Posted: 05 Feb 2010 12:58 PM PST

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS "The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea" (HarperCollins), by Philip Hoare: A subject as big as the whale demands a book as broad as "The Whale." Part memoir, part nature writing and part literary criticism, the book takes readers around the world for an exhaustive look at the mysterious mammal. Philip Hoare begins his book in the steps of Herman Melville's Ishmael, visiting the famous 19th-century whaling ports Nantucket and New Bedford, Mass., before tracing the cultural significance of the whale from Jonah to "Free Willy." For readers who don't love science, there might be dull moments. But entertaining and educational, "The Whale" is an all-encompassing look at how an animal most people never see has impacted our history and inspired our imagination.

-By Rob Merrill.

"Red Carpet Ready: Secrets for Making the Most of Any Moment You're in the Spotlight" (Crown Publishing Group), by Melissa Rivers: Are you planning a wedding or trying to survive a breakup? Or maybe you're unemployed. If you're experiencing high-pressure situations such as these, Melissa Rivers has advice - and lots of it. Rivers is best known for covering fashion on the red carpet with her mother Joan Rivers. She says those gigs taught her how to think on her feet, handle curve balls and maintain her cool, traits everyone needs at one time or another. But parts of the book seem unorganized, choppy and hard to follow. Yes, Rivers dishes about Hollywood (like sharing a table at a restaurant with Sean Penn, who gave her divorce advice) - but there's not enough to satisfy readers.

-By Alicia Rancilio.

"Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History" (Riverhead), by David Aaronovitch: Did you hear the real story? The Sept. 11 attacks were orchestrated by the U.S. government. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor. Princess Diana was assassinated. The Catholic Church is covering up evidence of Jesus' family. Just about everyone has heard at least one of these conspiracy theories. Often, such tales of shadowy dealings bubble up after shocking events, offering a darker explanation to a rattled public. British journalist David Aaronovitch does his best to pop those bubbles in "Voodoo Histories," an entertaining - if sometimes depressing - tour of modern conspiracy theories.

-By Michael Hill.

"Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, With Recipes" (Little, Brown and Co.), by Elizabeth Bard: American writer Elizabeth Bard says her French husband was halfway to home base when she cut into a succulent steak during their first lunch in Paris. It's not entirely certain in her recounting of their romance whether it was the man or the meals that kept drawing her back to the city celebrated for its cuisine. Sure, Gwendal was kind, funny and a tap dancer, but there were also molten chocolate cakes and swordfish tartar. In her first book, Bard tracks their relationship through meals - the pasta Gwendal made after they first made love, the sausage over which he proclaimed his love, the poached cod served when she met his parents and the smelly cheese at their wedding. She includes recipes at the end of each chapter for those wanting to cook up a little romance of their own. Still, the recipes can be intimidating, and it's a little difficult to imagine gutting a whole fish as skillfully as Bard reports doing on her first try.

-By M.L. Johnson.

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Book Reviews - Texarkana Gazette

Posted: 31 Jan 2010 05:19 AM PST

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"Marriage and Other Acts of Charity" (Little, Brown and Company, 224 pages, $24.99), by Kate Braestrup: In marriage, it helps to learn to apologize. Unchecked anger is bad and loving generously benefits both the giver and receiver. These are ...

Book reviews for kids and adults - Petoskey News-Review

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 08:36 PM PST

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Editor's note: Freelance writer Kristin Bates will be writing book reviews that will run the first Saturday of each month.

As summer was ending, I suddenly found myself in the position of the unemployed. After countless calls, ignored resumes and unsuccessful job interviews, I was beginning to give up hope. Many supportive friends told me there wasn't a reason I was unemployable; it was just tough economic times.

That was obvious. Their advice was to stay positive, keep pounding the pavement and something good would come my way. (And, they were right! Thanks, friends.)

In mid-November, I was offered a job at McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey and was brought on as a freelance writer with the Petoskey News-Review, which brings me to this column. Because of my job at the bookstore, I have the opportunity to read a great book before the rest of you. It's part of my job. (I am employable!)

Each month, I will be highlighting a local bookstore and giving the community a look at new reading material. Here are my sneak peeks at some upcoming books which will be released throughout the month of February:

"The Bag Lady Papers: The Priceless Experience of Losing it All"

I hate hearing about investments. To me, it is boring, pretentious talk. My idea of investments are the giant rolls of Scott toilet paper available at Sam's Club. And bulk Kraft macaroni and cheese. So when I saw the cover of "The Bag Lady Papers: The Priceless Experience of Losing It All" (Hyperion, 216 pages) by Alexandra Penney, I picked it solely because she has my maiden name. (It turns out I do judge a book by its cover.)

Penney describes a life of working hard and a decision to invest her well-earned money with a man named Bernard Madoff. Preparing for a cozy dinner party and living her everyday upscale life, Penney is soon thrown into a whole new world by a simple phone call. The Ponzi scam, devised by Madoff, has crumbled. She has lost everything.

This is an incredibly honest account of losing it all, trying to survive the devastating consequences and once again, rising from the destruction. Whether you have money, want money or are working toward the American dream, this book can give you insight on how important it is to take control of your earnings. Don't let a Madoff get you, too.

As for me, I am sticking with Scott toilet paper. It is septic-friendly and always in need.

"Shadow Tag"

As an avid reader all of my life, with the exception of my many sleepless years as a new parent, I have always focused on the classics, "Grapes of Wrath," "A Room of One's Own" and all things Shakespeare, to name a few. A professor told me 20 years ago to stop reading dead authors and start with some new, upcoming authors, such as Louise Erdrich.

It's about time I listened.

Author of "Love Medicine," "The Beet Queen" and most recently, "A Plague of Doves," award-winning Erdrich has written a novel unlike any of her previous works. "Shadow Tag" (HarperCollins, 272 pages) is a painfully intense story about a marriage slowly dying beyond repair and two highly dependent artists consumed with each other, letting all else fade into the background. Even their children gradually lose significance in their lives.

Irene and Gil, the main characters, attack each other savagely throughout this novel. Once in love, they now have the ammunition to tear each other apart. And they do, viciously. Both highly manipulative characters, they torment the entire family to the point of destruction.

Fans of Erdrich might wonder if this novel is representative of her painful divorce from fellow author Michael Dorris, which only adds to the intense emotions this book provokes. I highly recommend "Shadow Tag," a disturbing look at a disintegrating marriage. It will make you squirm, hurt your stomach and realize the lengths people will go to destroy each other when the love is lost.

For the kids: "Northward to the Moon"

Since my kids are always underfoot, sitting them on the couch with a good book gets me at least 20 minutes without any refereeing whatsoever. Those are some great minutes!

For children ages 9-13, Polly Horvath has done it again with "Northward to the Moon" (Random House, 224 pages), the sequel to "My One Hundred Adventures," which is now out in paperback.

Jane, an adventurous child intent on grasping all the experiences that she can, has found herself and her family suddenly fleeing a town nobody likes in search of an old family friend. And so the adventures begin.

These outlaws encounter missing magicians, horse ranchers and thieves, eventually finding long-lost family members along the way. With a quirky cast of characters, humorous dialogue and a moving story line, Horvath has another award-winning novel on her hands. For anyone with an adventurous side, this book will not disappoint.

Now, for the little ones, ages 4-8: "Here Comes The Garbage Barge" (Schwartz & Wade, 40 pages), written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Red Nose Studio.

Did you know there once was an old barge hauled by the Break of Dawn tugboat which was loaded with more than 3,000 tons of garbage? In March of 1987, Islip, a city on New York's Long Island, was being overrun with garbage. After being approached by several businessmen, the decision was made to float the garbage to North Carolina, thereby, ending the problem. Sound reasonable?

Find out what happens during this six-month excursion and where the exhausted tug finally is allowed into port. With interesting recycled artwork and colorful pages, this unusual trip around the globe is unlike anything we would imagine today. An inventive way to stress the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle — and enjoyable for all ages.

About McLean & Eakin

Where can you find these upcoming books? Visit Northern Michigan bookstores such as McLean & Eakin Booksellers, located in the historic Gaslight District in downtown Petoskey. It has been in the Norcross family since it was opened by Julie Norcross in 1992.

The store has a "Cabin Fever Series" throughout the month of February and a short story contest with this year's theme "Fractured fairy tales." The shop also offers a 10 percent for schools and nonprofits program; by naming the organization of your choice, McLean and Eakin will donate 10 percent of your purchase back into the community.

"The program was started in 1994 by Julie Norcross as a way to get quality books into every student's hands. While the program's donations were smaller at first, it is now very well known in the community and by this April's distributions we will top the $100,000 mark. We will be celebrating this hallmark sometime in April with pomp and circumstance," said Susan Capaldi, manager of the store.

McLean and Eakin Booksellers is located at 307 E. Lake St. Hours are: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. www.mcleanandeakin.com.

Would you like your bookstore featured here? Contact Kristin Bates at kristinbates876@gmail.com.

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Book Reviews

Saturday, February 6, 2010

“Capsule book reviews of 'The Whale,' 'Red Carpet Ready' and other ... - Big Hollywood” plus 2 more

“Capsule book reviews of 'The Whale,' 'Red Carpet Ready' and other ... - Big Hollywood” plus 2 more

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