 years of absence subsequent to the death of his wife and collaborator. Sid Halley, the champion ex-jockey is back at the races and finds himself embroiled in not one but several murders and mysteries all revolving around online gambling and race fixing. Somehow they are linked even if Sid doesn't realize it at first. When he does realize it he finds it hard to believe the worst of a well-known friend (Bill) which leads him to investigate further when the police refuse to and puts not only his life but that of his lover Marina in danger.
The formula is familiar and soothing; the writing crisp. Dick FRANCIS is as reliable and predictable as always and presents in this 42nd book a well-constructed story. The characters are somewhat "flat" but the pages turn easily and make this a fast-paced easy read that gives us a peek into the closed world of thorough bred horses and the racing world.

A father and son travel through the devastated world - almost everyone and everything is dead or dying. The apocalypse has come and gone leaving omnipresent in its' wake. Together father and son walk a deserted road heading South, seeking warmth in order to survive the coming winter. The father tells his son about they world "before" - before the war, before death, before his son was born. The father is cursed with memories of "before" and the son has none. For ten years it has been just the two of them, the mother killed herself, the father sees his son as the future, as hope, as a reason to go on. The son saves the father from becoming inhuman, reminding him of the need for good and compassion. A few characters cross their path, each with their own message of the harsh world and hard life; each demonstrating the best and the worst we are capable of. With an economy of words, leaving much to the imagination, the focus is not on a world devoid of hope but on the father and the son, on living beyond despair, even when there is no point in doing so, even when the sea is no longer blue but grey. The relationship between the two main characters, the power of Love amidst a world without reason is poetic and superbly moving. The world McCarthy portrays is horrifying and, through it, he silently reminds us to celebrate the world we enjoy. Magical.

The Copper Scroll follows the Ezekiel Option. Joel ROSENBERG's previous two books were not drawn from the headlines but rather seemed to forecast the headlines months in advance (cf. 9/11 and the Iraq war). In them he extrapolated from then-current events, asked "what if" and came up with scenarii which sadly took place. Given this, the Copper Scroll seemed a book to read.
Based on a true life 1952 discovery of a Copper Scroll which when translated in 1956 turned out to be a listing of 63 locations of fantastic treasure buried in the hills of Jerusalem, with no exact geographical location and a 64th item indicating another similar scroll to find, ROSENBERG creates a work of fiction which is entertaining but...
The book opens on a world recuperating from war and death; Iran and Israel are the only remaining oil-producing countries; married central characters (Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy) are called back to government service when a suicide bombing nearly kills the President. Action flits back and forth relentlessly as their investigation leads them to the volatile Middle East where the Iraqi President seeks to unite all Arab countries. Soon it is a headlong race in Israel to find the "key" scroll to the Copper Scroll in order to discover where the legendary treasure is hidden and open the way for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Of course the "other side", the Islamist/Muslim Arab countries will do anything to prevent this.
It is necessary to bear in mind that this political thriller is written by a conservative evangelical christian with geopolitical experience, a fascination for biblical prophecies and a propensity to favor action over character development - therefore there is a most definite christian bias to the politics and character points of view. Also the author uses convenience rather than logic to pull the story along several times. Basically, if there is nothing else to do or you're just curious what all the fuss about ROSENBERG's books is you'll spend an entertaining few hours. And, of course, there's always the question of how prescient he will be this time around.

More a book for true book bibliomaniacs or literature students this self-proclaimed "guide to literature's what-ifs and never-weres" is an interesting concept: An incomplete history of all the great books you will never read.
85 books, well-known or not, are thus brought back to our collective memory sequentially by author ; 85 books which have either been lost, burned, destroyed or were never written. In a short chapter per book Stuart Kelly explores the reasons why; introducing the author, establishing historical context, sharing his passion of the mysteries surrounding esoteric and better-known works of literature that are no longer available such as the 73 missing plays of Aeschylus, Cardenio (Shakespeare), The Canterbury Tales (Chaucer), Dead Souls (Gogol), the missing poems of Ovid, Amasie (and others by Racine), The mystery of Edwin Drood (Dickens), the stolen First novel of Hemingway and the missing pages from Sylvia Plath's second one. He clearly states at one point that "The entire history of literature was also the history of the loss of literature." and proceeds to demonstrate it in this erudite, fascinating but somehow lacking book. It is a curious book, one perhaps to own and return to at leisure piece meal.

In this non-fiction book David KAMP explores the transformation of American cuisine and eating habits. He focuses on the people who made it happen, telling the stories of James Beard, Craig Clairborne and Julia Child who started the food revolution. They were the ones who delivered the United States from cooking practices based on technique only to one that combines techniques, ingredients and their quality, opening the road for Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, Zagats and others who democratized good food and gastronomy leading us to a world of Starbucks and Whole Food. Simultaneously gourmet food stores, food magazines, specialized gourmet food stores and organic produce found their place as a true industry. "We are what we eat" and what we eat says a lot about us - Under the guise of studying the food revolution and the tranformation of our eating habits over the last 75 years what KAMP does is present us with a cultural history of the country and our changing way of life.

A guide for people who love books and those who want to write them is a great subtitle that neatly summarizes the concept of this book. Today people take creative-writing classes or pick up a how-to book but before that writers looked to each other and to those that came before. therefore Francine PROSE recommends that we too look to the classics for inspiration and to resource ourselves. While the chapter titles are dry and to-the-point (words, sentences, paragraphs, etc..) She emphasizes that reading all sorts of literature is most helpful when trying to write, seeing how other authors successfully or not use words to create stories. The words are the the building blocks and the way they are strung together changes everything. Therefore PROSE advocates reading slowly, lingering over phrases and paragraphs, and learning by example never forgetting that while there are guidelines, rules are made to be broken.
The author takes us on a guided tour of the classics, explaining the pleasure to be found in Philip Roth or the magic of gestures to create character substance. With more contemporary classics such as Le Carre PROSE demonstrates how dialogue advances the plotline seamlessly. She also includes a list of 117 books to be read immediately some may disagree with but overall this book reminds of the importance of books and their format.

With whimsical color drawings by Sam FINK this new edition of the Constitution also includes footnotes, an illustrated chronology and more. The illustrations are pertinent and amusing, successfully bringing to life the key points of each article and demonstrating the clarity and inspiration of our founding fathers. For example, Article I. section 8 concerning taxes shows an eagle pulling on a man's pocket; Amendment I establishing Freedom of Speech shows an Eagle perched on a soapbox; Amendment IV considered to establish the sanctity of one's home and in its' penumbra the right to privacy in one's home shows a house atop of a stone tower with a moat and for Amendment XVIII concerning prohibition the illustration is of a crow carrying a bottle wrapped and tied with string with a tear in his visible eye. Together with the strong words of the Constitution these pen-and-ink illustrations create a compelling treasure.
A fun way to have a copy of this founding document at home as well as a timely reminder that, as the opening illustration shows and sets the tone, the Constitution is "the backbone" of our country.

Subtitled "Adventures of an Independent Bookseller" Betsy BURTON tells the story of opening, running and maintaining her own independent bookstore. Far from simply being a book about a bookstore surviving in a word being invaded by big chains and with a diminishing public, "The King's English" offers an insider's knowledgeable perspective on the book business of today, on the market changes of the last 30 years (she opened her store in 1977) and on society's relationship with all things books.
Also included are numerous book and author lists - novels, poetry, children's, censored, top 25 lists from different moments in the last 30 years, other booksellers lists... Many many ists which will provide many ideas of books to read.
From all aspects BURTON has written a book-lovers guide to books and the business surrounding them.

Chance is a part of our everyday lives. In "Chances are..." the KAPLANs offer insights into the history and the researchers having developed the various theorems and notions for probability and statistics. They explore the relationship between math and society today and as how it has existed and evolved over the centuries. As their starting point they introduce the more commonly known probability theories such as dice rolling in Ancient Greece, and Pascal's triangle.
They offer countless concrete examples as to how probability and/or statistics influence(d)social issues in some way or another. From the beginnings of the insurance industry in 17th century UK to military strategy to risk-analysis to the well-known Monty Hall problem ("Let's make a deal") to medical decisions to the criminal justice system to military strategy and game theory to weather forecasting and even to crossing the street. The authors' approach is designed to appeal to a large public and so is more historical, literary, philosophical and pragmatic than one might expect for such a subject. the authors make clear that understanding statistics and probability is often what gives the "winning edge" even if human tendency leans more toward intuition and emotional instinct.
As a non mathematician this book was fascinating and full of fun facts and factoids. "Some forms of uncertainty are better than others", especially if you've already used probability and statistics to narrow the odds!

James PATTERSON is back with a mafia trial. After years of hunting his suspect FBI agent Nick Pellisante manages to nab Mafia crime boss Dominic Cavello. While the prosecution is gearing up to prosecute the mafia network does everything possible to stall and prevent the trial, including start a major crime wave that ultimately becomes focused on one of the jurors.
Following his usual and sometimes frustrating formula for a fast-paced easy read, PATTERSON keeps the chapters short - very short- and multiplies the perspectives from which the story develops. The main characters are a mafia boss, an FBI agent, a female juror and a hired killer; which could have been an exciting mix but there is more violence than usual and the characters are less believable than in his other books making this book below average for PATTERSON. Perhaps his next book, Cross (Nov. 13) will be more satisfying.

Book Cover The toughest show on earth - Joseph VOLPE with Charles MICHENER

Published on the occasion of his retirement this autobiography provides a fascinating insight into the Metropolitan Opera and the man who had headed it since 1990, a man who embodies in some way the classic "rags-to-riches" American success story. Chronicling his early life and humble origins it provides an in-depth look at the workings of a wonderful institution. From his start as an apprentice carpenter we are behind-the-scenes as the Met moves to the Lincoln center and settles in, we are there during the 1980 labor lockout and the battles with the various divas. The man who led the institution as general manager for 13 years states "everything I knew about running an opera I had figured out for myself." His hands on experience due to working his way from the ground up served him well when dealing with the internal politics and complexities of managing high-strung personalities as demonstrated by the numerous detailed anecdotes of all the productions he has participated in or managed. His quick dismissal of the pretentiousness that is unfortunately frequently associated with opera highlights the inner politics - both artistic and administrative- and strife of an institution striving to democratize its' audience. The book serves this purpose as well with its' personal insider glimpse of the personalities, financing, and politics of this great institution.

Indefensible - David FEIGE

Sub-titled "One lawyers journey into the inferno of American Justice", Indefensible is an expose of the South Bronx criminal justice system as seen by a Public Defender (FEIGE) juggling 75-100 cases per day. It is a frightening glimpse into what we're used to thinking of as an equitable system, one where justice prevails. In fact, it is not exactly that.
David FEIGE shines a spotlight on the inequities of the system - on the lack of funding, of personnel, on personnel and personal biases, on the human frailties that make our system weak while ensuring that it perseveres. Sadly entertaining Indefensible tells the stories of a select group of David FEIGE's clients as they experience the justice system over the course of a day - the sad tales of a drug-dealer, an abused-wife turned murderer and others. Their stories touch us because David FEIGE manages to make them come to life with a very factual and concise style. An eye-opening account of the buses and frailties of the system it is also oddly reassuring because reminding us that for all its' faults the system is made up of people, good and bad and can indeed be influenced by a single person.