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Authors, publishers, publicists take notice! Now your book can be a Featured Book on this site where it will enjoy an entire page of its own and a link to Amazon.Com. This is a great way to let the many visitors to Bookviews.Com learn about your book. It is very affordable. For more information, click here. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
In her acclaimed trilogy, The Divine Hours, Phillis Tickle introduced modern Christians to the ancient ritual of "praying the hours", the practice of fixed-hour prayer, along with keeping the Sabbath and the celebration of Communion. Christmastide: Prayers for Advent through Epiphany ($9.95, Doubleday) sets forth an easy-to-follow program of praying that includes psalms, prayers, readings from the Bible, and hymns of praise and worship taken from her earlier books. Many Americans and others in Western cultures assume that our basic values came from ancient Greece and Rome. If that were true, than infanticide, human sacrifice, slavery and other practices of these societies would be with us today. While we gained from their art and literature, and their initial forays into science, our deepest cultural values actually come from Judaism. In Worldperfect: The Jewish Impact on Civilization (12.95, Simcha Press), author Ken Spiro uses history to demonstrate how respect for human life, peace, justice, education, and the emphasis on the value of the family and social responsibility all sprang initially from Judaism and reflect themselves in our daily lives. It is a common belief that the West took its values from ancient Greece and Rome, but this simply is not true. The essential values of the West all come from a people who broke with all the religions of their time to proclaim one God and to establish laws we honor to this day. This is an interesting and important book to read, especially in light of the rise of worldwide anti-Semitism. For those who may not have stepped foot into a church or synagogue in a long time, but who consider themselves religious and are interested in the ways people express their faith, there’s an interesting book by John D. Spalding, A Pilgrim’s Digress: My Perilous, Fumbling Quest for the Celestial City ($23.00, Harmony Books) published earlier this year. It is a collection of essays he has written for publications such as Maxim, The Week, The Christian Century, and Beliefnet.com, among others. With a wry sense of humor and a sharp eye for irony, combined with a master’s degree in divinity, Spalding takes the reader along as it attends a huge Christian Booksellers convention, wrestling matches where the gospel is preached, and introduces one to a variety of fascinating characters including an itinerant preacher who dresses and looks like an idealized version of Jesus. Likewise, Psycho Bible: Behavior, Religion & The Holy Book by Armando R. Favazza ($19.95, Pitchstone Publishing, Charlottesville, VA) takes a look at the Bible through the eyes of a professor of psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Columbia Medical School. The author notes that, with 2,000 religious denominations and nearly 500,000 churches and temples in the United States, the Bible is not only doctrinally confusing, but behaviorally confusing as well. This densely written book looks at questions such as will pray heal the sick, why celibacy is highly prized, is homosexuality an abomination, and is it a sin to drink alcohol? In an enlightening and entertaining fashion, the author, a renowned psychiatrist, examines the impact of the Bible on human behavior. Using his background in psychiatry, he explains how stories in the Old and New Testaments can be used to explain behavior in today’s era while, at the same time, providing insight to the era in which the Bible as written.
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson has written Scam: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America ($22.99, WND Books, Div. Of Thomas Nelson, Nashville). Rev. Peterson is the founder and president of BOND, the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, whose focus is on saving young blacks from the attitudes and pitfalls that too often leave them behind in the American quest for success. Suffice it to say the author has nothing good to say of men like Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, and Al Sharpton, as well as woman like Rep. Maxine Waters. "I firmly believe we blacks are our own worst enemies," says Rev. Peterson. "By preaching race hatred and the cleverly packaged ideology of socialism, these leaders have convinced millions of blacks that white America owes them special treatment." I daresay I have not read anything so outspoken as this book in a very long time. It is a powerful polemic that addresses issues about race although it tends to overlook much of the progress many black Americans have made since the 1960s. The author is often a tad too strident, but he is always compelling. As this year closes out, Americans have lived through the invasion of Iraq and, as the election looms in 2004, the debate about this action will represent a significant part of the discussion of who will be the next president. We are told by some that it was a mistake and we should leave Iraq and, presumably, the Middle East, but most thoughtful people know we cannot do that. We cannot sit back and let the festering cancer of fanatical Islam continue to threaten our nation and, indeed, all of Western civilization. That is why I was so pleased to received Herbert E. Meyer’s DVD, The Siege of Western Civilization ($19.95, Storm King Press, PO Box 2089, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250, visit www.stormkingpress.com to order your copy). Available both in DVD and VHS formats, Mr. Meyer, a former member of the Reagan administration’s national security team, an author, and the man who, in the 1980s, actually predicted the fall of the Soviet Union before anyone else, presents the facts why Americans and all others around the world are faced with both external and internal threats. In a calm, cogent presentation, he explains those otherwise complex issues in a way that makes them clear to anyone. He explains why "regime change" was necessary in Iraq and Afghanistan, how radical Islam threatens our survival, and why our nation’s cultural values are under attack from within. If you are concerned for the future your children and grandchildren, I would strongly recommend you invest in this excellent presentation. Do you have or expect a new child in your family? If so, pick up a copy of Sue M. Hannah’s new book, Free Stuff for Baby! ($12.95, Contemporary Books). You will be astonished at how many companies offer free items that add up to a savings of hundreds of dollars. You can get free baby food, baby wipes, bibs, bottles, parenting books, and much more. Her book is jam-packed with the names of these companies, plus a listing of government agencies that offer free financial assistance and support to parents, as well as Internet freebies. Her chapter on how to stretch your dollars is worth the price of the book. Lastly, I received a curious book, America’s Greatest Unknown Poet: Lorine Niedecker by John Lehman ($12.00, Zelde Wilde Publishing @ 1-800-7-To-Know). That’s an audacious title, but it turns out that Niedecker, briefly published throughout her lifetime, living by a Wisconsin river, working as a cleaning woman in a hospital, was nonetheless a poet of unquestioned talent and one whose work was included in a noted anthology along side of far more famed poets. Piecing her life together from letters and reminiscences, the author shows that a poet can live and write far from academia and even wide recognition, and still be great in her own right. Books are great gifts for the Hanukkah and Christmas season, so let’s look at some excellent coffee table and other books that are sure to please someone you know.
The National Geographic Mysteries of History ($29.95, National Geographic) by Dr. Robert Stewart, Ph.D., with Clint Twist and Edward Horton, will delight any history buff and it explores a collection of mysteries from ancient times to today, including Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids, Great Zimbabwe to El Dorado. Written for younger readers, age 10 and up, it works just as well for adults. Aviation history buffs will love Wild About Flying! ($35.00, Firefly Books) by Bruce Harris and illustrated by David Marshall. One of the most exciting news stories of the early part of the last century was the development of airplanes and the daring people who flew them. This book is about that cast of characters, from the Wright Brothers to John Glenn, plus the industry names such as Boeing, Lockheed, Northrup and Sperry. Making and flying planes that went higher and faster was the name of the game and manned flight transformed history and the world. This is a great read, handsomely illustrated with portraits and photos on every page. Faraway Childhoods ($34.95, Octopus Publishing Group, Wilton, CT) features the photographs of Kevin Kling, an American photographer living in Paris. She—yes, she has had her photo-essays published in all the leading magazines, Nature, the British Journal of Photography, etc., and this one looks with affection at children in Mongolia, China, India, Egypt and a dozen other nations where the landscapes and images are quite different from the Western world, but the children she photographed remind us that children everywhere have much in common. For the armchair traveler and photography buff, this book provides a very satisfying, educational experience. Firefly Books whose titles are frequently mentioned here, remains one of the premier publishers of large-size books on interesting topics. Among their latest titles are Dinosaurus: The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs ($49.95) by Steve Parker. It provides a wealth of information about 700 dinosaur species that ruled the Earth for millions of years and describes their natural habitat. Lavishly illustrated with full color pictures, this is a truly an encyclopedic book and it includes geographical maps of the changing world from 540 million years ago to today. This book will provide hours of reading pleasure for old and young alike. In a similar fashion, Owls of the World: Their Lives, Behavior and Survival by Dr. James R. Duncan ($40.00) tells the story of this specie of birds, among the less than 3% of all bird species that are active at night. Owls represent half of them and this book is a comprehensive guide to 205 owl species that ornithologists, naturalists, and birdwatchers will thoroughly enjoy. It is a feast for the eye with more than 300 photographs. Animal lovers will enjoy Grizzly Seasons: Life with the Brown Bears of Kamchatka ($29.95) by naturalists Charlie Russell and Maureen Enns. Both have studied bears for four decades and this book is their expression of love for these bears, three of whom they raised and released back into the wilderness. The National Audubon Guide to Nature Photography ($24.95, softcover) by Tom Fitzharris tells you everything you need to know to select and take the best nature photos. Its 200 photos will inspire you to pick up your camera and take notice of nature. The author is the nature A great Christmas gift for the movie buff in your life is Joe Garner’s Now Showing: Unforgettable Moments from the Movies ($29.95, Andrew McMeel) thatcomes with a a 90-minute DVD filled with those moments, hosted by Dustin Hoffman. Garner has compiled 25 memorable scenes from the days of black and white film to the present day digital technology. The book is illustrated with more than 200 star-filled photographs and the stories about the films chronicle the great actors, directors, and various genres. Great films have become a kind of language among us as we make a point by referencing some scene or even a single line from a film with which everyone is familiar. And great films can be watched over and over again. Is It Christmas Yet, God! is a cute book for reading to or by the very young Christian ($7.99, Bethany Backyard, Minneapolis, MN) by Elspeth Campbell Murphy and illustrated by Jim Lewis. It’s about Christmas as seen through the eyes of children and, though Scripture verses are included, the message is about the joy of the holiday. The ninth in the Thank You, God series published by Bay Light Publishing, Mooresville, NC, is Charlotte Lundy’s Thank You, Ruth & Naomi, illustrated by Miriam Sagasti ($15.95). This book is for young Christian readers and draws on the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi to illustrate true friendship. It also has a biracial theme as the two best friends in the story are white and black girls. For Christian parents seeking to introduce their faith to their children, this series offers an excellent way to do it. For more information on the series, visit www.baylightpub.com. Linda Brown You Are Not Alone ($15.99, Jump At the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children) is a collection of stories edited by Joyce Carol Thomas with some great illustrations by Curtis James. The book is about the way the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision effectively ended legalized school segregation on May 17, 1954. It begins with a story of how it changed the life of 8-year-old Linda Brown who lived four blocks from an all-white Sumner Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas, but had had to walk three miles to an all-black school. The book is filled with the personal reflections, stories and poems from ten of today’s most accomplished writers for children. Children 10 and up will find this book an interesting look at an event that will soon celebrate its fiftieth anniversary.
Lovers of mystery novels will enjoy Robert Greer’s latest one, Heat Shock, ($24.95, Mysterious Press). A medical mystery, it tells the story of Dr. Carmen Nguyen, a half black and half Vietnamese Colorado emergency room doctor who knows she should never get personally involved with a patient. However, when a patient, dying of cancer, begs to leave the hospital to tend his prized fighting cocks, she agrees to check on them only to discover someone has been trying to steal the flock. She discovers a plot to enhance their abilities and must confront a lawless businessman and his army of killers who are in hot pursuit of a genetic bombshell. A practicing surgical pathologist, the author brings a ring of authenticity to the story that is irresistible. Archer Mayor continues to produce good police yarns that have gained him many fans. His latest is Gatekeeper ($23.95, Mysterious Press) in a blend of urban realism and police methodology that is the hallmark of his writing. This story takes the reader through the desperate and tragically banal New England drug underground where politics triumphs over solutions. Here is a world where the "war on drugs" is a myth, where the line between criminal and cop is blurred, and so-called civic leaders are more interested in prisons than prevention. Alice Blanchard has written a new thriller in The Breathtaker ($24.95, Warner Books). Set in Promise, Oklahoma, in the heart of Tornado Alley, a family is found dead after a twister has passed through, killed apparently by flying debris. However, the Chief of Police suspects murder and is proved right. Soon there is another murder, committed during a tornado, and the hunt is on for a serial killer before the next tornado hits. The novel is filled with richly realized characters in a fast-paced, engrossing manner that makes for a powerful story. Plume, the softcover division of the Penguin Group, publishes affordable novels every month and, among the latest I have received are The Staggerford Flood by Jon Hassler ($13.00) who, since 1977 with his first novel, Staggerford, has won a devoted following for his chronicles of small town life. His writing is distinguished by colorful characterizations, a wry wit, and the ability to evoke all the foibles of life in a small town. This novel focuses on Agatha McGee, now in her 80th year, and feeling less a part of the daily life of her town where she taught sixth grade for many years. When a flood hits town, a mix of new and old friends seek refuge at her home, restoring her zest for life again. Fans of Inspector Montalbano will welcome The Snack Thief ($6.99, Penguin), about an Italian policeman who investigates the elevator stabbing of an elderly man and that of a crewman on a fishing trawler who is machine-gunned to death by a Tunisian patrol boat off Sicily’s coast. He suspects there’s a link. A viper’s nest of government corruption and international intrigue is unmasked in this story. Lovers of a good mystery will enjoy The Con Man’s Daughter by Ed Dee ($23.95, Mysterious Press). The author, a retired lieutenant in the New York Police Department, brings tremendous authenticity to his previously published novels and to this one in which a former NYPD cop must use all his skills and experience to find his 35-year-old daughter who has been kidnapped by a Russian mob that works out of Brighton Beach. You will keep flipping the pages to get through this thriller. Due out next month is Ron Rash’s One Foot in Eden ($13.00, Picador). This debut story is by a novelist who is the winner of the 2002 Novello Literary Award and the Appalachian Book of the Year Award. A richly textured story of love and murder in the American South, you will quickly understand why he was so acclaimed. Will Alexander, the sheriff of a small town in southern Appalachia, is certain that local thug Holland Winchester has been murdered by one of the town’s farmers, Billy Holcombe, and he also knows that Billy’s pretty wife, Amy, is involved. The problem is, he can’t find the body, nor anyone willing to talk about the killing. It takes twenty years before the truth of this unsolved murder emerges. There are surprises all along the way and a heck of a good story.
The Christian book publisher, Thomas A. Revell, a division of Baker Books, has been publishing novels for some time now and three of the latest are Thunder On The Dosgatos Paul Bagdon ($11.99, softcover), Undertow by Lorena McCourtney ($12.99), and All Good Gifts by Kathleen Morgan ($14.99, cloth). The first is set in 1880s Texas as Lee Morgan’s ranch is set to become home to some of finest horses, but those hopes are dashed by a band of trigger-happy cowhands. It isn’t long before an all-out range war threatens. A very different story is told in the second novel about a woman who leaves her glamorous modeling career to become the editor of a small-town newspaper in Julesburg, Oregon. What should have been a new start turns into threatening situation as she pursues an unsolved mystery about an abandoned local theatre that has brought disaster to everyone involved with the place. The third novel requires a successful New York plastic surgeon to return to her memory-laden childhood home. She stands to inherit the family’s prosperous cattle ranch if she can meet the terms of her father’s will. Otherwise it will go to her father’s friend and foreman, a man she abhors. The fight for Culdee Creek begins as winter settles on the Colorado plains and you will want to find out how it ends. St. Martin’s Press has just published Before and Again by Doris Mortman ($24.95), an intriguing novel that explores the possibility that memories can physically exist in our DNA and can even be passed from one generation to the next. Shifting from modern day New York and a richly detailed turn of the century setting in the same locale, a newspaper reporter, Callie Jamieson, is tormented by the same disturbing dreams and visions that caused her mother to commit suicide. Determined not to let them drive her to insanity, she learns of a suicide of a former lover and embarks on an investigation into whether they both suffered the same tormented dreams. From the same publisher comes Sister North by Jim Kokoris, a novel with a religious theme as the main character, a Chicago lawyer, goes in search of the reclusive nun famed for her message of forgiveness. This personal journey spins itself out in an interesting story, filled with many finely drawn characters. W.W. Norton found a winner in David Prete’s Say That To My Face ($23.95), a collection of brilliant short stories in which portraits of life in Yonkers are captured in a series of coming of age and lost innocence tales. The author introduces you to Joey Frascone, a good-looking Italian-American kid dealing with life in the 70s and 80s. Through him the culture of his community are seen by a kid with a head full of dreams and a fistful of reality. Prete is a very gifted writer and I want to see more of his work. Penguin Books continues to publish wonderful softcover fiction, mostly recently in John Mortimer’s Rumpole Rests His Case ($13.00) in which the famed British attorney triumphs to the delight of his many fans and with Jane Urguhart’s The Stone Carvers ($14.00), a Canadian bestseller with a huge cast of characters at whose center is Klara Becker, the granddaughter of a master carver who earns her living tailoring clothes but whose true love is the craft learned from her grandfather. When news that a monument is planned in Europe, she feels she must use her gift and departs for an adventure that ultimately reunites her with her brother and redeems her life through her art. Fiction that reflects the Black experience in America has gained momentum over the past few years. A very different story is told in Getting Our Breath Back by Shawne Johnson ($13.00, Plume). Picked up by the Black Expressions Book Club, it tells the story of three sisters who come of age during the confusion, hope and rage of the late 1960s. One sister has bought into the myth of the Southern belle, another is an ex-Black Panther, and the third, the youngest, is an artist. The author deconstructs the myths of what it means to be a woman, to be Black, and how people who are damaged find ways to become whole. This is an impressive debut novel. Another author making a name for herself as a bright new star of Black fiction is Tracie Howard. Why Sleeping Dogs Lie ($12.95, New American Library) is about Mallory Baylor, a chic career woman, the ultimate New York girl. Years earlier though, she had an affair with Saxton McKensie that produced a child he knows nothing about and this buried secret is about to come to light. Real emotions are explored in this novel that continues to demonstrate her writing skills. Savvy Sistahs by Brenda Jackson ($13.95, St. Martin’s Press) is the latest of twenty-two novels! The stars of this one are Amber, Brandy and Carla, single thirty-somethings flush with the success of their various careers, but still looking for the loves of their lives and confiding in each other as the search goes on. Through thick and thin, these "sistahs" are there for one another.
In this same genre, from New American Library, there’s Jack DuBrul’s Deep Fire Rising ($6.99) and Richard H. Dickinson’s The Silent Men ($6.99). From Kensington Publishing Corporation, still more murder and mayhem in titles that include Lisa Jackson’s Whispers ($6.99), a Melanie Travis mystery, Hot Dog by Laurien Berenson ($6.50) and Dearly Beloved by Wendy Corsi Staub ($6.99). Kensington also offers a two romance novels, Say No to Joe? By Lori Foster and If I Could by Donna Hill. Fans of fantasy know well Wizards of the Coast, is one of the premiere publishers of this genre. They will surely welcome word of The Annotated Legends ($34.95) in which three great Time of the Twins, War of the Twins and Test of the Twins, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, can be found in one volume, along with brand-new notes, commentaries, recollections and insights. Originally published almost two decades ago, these three continue to be among the most popular books in the entire Wizards line of tales. This is a truly awesome book. Wizards has also just published a dozen paperbacks, enough to keep you reading fantasy for the next month or two. To learn more about this prodigious publisher of great fantasy fiction, visit www.wizards.com. Than get ready to enjoy The Crimson Gold, Wind of Truth, Insurrection, and nine other terrific stories. That’s it for December! Just as 2003 gifted us with many remarkable books, fiction and non-fiction, you can be sure that 2004 holds the promise of many more. If you’re an author or publisher, check out our Featured Book pages for a great way to promote your book to the more than 50,000 ardent book lovers who come to Bookviews every month to learn about the best new books. |
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Contact: Alan Caruba |
Tel: (973) 763-6392 |
To reprint, e-mail for permission. |
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We sometimes neglect the fact that, amidst all the purchasing of gifts, the holidays we celebrate this month are religious. In a time when there is widespread debate over the removal of a monument to the Ten Commandments and the Supreme Court is being asked to rule against "under God" being a part of our Pledge of Allegiance, it’s useful to remember that our founding fathers were men of faith who believed that the future of America depended upon what they called "virtue." Janice T. Connell has written Faith of Our Founding Father: The Spiritual Journey of George Washington ($15.95, Hatherleigh Press). What this interesting study reveals is the way Washington’s deep faith sustained him through the many trials and challenges he faced. Whether in the snows of Valley Forge or as our first president, Washington turned to his daily book of prayers for comfort and strength.
I have a friend, Paul Driessen, who has written a book that will knock your socks off. Long ago, Paul joined the Sierra Club and Zero Population Growth, thinking these and similar environmental groups wanted tomake the world a better place. Along the way, he found out they had a very different agenda. The result is a remarkable book, Eco-Imperialism: Green Power ~ Black Death ($15.00, Merril Press, Bellevue, WA) that rips the mask off of the global death toll that can be directly attributed to so-called "environmental" programs. Niger Innis of the Congress of Racial Equality says "Every concerned citizen and policy maker should read this book" and I agree. Internationally, environmentalism represents a $8 billion dollar enterprise, much of it tax-exempt, and this book reveals how its opposition to energy, pesticides, biotechnology, and other modern technologies literally leave millions in places like Africa, Asia and Latin America vulnerable to Malaria, famine and other diseases. This book demonstrates how the environmental movement has striven to achieve worldwide power that literally condemns vast populations to poverty and early death. To learn more about this book, visit 
America 24/7 $50.00, DK Publishing) takes readers on a visual journey across 50 States. Featuring more than 1,200 photographs submitted by 25,000 Americans, it is the creation of the bestseller, A Day in the Life of America. It depicts life in this nation that visually portrays the America we know through the lens of both amateur and professional photographers. In addition, it includes essays from some of America’s leading writers and thinkers, including Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler, National Book Award winner Charles Johnson, PBS essayist Roger Rosenblatt, and bestseller author Barbara Kingsolver. Organized into six chapters, it covers home, work, play, belief, community, and American scenes. It is an inspiring book that reminds us of how fortunate we are to live in this great nation. For anyone who enjoys taking photos, you might want to give The Basic Book of Photography ($22.00, Plume), in its 2004 edition. This guide by Tom and Michelle Grim, newly updated, has been a classic for 29 years, and now is up to 672 pages with 395 illustrative photos. It features the latest technologies and techniques for both innovated digital and traditional film photography.
columnist for Popular Photography and has written 25 books on wilderness and wildlife photography. If you or someone you know loves to ski, then the perfect gift is Ski North America: The Ultimate Travel Guide ($29.95 softcover). It features locations in both US States and Canadian Provinces and will whet your appetite to try out the slopes from Sun Valley, Idaho to Killington, Vermont. Complimented by 400 stunning color photos, its three authors have written a goldmine of detailed figures and facts about the top resorts, ski villages, and towns, as well as other activities and places of interest in thearea. This book is a skier’s dreams come true.
As current as the headlines in today’s newspapers, Joel C. Rosenberg has written a sequel to The Last Jihad, an eerily prescient political thriller called The Last Days ($24.95, Forge) that begins as its two main characters are trapped inside Gaza as a civil war erupts there. The President and his senior advisors face a crisis that could expand into a war that engulfs the entire Middle East after a plot to assassinate the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, is exposed. The Department of Homeland Security goes on high alert to track down a wave of Palestinian suicide bombers headed for the US. His previous novel made manifest the true, evil nature of terrorism and took readers into a battle against those seeking global domination. The author has been a senior aide to political leaders that include Steve Forbes and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and was a columnist for World magazine. He brings his expertise to the events and threats of our time in another powerful novel of suspense and intrigue. It’s a real page-turner.
Writers with a vast following are Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer whose specialty is depicting life in New England. In Home Song ($22.95, Berkeley Books) they again visit Cape Light, a seaside hamlet where a strong sense of community exists and everyone cares about their neighbors, as friends, doers and dreamers. The Mayor, Emily Warwick, not only has the demands of her job, but the incessant demands of her elderly mother. Youngest sister, Jessica, is about to marry a man her mother despites. And Emily is still mourning her husband and wondering about the fate of a baby she gave up for adoption twenty years earlier. You will enter her world and root for her to make her way through it. The Slow Air of Ewan MacPherson by Thomas Fox Averill ($13.00, Berkeley Books) follows Ewan though adolescence and into adulthood as he struggles with courtship, meddlesome parents, an unwanted pregnancy, and family secrets. Set in Kansas, where his father’s unsuccessful attempt to create a single-malt Scotch led to an explosion that injured him, we watch as Ewan not only fulfill that dream but find that love, too, is an acquired taste. 
A raft of new paperbacks have arrived here and among them are top-selling novelists are several from St. Martin’s Press that include the late Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Directive ($7.99) a thriller about a retired spy who must save a wealthy philanthropist of democratic ideals who has been kidnapped. Other St. Martin’s paperbacks include John J. Nance’s Skyhook ($7.99), T. Davis Bunn’s Winner Take All ($7.99), and Changing of the Guard ($7.99), part of Tom Clancy’s Net Force series, written by Steve Perry and Larry Segriff. Janet Evanovich is in high gear with another Stephanie Plum based on a Fugitivate Apprehension Agent’s adventure in Visions of Sugar Plums ($6.99), just perfect for the holidays. Courtroom drama can be found in William J. Coughlin’s excellent thriller, Proof of Intent ($6.99). These comprise hours of thrills and suspense.