I am going to take note of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($23.96, from Scholastic.com) because it is the sixth great tome in this amazing series. I know many adults like the Harry Potter books, but they are ultimately written for the younger set and having gotten countless youngsters to read is reason enough for me to celebrate this latest edition. The war against Voldemort continues! You can also get it on audiotape or CD, read by Jim Dale, and in that format, it affords hours of wonderful listening ($50.00 cassette, $75.00 CD, Listening Library, a division of Random House). I can attest to that. Dale’s performance is extraordinary. He does all 96 voices of the characters. Just prior to its July 16 release, more than 870,000 copies had been pre-ordered via Amazon.com. This tops the previous Potter book, by 100,000. On its first day for sale in the US, some 6.9 million copies of the book were sold. Hats off to J.K. Rowling, a publishing phenomenon.

Talking about young people, I must tell you I was very impressed by a book written by a young man, Hans Zieger. Get Off My Honor: The Assault on the Boy Scouts of America ($12.99. Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN). With a foreword by Oliver North, it is a rebuttal to the attack on this organization by the likes of the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups. You really have to wonder why anyone would object to an organization whose oath is "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and country, and to obey the Scout law; to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight." The BSA imparts a lot of other values that transform boys into men. Today, however, there are demands that it accept homosexuals and even girls for members. Others oppose its steadfast commitment to the acknowledgement of the universal God. They call these traditional community values discriminatory and it is true that Scouts are taught to discriminate. They are against liars. They are against selfishness. They are against disloyalty. They are against hate. Conversely, they favor cheerfulness, thrift, cleanliness, and bravery. This book makes a strong case for values that have held young men in good stead since the founding of the BSA in 1910. Some things are timeless, but let us hope that time does not run out for the Boy Scouts of America.

I just love books that are filled with what is essentially trivia. Vital Statistics by Paul Grobman ($16.00, Plume softcover, Penguin Group) describes itself as "An amazing compendium of factoids, minutiae, and random bits of wisdom." I can hardly improve on this except to say that this is a terrific "bathroom" book that you keep handy to peruse for no other purpose than to pass the time. The thing is, it’s just so entertaining, as it offers up all kinds of information such as the fact that 81% of Americans think they could write a book. Can’t get enough of Michael Jackson now that he beat the rap? Turns out that Neverland is 2,700 acres, has three Ferris wheels, and costs $333,000 a month to maintain. And more than 30 million Americans have at least one tattoo. Aside from this trivia, the book is filled with scads of useful information. Another amusing book is Admit it, You’re Crazy! Quirks, Idiosyncrasies, and Irrational Behavior. Judy Reiser ($9.95, Andrews McMeel) has compiled a collection of various forms of behavior that may seem odd to others, including ourselves. Categories include food, clothing, money, sleep, and germs. If you think you have strange habits, aversions and preferences, you should check out this book to discover that just about everybody else does too.

Knowing your way around the Web is an essential skill and three new books provide lots of advice that will prove helpful. Romancing the Web: A Therapist’s Guide to the Finer Points of Online Dating ($13.95, Blue Waters Publications, Manitowoc, WI) by Diane M. Berry, MSW, LCSW, JD is testimony to her many degrees. A relationship expert, the authors says that online dating is the most efficient and effective way to meet the right partner today, but there are problems to avoid and, using real-life examples, she helps any single seeking a mate avoid them with this roadmap to happiness. Successful Website Marketing by Peggi Ridgway ($26.95, Wordpix Solutions, Buena Park, CA) is an excellent self-guided tutorial that will save any small business owner with a website a lot of money, while teaching them how to optimize the website so it becomes "magnetic" to search engines. Filled with practical advice, many of its recommendations cost nothing at all. Written in everyday language, this book will turn you into a marketing maven and put money in your pocket. One of the greatest aspects of the Net is the ability to do research on anything. Yahoo! to the Max by Randolph Hock ($24.95, CyberAge Books, Nashville, TN) is due out next month. The author is the founder of Online Strategies that specializes in creating and delivering customized courses on Web research, but this book is a thorough education you can acquire. While Google has become the giant among search engines, Hock says that Yahoo! is a major competitor, filled with many hidden resources and tools. It’s a goldmine and this book will teach you how to take full advantage of it.

Religion is a major factor in people’s lives throughout history and to the present time. For those who want to grapple with some of the issues involving religion, there are three books that address them. Divided by God: America’s Church-State Problem and What to Do About it by Noah Feldman ($25.00, Farrar Straus Giroux), a NYU law professor, argues that the war between the proponents of ‘values evangelism’ and ‘legal secularism’ threatens to destroy a common national vision. The American tradition of a constitutional separation between church and state is, the author says, not about religious belief, but about the way religion plays out in the conduct of politics and the running of government. And separatism was a concept of a simpler time when no one opposed the idea of religious liberty. Ironically, Protestantism in the early years of the Republic was so divided that no single denomination was likely to seize control of the state. Want to explore this more deeply? You have to read this book. God Vs the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law by Marci A. Hamilton ($00.00, Cambridge University Press) challenges the assumption that all religious conduct deserves constitutional protection. The author’s view is that, while religious conduct provides many benefits to society, it is not always benign. We have seen this in the scandal of child abuse that has afflicted the Catholic Church, but there’s also medical neglect of children by faith healers, and other socially intolerable behavior. This author argues for the rule of law to reign in the use of religion to sanction wrongdoing. Fighting Words: The Origins of Religious Violence by Prof. Hector Avolos ($26.00, Prometheus Books) asks if religion is inherently violent. If not, what provokes violence in the name of religion? And do we mischaracterize religion by focusing too much on its violent side? Given the Islamic Jihad taking place around the world, these are good questions to ask and this book is a study of religious violence. Like a lot of people, when I first started reading the Bible, I noticed how filled with violence both the Old and New Testaments are. When I read the Koran, I was astonished by its emphasis on war—jihad—to advance the faith. This is a very challenging book to read, but worth the effort.

At night we can gaze up at the sky and see the Moon and many stars. These celestial objects went from myth to scientific reality with the invention of the telescope. These days we casually marvel at the photos sent back by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Stargazer: The Life and Times of the Telescope by Fred Watson ($24.95, Da Capo Press) traces the history of this invention from its origins with Tycho Brahe whose king gave him an island on which to pursue his investigations to the aforementioned Hubble. The book captures the life of the modern astronomer. The author is Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabaraban in central New South Wales who is a popular figure in his home country and internationally respected. His book is a very interesting and human look at this science of the skies. For anyone seeking a good introduction, there’s From Blue Moons to Black Holes by Melanie Melton Knocke ($19.00, Prometheus Books), a large format "basic guide to astronomy, outer space, and space exploration" that does an excellent job of explaining the mysteries and discoveries of what lies well beyond this tiny planet. It is filled with the kind of information that can turn anyone into a skygazer.

It’s no secret I like fact-filled books of every description and that aptly describes The Historical Atlas of American Crime by Fred Rosen ($24.95, Checkmark Books, an imprint of Facts On File, Inc.) This large format book emphasizes cases that were the first of their kind, new types of crime, and, of course, crimes that are particular to certain regions. It demonstrates how geography, shifting populations, Western expansion, and technology have shaped crime and the development of American society. It is a geographic overview of crime in America from colonial times to the present. For anyone who finds crime of interest, this is definitely a book to add to their personal library. It is filled with an excellent text and many maps, artwork and photos.

I am quite fond of anthologies of poetry because they give one the opportunity to taste the work of different talents, so I was pleased initially to received Mark Strand’s 100 Great Poems of the Twentieth Century ($24.95, W.W. Norton & Company). I have been reading poetry since my youth and the first indication that something was amiss was a look at the contents pages that had the names of quite a few poets of whom I had never heard or read anything. It occurred to me that Strand wanted to make as international a selection as possible, but as I made my way through the anthology, I found myself disappointed again and again by the choices made. This is not the best of what the last century had to offer by way of poetry. Too many of the "poems" ignore the traditional forms in favor of what used to be called "blank verse" which is a nice way of saying it’s not really poetry at all.

Women in Shadow and Light: Journeys from Abuse to Healing ($35.00, Creative Minds Press, a division of Beagle Bay, Inc., 3040 June Meadows Road, Reno, NV 89509) is a most unusual and inspiring book by author/photographer Jan Goff-LaFontaine. It is composed of photos and text depicting forty women, ages 19 to 95, who all triumphed over trauma. It reflects the fact that any woman can make the journey described and achieve healing in many ways. The book is the result of the author’s realization that she could help abused women by reconnecting them with their sense of beauty and, in doing so, let them throw off the shame they often felt. The photos are excellent and evocative. The text tells of a wide range of lifestyles from being homeless to the champagne life. For any women experiencing abuse or having left it behind, this book will prove a wonderful gift.

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Parenting Books Galore

In recent weeks, books about parenting have been pouring into the office. Do all these publishers expect another baby-boom or is this just typical of the way certain types of books get published all the time? It’s the latter.

From Da Capo Press comes several fact-filled quick guides in its "Your Pregnancy" series. Dr. Glade B. Curtis, OD/GYN and Judith Schuler, MS, have written Postpartum Wellness and Twins, Triplets and More ($7.95 each). This series has been around for more than a decade and they have proven very helpful for the topics they cover. The fact that they are concise and devoted to specific aspects of pregnancy and birth make it easier to absorb the information. Da Capo also publishes a comparable series of books by the famed T. Berry Brazelton, MD. The latest include Understanding Sibling Rivalry and Mastering Anger and Aggression ($9.95 each). These two were co-authored by Joshua D. Sparrow, MD, a noted child psychiatrist. Both books cover a lot of ground in their brief format. These forms of behavior are often the most vexing for parents. Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide ($34.95, American Carriage House Publishing, Nevada City, CA) by Mardie Caldwell is as complete a guide to this route to parenthood as I have ever seen. Certainly, it is worth its price for the advice it offers on how to deal with waiting lists, legal paperwork, and social workers. The fact is, however, the process has become faster, less costly, and has a much friendlier quality to it. This book shows how you can use the Internet to achieve your goal with easy-to-follow guidelines for anyone thinking of adopting a child.

For the new mother with a spiritual and philosophical outlook, there’s 100 Promises to My Baby by Mallika Chopra ($15.95, Rodale) with a forward by Deepak Chopra. It addresses the responsibilities of parenthood as she reveals the vows she made to help her child and all children grow up feeling cherished and secure. Doc Pop’s 52 Weeks of Active Parenting by Dr. Michael H. Popkin, Ph.D, ($12.95, Active Parenting Publishing, Kennesaw, GA) is written to help today’s overworked, overstressed, and overtired parents. An expert on parenting, this book will help parents navigate the sometimes choppy waters of parenthood with confidence and ease. To learn the basics of how to communicate effectively, how to discipline, teach responsibility, and help children succeed, it’s all in this easy to read book. Dianne Couris has written Who’s Running Things Around Here Anyway?! ($19.95, Choices & Solutions Publishing, Oldsmar, FL) that addresses problem behavior such as tantrums and hitting. In short, how does one impose some discipline on a young child in a firm, loving, consistent way? Setting limits can be one of the hardest responsibilities of a parent, but this book provides answers to the "why" of various rebellious and inappropriate behaviors by children. At your wit’s end? Get this book. I got a big kick out of Living in a Locker Room: A Mom’s Tale of Survival in a Houseful of Boys by Paula Schmitt ($12.95, Wyatt-McKenzie Publishing, Deadwood, OR). This book is written especially for the mother who finds herself with a brood of young athletes. It is filled with wonderful advice and lots of laughs too.

Five-Star Families: Moving Yours from Good to Great by Carol Kuykendall ($12.99, Revell) won’t be officially published until September, but I can tell you that it will prove very helpful as it discusses why love, fun, loyalty, growth and faith are the cornerstones on which to build a happy family. The author has already written three books and co-authored five more on all aspects of parenthood, particularly from the mother’s point of view. She must have done something right because she and her husband are now proud grandparents. You will find this book inspiring, so order your copy today. Also coming in September is a very funny novel, Confessions of Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser ($23.95, Dutton) and, here too, I recommend you get your order in for this smart, zany, and touching story that will delight any overwhelmed mother.

Today’s parents have a right to worry about imparting positive, moral and ethical values to their children. There are so many bad messages they receive from the media and other sources. That’s why I was pleased to receive Daily Positives: Inspiring Greatness in the Next Generation by Dr. Edward P. Friszer, Ed.D. ($16.95, Cameo Publications, Hilton Head, SC). It is a collection of thoughtful quotations to inspire positive choices and shows how people throughout history achieved success as the result of those choices. Each page has a short message such as why not to procrastinate, the importance of tenacity, and overcoming obstacles, among many more examples of how to create a meaningful, happy life.

Cheli Cerra, M.Ed and Ruth Jacoby, Ed.D, have collaborated on two books that give parents a leg up on effective communication with school and your child. They are Parent Talk! ($14.95, Jossey-Bass) and School Board Talk! ($19.95, Jossey-Bass). Many parents find themselves understandably frustrated when trying to get the best learning experience for their children. Many discover that some in the education community will say almost anything to satisfy or even deceive an anxious parent. These books teach how to talk to principals and teachers to get the best outcome. A Parent’s guide to Special Education: Insider Advice on How to Navigate the System and Help Your Child to Succeed ($16.95, Amacom softcover) is authored by Linda Wilmshurst, PhD, and Alan W. Brue, PhD. These curriculums for those with development delay, learning and physical disabilities, retardation, autism, et cetera, generate a lot of anxiety for parents, but this book is an excellent guide for families, teachers, counselors and administrators on how to select and make the most of available alternatives. Both authors are school counselors and provide all kinds of coaching, tools and checklists, and sample documents for every stage of the special education process.

Also for concerned parents, there’s Kidnapped: How Irresponsible Marketers are Stealing the Minds of Your Children by Dan Acuff, PhD, and Robert Reiher, PhD. ($18.95, Dearborn Trade Publishing, Chicago). In truth this book will also appeal to teachers, product manufacturers, broadcasters and even legislators because it addresses the fact that the average child spends more than one-fourth of every day in front of some sort of screen, often absorbing a lot of violence and sexual content. The authors offer help to understand the fundamentals of child development, fifteen "blind spots" that make children vulnerable to advertising messages, and techniques to help children become more advertising and media-savvy. There’s a lot more to help a parent who wants to protect their child from falling prey to bad behavior. It can be done and this book will show you how.

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Getting Down to Business (Books)

Like cookbooks, diet books, and novels, there is no end to the stream of business books available to guide a reader to success.

We all need motivation from time to time and Al Secunda, a noted business consultant, provides it in The 15 Second Principle: Short, Simple Steps to Achieving Long-Term Goals ($13.99, Career Press). Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul lauds this book as "full of practical and powerful wisdom. With powerful illustrations that drive home his points." I will add my recommendation to his. Based on the premise that "either we don’t really care about our dreams, or we are scared to death of them", the author helps the reader find the answer to turning dreams into realities.

A lot of new graduates are job-hunting this month, along with scores of more seasoned workers. They will benefit from Scott Bennett’s new book, The Elements of Resume Style: Essential Rules and Eye-Opening Advice for Writing Resumes and Cover Letters that Work ($9.95, Amacom softcover). The title says it all! Bennett says that hiring managers have learned to spot all the warning signs in resumes such as job-hopping, gaps between jobs, and the ways people try to inflate their resumes or just sometimes lie. This book provides proven ways for creating professional, believable resumes that present the truth in ways that will gain respect. One thing that works in every aspect of life is courtesy. The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success by Beverly Langford ($14.95, Amacom softcover) should be "must" reading as far as I am concerned. She demonstrates how courtesy, etiquette, and respect for others is a competitive advantage in the workplace. Instead of a bunch of nitpicky rules, the book emphasizes appropriate, effective communication and behavior styles as a means to get ahead.

Selling may be the most challenging thing to do and in particular if it involves making a "cold call", getting qualified leads, and turning opportunity into money. That’s the subject of Knock Your Socks Off Prospecting by William "Skip" Miller and Ron Zemke ($16.95, Amacom softcover). To many people, it can be terrifying, but there are ways to do it well and this humorous, practical guide shares a lot of prospecting and call-calling secrets of the most successful salespeople. You can make them work for you too. Or maybe you want to learn the secrets of negotiating? Then pick up a copy of Harry Mills new book, The Streetsmart Negotiator: How to Outwit, Outmaneuver, and Outlast Your Opponents ($15.00, Amacom softcover). It is filled with smart, practical methods the reader will be able to use immediately as it distills the collective wisdom of the world’s top negotiators.

Over the past 40 years, few in the restaurant industry have had the success of Phil Romano, the food service showman who created Fuddrucker’s, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Cozymel’s and EatZi’s. With ten million customers a year in 48 States and 8 foreign countries, his story can now be read in Food for Thought ($22.00, Dearborn Trade Publishing) in his own words. The book is filled with advice on how to achieve the entrepreneurial mindset and recognize opportunity when it crosses your path, select the really great idea from the many mediocre ones, and develop a successful approach to management. You don’t need to go to graduate business school. You just need to read Romano’s book! While on the subject of food, the new, fourth edition of From Kitchen to Market: Selling Your Gourmet Food Specialty ($28.95, Dearborn Trade Publishing) is now off the press. Stephen F. Hall tells the reader how to break into the specialty food industry, now generating nearly $39 billion a year and growing at more than seven percent annually. It’s all here between the covers of this excellent guide.

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Kid Stuff: Children’s and Younger Readers

R.L. Stine has become famous among younger readers, aged 8 to 12, for his many books and, lately, about a school in the town of Rotten. It is, therefore, the Rotten School, and the latest book off the press in this series is The Big Blueberry Barf-Off! ($9.95, HarperCollins) in which we learn that Bernie Bridges rules! He convinced the cafeteria lady that a Milky Way bar is a vegetable. The name of the game is to get rich kid, Sherman Oaks, to give him his watch and that involves a contest and 25 blueberry pies. Do not read this book after lunch! But do give it to some lucky youngster. There is, by the way, an audio version and it includes not only this book, but also The Great Smelling Bee ($17.95, Harper Children’s Audio, 2 CDs, two and a half hours) read by Michael McKean. Whether one reads or listens, this is hilarious stuff, even to an older kid like me.

While we’re talking about audio books, two others from Harper Children’s Audio offer wonderful entertainment. They are The Game of Silence by Louis Erdrich ($27.95, five CDs, 6 hours unabridged) and Leon and the Spitting Image by Allen Kurzwell ($25.95, five CDs, 6 hours unabridged). Erdrich is well known to adult readers for her bestselling novels, but this one is about a young Indian girl. It is 1850 and she lives on an island in Lake Superior as a member of the Ojibwe tribe. A clash of cultures is about to occur when white settlers arrive and want to take over the island. Kurzwell’s tale is about a hotel full of animals and lots more fun things including Leon Zeisel and his epic quest to survive the fourth grade. He must, however, overcome Miss Hagmeyer, the teacher, and Lumpkin the Pumpkin, a bully with a deadly dodge ball known to all as the sidewinder.

For those for whom books must be read at bedtime or those old enough to read a beginner’s book, age six or more, I am happy to report that Eleanor is back. She is the heroine of "Eleanor, Ellatony, Ellencake, and Me" by C.M. Rubin and, in September, she returns in Ellie, The Perfect Dress for Me ($15.95, School Specialty Publishing, Columbus, OH). The theme is self-esteem and it features the independent, resourceful, and lovable Ellie. A wedding calls for a special dress and everybody has their own idea about what she should wear until she decides to design her own. What makes both books so much fun is the rhyming text and the wonderful illustration of the story by Christopher Fowler. Carol Donsky Newell has written a book to help children suffering from a sickness such as asthma or, in this case, congenital heart disease. Blue Lewis and Sasha the Great ($6.95, Calley Press, Box 354, Earlysville, VA 22936) is a warm and funny story of the bond between Lewis and little Sasha, a Maltese puppy. Beautifully illustrated by Betty Grisham, it will offer hope for a happier, healthier life to any youngster. Written for those 7 and up, it debuts officially in September. Another instructional book is Leroy the Labrador: The Big Move by Allyson Roberts and illustrated by Irena Romendik ($16.95, Strategic Vision LLC, Tallahassee, FL). It is the kind of story a parent would want to read to a child if they are planning to move to a new home because it responds to the fears any child might have. As told through the experiences of Leroy, it is a clever story that will help the transition. The beautiful watercolor drawings greatly enhance the story, which, of course, has a happy ending.

There are literally countless new children’s books available these days. HarperCollins has an entire division devoted to them. Three books for the very young involve the theme of the strong bond between children and their mothers. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown with wonderful pictures by Clement Hurd ($16.95). The title tells it all, but the good news is that the bunny’s mother always finds him. Believe it or not, this was first published in 1942 and has never been out of print. It is a classic. Mommy Mine by Tim Warnes and illustrated by Jane Chapman ($15.99) depicts a variety of animal mommies and their children, and Mama Always Comes Home by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Brooke Dyer ($15.95) uses a variety of animal creatures, plus a human couple to reassure any child of the title’s promise.

Pre-and-early teen readers will enjoy Pay the Piper: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairy Tale by the prolific Jane Yolen who has teamed with Adam Stemple ($16.95, a Starscape Book published by Tom Doherty Associates, New York.) It is the first in a series and tells the story of 14-year-old Callie McCallan who lives in a sleepy Massachusetts town. Things get interesting though when a famous rock band, Brass Rat, schedules a concert. Callie gets to meet the lead singer and his band mates. Callie, though, senses something odd about them and on Halloween, her younger brother and all the other children disappear! At that point she has to enter a mythical world filled with fantastical creatures to rescue them. A somewhat similar story is told in The Orpheus Obsession by Dakota Lane ($16.99, Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.) In this story, Anooshka Stargirl visits her older sister in New York and hears Orpheus’s music and meets him. Soon she is unable to shake him from her mind and this obsession transforms into empowering self-discovery. Both are based, of course, on classic tales.

Young readers, aged 12 and up, will enjoy a very unusual novel. Beatrix Potter is best known for her children’s story, but Susan Wittig Albert has written a novel starring her and her animal friends, The Tale of Holly How, that revolves around the suspected murder of a local shepherd in Sawrey, England. Beatrix must collaborate with her four-legged friends to unveil the secrets behind his death ($23.95, Berkley). Adults, too, can enjoy this story that is bound to appeal to animal lovers and devotees of Beatrix Potter. A crossover book, this is a classic British mystery offering a great deal of entertainment.

For a real classic, there’s Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows ($12.00, Penguin Classics) available in softcover for a new generation of younger readers to acquaint themselves with Mole, Ratty, Badger and, of course, Toad, the instigator of endless folly. All live in the Wild Wood and their first appearance was in 1908. This is worth reading and re-reading as a celebration of eccentricity and friendship. I would think that one should be at least into their teens before taking on this story. This edition includes an academic introduction and there are "explanatory notes" concerning the author and the work itself. That’s fine for scholars, but some stories need to read first and then, if one wants, intellectually examined afterward.

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Novels, Novels, Novels!

There’s plenty of fiction to read this summer. The novels arrive on a daily basis. Let’s look at some of the latest.

Would you believe a former Secretary of Defense could write a good thriller? Well, if he’s Caspar Weinberger and has Peter Schweizer as his co-author, he sure can. Weinberger served under President Reagan and knows government inside and out. Chain of Command ($25.95, Atria Books) begins with the assassination of the president. A Secret Service agent quickly realizes he is being framed as having facilitated the murder and must use all his wits to, not only exonerate himself, but identify who’s really being the killing. The authors take you from the Pentagon to Camp David, inside the White House Situation Room, and the inner sanctums of the FBI. This is a real page-turner. There are comparable twists and turns of plot in So Horrible a Place by Margaret Duffy ($00.00, Allison & Busby, Ltd). The story begins in England where former MI5 officers Patrick Gillard and Ingrid Langley become involved in a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster, when Patrick is asked to become an advisor to a film based on an undercover operation in Northern Ireland that went spectacularly wrong. The stand-in for the star is killed by a sniper just before the cameras begin to roll. Ingrid does some background research, discovering that the author of the book on which the film is based also died under suspicious circumstances. Could a member of the film production team have a score to settle? You will have to read this one to find out. Close Case is a Samantha Kincaid mystery by Alafair Burke ($22.00, Henry Holt and Company). It’s her 32^nd birthday and Deputy District Attorney Kincaid gets a call to a crime scene in the elite Hillside neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. The victim is a star investigated reporter who has been bludgeoned to death in his carport. The city is in the midst of tensions generated by anti-police demonstrations and, despite a quick arrest of two young men, Kincaid’s investigation puts her in the middle of city political battles and on the outs with the cops. Little wonder this author is rapidly gaining a coterie of fans because this mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Many university presses now publish fiction along with more academic works. Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, has two collections of short stories by talented writers. Late in the Standoff ($22.50) features stories and a novella by Tracy Daugherty. It’s his third collection and it focuses on social and cultural forces shaping people’s intimate behavior. The stories are set in Texas and Oklahoma, and give the reader a real feeling for the region and the people who live there. I am frankly surprised that Daugherty’s work has not attracted more attention than just among literati, but he’s well worth reading. The Road from Prosperity ($22.50) sounds like the title of a book about economics, but it is a collection of twelve stories of Nancy Welch that describe the post-1970 industrial landscape in which families face joblessness, transience, and are losing their grip on the lower rungs of being among the middle class. Small-town Ohio is the setting. The talents displayed by both authors permit them to capture reality in a satisfying short form that reminds us that it is often more of a challenge to write a short story than a lengthier novel.

Coming soon from the Kent State University Press will be Under Kilimanjaro, one of Earnest Hemingway’s last unpublished novels ($34.00, cloth/$65.00 leather-bound collector’s edition). I have little doubt that fans of this famed novelist will be waiting for it, but, in all candor, I have to say that it begins slowly and stays that way throughout. It is the story of a safari that is a thinly disguised memoir filled with the usual wise African guides, a loving wife, and the ingredients of his adventure stories set in the Dark Continent. It tends to read like a laundry list with dialogue. Towards the end of any novelist’s career, they can run out of ideas and the magic that inspires their earlier work. This appears to be the case with this novel.

It’s sometimes called "chick lit" and refers, of course, to books women will enjoy. Summer is celebrated by HarperCollins in several new books. Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson ($15.99) is a story of three very different girls thrown together on Darlington Orchard, none of them particularly happy to be there picking peaches, but learning about themselves, each others, and sharing lots of talk about the cute boys they’d rather be dating. Berkley Books contributes to summer reading with three softcover novels. Sharon Pywell has penned What Happened to Henry? ($14.00). The story begins in upstate New York in 1960 and traces three decades in the life of Lauren Cooper and her beloved, otherworldly big brother Henry. When a sudden tragedy upsets the balance of her close-knit family, Henry begins to falter with an affliction that requires Lauren to keep a close eye on him. As she makes her way through her own life, she seeks an answer to Henry’s behavior. This is a novel about the bonds of family and a very good one. A change of pace is provided in Diana Lively is Falling Down by Sheila Curren ($14.00) about a woman who’s had her life pulled out from under her and discovers that can be a good thing. Trained in architecture, Diana Lively, an English woman was widowed at a young age and is now trapped in an unhappy marriage with Ted, a scholar. When a brash American billionaire from Arizona shows up to dedicate a small library, she and her husband are sent by their university to Arizona to encourage his further largess. The move triggers an experience and a happiness she thought would forever elude her. This is a very impressive first novel. Nice Girls Finish First by Alesia Holliday ($13.00) is a hilarious novel about learning how to be yourself. Kirby Green has a hard time meeting nice guys and that should come as no surprise since she sells sex toys for a living! She’s the vice president of marketing for a company that manufacturers them. She needs a personality makeover too. The fun is just beginning when she fires the entire marketing department a few weeks before a major advertising campaign. Her enraged boss makes a deal. If she can find someone to call her "nice" within a month, she won’t be fired. What follows is the effort of a tough cookie trying very hard to treat others better and discovering some truths about herself while finding support in the most unexpected places.

The Penguin Group is a huge publishing conglomerate that turns out scores of books every year. Among the new softcover novels available this summer are five quite different titles. Kavita Daswani has written The Village Bride of Beverly Hills about an arranged marriage in India that takes Priya to California with her husband where they share a home with his parents. Playing the traditional daughter-in-law role, she’s expected to clean and cook, and because she doesn’t immediately get pregnant, to find a job as well! But the job at a glossy Hollywood gossip magazine isn’t exactly what her in-laws had in mind. This clash of cultures makes for a very interesting story that can be enjoyed in a single afternoon. A very different culture is explored in The Pale Criminal by Philip Kerr. It begins in a sweltering heat wave during the summer of 1938 as the German people anxiously await the outcome of the Munich Conference, wondering if the Fuhrer will plunge Europe into another world war. A rich widow has hired private investigator Bernard Gunther to find out who has been blackmailing her, as well as by the Berlin police to help track down a serial killer. The story reveals the sinister side of German medicine and psychotherapy, and the occult nature of Nazism. It is a spellbinding story that takes you to a different era and is well worth reading. Ursula Under by Ingrid Hill explores what happens when a person begins to trace her roots back in time, beginning when two-and-a-half year old Ursula Wong falls down a deserted mine shaft in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. What unfolds is a story of the families of immigrants whose native lands include China, Finland and Sweden. It is a novel in which history, myth, culture, and legacy merge to create a fascinating story. Another historical novel is I. J. Parker’s The Dragon Scroll set in eleventh-century Japan. Bizarre happenings are afoot in the backwater province of Kazusa as tax convoys for the emperor have been disappearing without a trace. An impoverished nobleman and earnest young government clerk is sent from the capital city on a nearly impossible mission to discover what has happened. Worse, he knows he has been sent to fail. What is the secret Kazusa holds? For a taste of ancient Japan, this mystery will please anyone looking for a change of pace. Or you can switch to a novel set in the Caribbean that is the backdrop of Mayra Santos-Febres’ Any Wednesday I’m Yours. This novel represents a growing body of fiction known as "Latin noir", gritty tales of urban life. In this case, it’s San Juan’s underworld. Fired from his tedious copyediting job at a newspaper, Julian Castrodad takes a job on the nightshift of a seedy motel where customers come to escape everyday burdens. He is intrigued by the convergence of politicians, drug lords, and sexual deviants at the motel and you will be too. His hope of a career as a journalist is tied to his investigation of a dangerous universe that could be the story that gains him a new life or end the one he has. These novels all sell for around $14.00.

Mary Jane Clark has penned a thriller, Dancing in the Dark, ($21.95, St. Martin’s Press) set in my home state of New Jersey. A news producer for CBS, the author, a native of the Garden State, has written a scary story about a killer stalking women in an idyllic beach community, Ocean Grove. As a youth I spent many hours in this area, so I felt right at home as news correspondent Diane Mayfield explores the story of a woman whose story of abduction is not believed by local authorities. Soon, however, a second victim shows up, bound, gagged, and dead, and then a third. You will soon fear for the reporter and her family as the plot seeks to unravel seemingly random events. Painkiller by Will Staeger ($24.95, William Morrow) is a first novel and an impressive debut that anyone who likes an espionage thriller will enjoy. It expertly weaves current politics with the ancient arts of Caribbean magic and myth. It depicts the first nuclear terror attempt within US borders by China. Semi-retired, a former CIA operative is haunted by dreams. He spends his days boozing and toking his way through the pain of a botched mission. When the Virgin Islands authorities turn to him to "dispose" of a brutally murdered body that washed up on the beach, he is intrigued. At CIA headquarters, a junior satellite analyst discovers evidence of a massive, clandestine military buildup in China and elsewhere. Officials there refuse to accept her report, so she undertakes her own investigation. As they come together, today’s "asymmetric" warfare will have you turning the pages to see if they and we survive.

From the Kensington Publishing Corporation, another powerhouse publisher, comes It’s My Wedding Too by Sharon Naylor, a wedding expert, who uses fiction to take the reader into the dark side of planning and preparing for that special day ($12.95). Here you will find the warring mothers who want to control the event as Emilie, the hapless bride-to-be is caught between them. Can she survive the two Monzillas? You will have to read this one to find out. Love and suspense mix in Brandon Massey’s Within the Shadows ($14.00), also from Kensington. In this story, Andrew Wilson, a mystery writer with a successful career, close friends, and a great house in an Atlanta suburb, has no one with whom to share it until he meets Mika Woods. She is everything he ever wanted, but after a night of passion, he discovers she isn’t who—or even what—she appears to be. It’s too late for him to turn back. Mika has waited a lifetime for someone like Andrew and is determined to get what she wants, no matter who has to die.

She’s Got Issues by Stephanie Lessing ($12.95, Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins) introduces us to Chloe Rose, the newest assistant to the assistant at Issue Magazine. And she has the key to the shoe closet from which she has been happily stealing. It’s a dream job until she begins to realize that her happy-go-lucky attitude and natural talent for accessorizing is attracting the attention of the beauty editors who may not like her. Why, too, is the editor-in-chief and the publisher seem to be following her wherever she goes? Is Chloe really all that sweet or is she plotting her rise to the top? Yes, indeed, and you get to go along for the ride.

A novella by H. J. Stewart, Sigsby De None, ($9.95, Jada Press, an imprint of Marglen Publications, Jacksonville, FL) focuses on Klinefelter’s syndrome, first described in 1942 and involving the unusual conditionof an extra X chromosome that renders males incapable of generating sperm and, in general, indifferent to all the factors that evoke a sexual response to the opposite sex. Treatable today, but for anyone afflicted in the past, it affected all aspects of their lives in ways that isolated them from friends and family. This brief story tells of one such person from boyhood to manhood, spent initially in the backwoods area of the North Florida Bible Belt, then in the US military in Vietnam, and later as a top ranked chef in restaurant. It is a very touching story, written to educate about the condition, but it also proves to be an entertaining tale. To learn more, visit www.howardjstewart.com. Another novella, Woman, by Richard Matheson ($12.95, Gauntlet Publications, Colorado Springs, Co) is a riveting and frightening story of a get-together of friends preparing to go out for the evening into which a bizarre young woman inserts herself. The author has scads of writing credits, particularly as a screenwriter, and this little story demonstrates his skill at creating an atmosphere that gradually grows more horrible with every turn of the page.

If you prefer to listen to a good novel, Harper Audio has just released Blood of Angels by Reed Arvin, performed by Michael Tucker ($16.95) in an abridged six-hour version of five CDs. It is a gripping thriller about a man trying to outrun his own past. This is a story about modern Nashville after a decade of relentless immigration and what happens when a prosecutor for Davidson County finds himself with a racially charged case involving a Sudanese refuge who faces a death penalty for killing a white woman. It is filled with twists and turns that challenge the justice system. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, written by Kim Edwards and performed by Martha Plimpton ($39.95) is nine CDs and ten hour’s worth, even abridged, of a family drama that explores every mother’s silent fear of losing her child and she grew up without you. When a physician is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins, one of them has Down’s Syndrome. He makes a split-second decision to ask his nurse to take the baby to an institution and never reveal the secret. Instead, the nurse disappears into another city to raise the child herself. It is a beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter century.

Also from Harper Audio, there’s Michael Lee West’s Mad Girls in Love ($29.95, 5 CDs, six hours) read by the author. This is her first novel for the author of "G.R.I.T.S" (Girls Raised in the South) and it is filled with a wacky and lovable cast, perfect any gal that wants to join them for a glass of sweet tea or punch spiked with pure grain alcohol. The gossip flows as we follow Bitsy, initially an 18-year-old wife and mother on the run with her baby daughter through two decades as she develops into a worldly blond beauty. Politics and a run for the presidency is the background for Always Time to Die ($24.95, 5 CDs, six hours) as Elizabeth Lowell introduces us to the politically powerful Quintrell family of New Mexico as Gov. Josh Quintrell gets ready to run and hopes the skeletons in the closet don’t make too much noise. Read by the actress, Maria Tucci, this one starts strong and stays that way. Two other great novels are Long Time Gone by J.A. Jance, ($29.95), a classic detective story set in Seattle, and Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich ($14.95) in which two townhouse neighbors discover each other and love at the same time. All of these represent hours of time well spent if you’re commuting or just working on a tan.

That’s it for August! Don’t forget to visit our Featured Books section to learn about some very unique books. And remember, too, to tell your friends about Bookviews as the place to visit for news about the many books the mainstream press overlooks or ignores.

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