Though the Heavens May Fall by Steven M. Wise ($25.00, Da Capo Press) is about the 1772 trial in London that not merely freed the black slave, James Somerset, but freed all slaves in England then and forever thereafter. It abolished slavery nearly a century before a terrible Civil War was fought, in part, to end it in America. The author is a distinguished attorney and the true story he tells is as fascinating as any history you will read. The decision was made by Lord Mansfield, a judge who himself had a slave. When defenders of slavery pleaded with him to maintain the system, he replied, "Let justice be done, though the Heavens may fall." They did not fall, but that decision, acknowledging the humanity of Somerset and the right of all humans to be free, would resound outward from Mansfield’s courtroom to change the world. Wise has done us all a great service with this book.

Excellent history can be found in From Jesus to Christianity by L. Michael White ($24.95, Harper San Francisco). Its subtitle is "How four generations of visionaries and storytellers created the New Testament and Christian faith." The author was a featured expert on the PBS special, "From Jesus to Christ." As opposed to the fictional history created by Dan Brown in ‘The Da Vinci Code’, this book offers a clear-eyed review of how Christianity was put together as Paul’s vision, the collection of books that would become the New Testament, and the many battles fought over what would be the final, accepted version of the theology that would constitute the faith. The author calls upon a wide variety of texts and other historical sources to discover what can be known of Jesus and his early followers. The hidden history of Christianity is thus revealed in a movement that would become a new worldwide religion.

In July of last year I had occasion to hear former Judge Roy Moore speak. He had become well known as the Chief justice of Alabama Supreme Court who refused to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the State’s Judicial Building rotunda. A lot of Americans saw nothing wrong in a monument that reflected the basis for much modern law and most certainly as a guide to moral behavior. Moore expects to be vindicated and you can read the story of what occurred in So Help Me God: The Ten Commandments, Judicial Tyranny, and the Battle for Religious Freedom ($24.99, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN). There are people who cite "separation of church and state" as if it is in the Constitution. The only thing the Constitution says that the state cannot "establish", i.e., endorse or require one religion over another. After that, you’re free to worship as you wish or not. Those who are "offended" by any display of religious faith don’t understand that people who wanted the freedom to worship, not freedom from worship, founded this nation. If you’re one of those people, you will enjoy Roy Moore’s new book.

The Road to Whatever: Middle-Class Culture and the Crisis of Adolescence by Elliot Currie ($26.00, Metropolitan Books, imprint of Henry Holt & Co.) takes a look at youth who become the cast-offs of their families and schools because they represent a problem to those around them. Their families and attendant lifestyles appear to want for nothing, but often that masks troubles that are passed onto children and then translate into behavior that the families and schools prefer to reject than help overcome. This book is filled with insights about troubled youth, but the risk is that one must take care not to extrapolate its worthwhile observations to all adolescents. It is worth keeping in mind that many pass through this period of their lives successfully. This book, however, provides a valuable look at a society that demands much of young people while often paying little attention to those falling through the cracks. The author says we need to create "a culture of support" that goes beyond merely prescribing some mind-altering drug. (Indeed, these youngsters know where to find their own drugs and alcohol.) or so-called "tough love." Instead of a world of harsh rules, the author makes a case for one where helping a young person find and develop a real sense of self worth is needed.

Movies are so much a part of our lives that our conversations are sprinkled with references to them that everyone can identify. The Rough Guide to Cult Movies ($12.95, Rough Guides) by Paul Simpson is now out in its second edition and filled with essential trivia and informed opinion that takes you on a tour of the most compellingly weird films that goes beyond the cliché cult films by including good, but under appreciated films, undiscovered gems, foreign films, and films that are so bad, they’re good. It’s good for hours of casual reading. It will have you heading out to the video store to select any one of them. There’s even a Rough Guide to The Da Vinci Code: History, Legends, Locations by Michael and Veronica Haag ($8.99) that not only provides an analysis of Dan Brown’s controversial book—a work of fiction—but provides interesting location guides to the book’s sites in Paris, Rome, New York, Edinburgh, London and Jerusalem. There’s never been a guidebook quite like this one.

Often the smallest of books can offer a great deal of pleasure and an example of this is Simple Pleasures of Tea by Susannah Seton ($12.00, Conari Press, Boston, MA). It is filled with advice on how to enjoy a range of teas, including herbal, as well as recipes for baked treats such as almond cookies and scones. It is beautifully illustrated and designed, and part of a "Simple Pleasures" series that includes topics such as gardening and entertaining. It’s a perfect gift for a friend or loved one. While in a gastronomic mood, let me recommend Made in Greece by John S. Kaldes ($22.95, distributed by Enfield Books). The French and Italians tend to get most of the spotlight, but Greek cuisine offers some delicious delights such as spinach pie (Spanakopita), chicken soup with egg-lemon sauce (Kotosoupa Avgolemono), and Baklava with walnuts (Baklava me Karidia). I guarantee that you will be drooling within minutes of reading any of more than 180 great recipes in this yummy book! Cookbook lovers will enjoy Simple Pleasures by Alfred Portale, an acclaimed chef at the Gotham Bar and Grill ($34.95, William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) and Andrew Friedman. It is just page after page of mouthwatering color photos of the items you can prepare from its 125 recipes. Portale is the quintessential New York chef and the Gotham has been a highly regarded restaurant for over two decades. The reason is clear as one reads this book. It’s recipes represent some unusual combinations of ingredients that make them into real taste delights. It is a lesson in herbs that enhance the dining experience. From the same publisher comes Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion ($24.95, William Morrow) by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. If you have been hesitant to get started enjoying wines, this is an excellent place to begin. Its text provides the introduction to the wonderful world of wines, from how to properly open a bottle of wine to the wide variety that exists. You will impress friend and family with your knowledge and open your life to an enjoyable experience that has a history, is healthy, and just tastes divine.

As you’re sitting in the office of your clergyman, doctor or lawyer, it’s doubtful you are wondering if his or her diploma on the wall is genuine or not, but, in 1986 a congressional committee concluded that more than 500,000 Americans had a fraudulent degree then and that number has exploded since then. That’s the story that Degree Mills tells ($19.00, Prometheus Books). Its authors, Allen Ezell and John Bear have written an interesting book about the more than 300 active degree mills that are selling thousands of fake degrees every week. Ezell was with the FBI for 35 years and has seen all forms of fraud. Bear is a prolific author who is frequently called upon as an expert witness. Together they reveal the shocking dimensions of this scam with a thoroughly research expose.

Music lovers will enjoy two new books from Amadeus Press, Pompton Plains, N.J. One is called Parallel Lives: Charles Ives and Aaron Copland ($19.95) by Daniel Felsenfeld and the other is The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner’s Manual ($19.95) by David Hurwitz. What makes each book particularly useful and interesting is the way both come with a CD disk. Whether you know a lot or nothing about these composers and their works, I guarantee you that, after reading either of these books, you will have acquired a body of knowledge that will enable you to listen to them with a new appreciation. To learn more about this publishing house, visit www.amadeuspress.com.

Finally, if you’re looking to listen to a good book, pick up The Broker by John Chisham in its audiobook edition ($27.95, four cassettes or five CDs, abridged edition and unabridged at $49.95/$59.95). Read by Dennis Boutsikaris, a skilled actor, this story of a notorious Washington powerbroker who receives a surprise pardon with 14 years left on his 20-year sentence, is quietly smuggled out of the country, given a new identity, and a home in a small Italian town just grips the listener as one tries, like the CIA, to find out who will be the first among many to find and kill him. Chisham has 18 novels under his belt and he just keeps getting better.

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Good Advice

One of the great benefits of books today is the ability to find one that offers just the kind of advice one needs. Here are a few that fit that description.

Expecting a baby or know someone who is? Pick up a copy of Your Baby’s First Year: Week by Week ($16.95, Da Capo Press) whose second edition has just been published this month. Written by Dr. Glade Curtis, MD, and Judith Schuler, MS, a half million copies have already been sold since it was first published in 2000. That is testimony to how useful it proved to be. Now it has been updated with the latest pediatric guidelines and recommendations that will help new parents track the milestones of a baby’s social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Best of all, it is organized into increments of weeks, not months, so that new parents can watch for and evaluate their child’s progress. For general medical advice, I am happy to see Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld’s 2005 Breakthrough Health ($14.99, Rodale) in softcover because it is filled with the most up-to-date information on a wide range of health topics, any one of which can help prevent more serious illness or point to a cure for existing health concerns.

The Home Buyer’s Question and Answer Book by Bridget McCrea ($16.95, Amacom) puts all the information first-time homebuyers need at their fingertips. This is frequently a somewhat overwhelming process and the answers provided in this softcover discusses the whole spectrum of questions that should be asked or should be known in advance of the decision to buy. It’s all here from tending to your credit report to selecting a real estate agent, what to do if the house needs work, how long should the term of the mortgage be, and how to insure a smooth closing. Then, when you move in or if you are already there and want a home that reflects your personality, there’s Hannah’s Art of the Home by Hannah Keeley ($17.95, Capital Books, Dulles, VA). For those feeling overwhelmed by housework, swamped by clutter, and just trying to make it what you want it to be, this book will take the stress out of how to achieve peace of mind and the home you have dreamed about. In short, the author says your personality is what determines what your home should be. Stressed? Get this book!

These days there’s plenty of stress to go around and it usually focuses on money and, in particular, debt. Good Debt, Bad Debt by Jon Hanson ($21.95, Portfolio, an imprint of the Penguin Group) is written by someone who was once hugely in debt. He has written this book to help readers avoid the financial mistakes that virtually everyone makes in a culture that insists we satisfy every desire. This is particularly true of young people who are accumulating debt at an alarming rate. Hanson says that good debt is any debt that eventually increases your net worth. Bad debt is the opposite. And he calls credit cards the crack cocaine of the credit industry. Getting the handle on how your spend money is the secret his practical, step-by-step instructions for getting out of debt and staying there makes the price of this book literally priceless. Ellen Freudenheim’s Looking Forward: An Optimist’s Guide to Retirement ($15.95, Stewart Tabori & Chang) takes a look at the way "retirement" has changed for many people. Because Americans are generally living longer these days, retirement can often mean a second career, going back to school, and a variety of options that go well beyond just playing endless card games or other forms of recreation. This book takes the prospective retiree through a whole series of questions and answers about what their future can be. This would be a great book to give to someone who is reaching or has reached this point in their life.

I don’t know when, by I learned long ago to say no despite the temptation to say yes. It has saved me a world of trouble. That’s why I liked No! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life by Jana Kemp ($12.95, Amacom softcover). A whole generation has been taught to be team players as they passed through the schools, but sometimes good decisions, time management, and just avoiding trouble depends on being able to say "no" and making it stick. It is a very empowering word when used wisely. The author, not surprisingly, is a consultant to individuals and organizations. Moreover, she is serving her first term in the Idaho state legislature. For anyone who finds it difficult to say "no", this book can, indeed, transform your life.

For those of us who passed through the education system before it began to fail in the 1960s, knowing how to read and how to learn was taken for granted. Today the system suffers from a huge number of dropouts, many of whom are frustrated by their inability to master reading and improve their lives. Aamir M. Muhammad has written The Miracle Learning System ($14.95, plus $2.95 shipping, AMM Publishing Co., PO Box 846, Lawrence, KS 66044-0846). The author knows from personal experience what it takes to master the skills necessary to learn anything one wants to learn. His book addresses how to overcome obstacles that lead to learning failures, insights to how the mind learns, exercises to develop organized thinking, and much more. If you know an "at risk" student, this would be a great gift, a lifelong gift.

Are you one of those "snowbirds" thinking about heading south for warmer climes or just planning a winter or spring getaway? Those in the Midwest will likely spend some time on Interstate 75, the popular US freeway that runs between Michigan and Florida. If that’s you, then pick up a copy of Along Interstate-75 by Dave Hunter. This is a terrific, fact-filled, map-filled book now in its 13^th edition ($23.95) the provides scads of up-to-date information on where you can find gas, food and lodging, as well as avoid the radar and laser speed traps along the way by knowing where they are. There’s also lots of information about interesting places to visit and shop along the way. What a super book this is! My friends at Lake Claremont Press sent A Native’s Guide to Chicago, now in its fourth fabulous edition ($15.95, visit www.lakeclaremont.com). In fact, this is the publishing house to turn to for all kinds of books about Chicago and its environs. Its history, music, sports, and neighborhoods will enhance anyone’s enjoyment of the Second City. Whether you are a native, new to the city, a tourist, a business traveler, or student, this book will provide you with all the nitty-gritty information to make your visit or residence in Chicago a great experience.

Better Than Sex: Chocolate Principles to Live By ($14.95, Conari Press) by Theresa Cheung is another testimony that good things come in small packages. The author offers seven "principles" designed to lead you to a rich, satisfying life, all developed around the myth, lore and taste of chocolate. In the process, she serves up recipes, stories and trivia that are highly entertaining.

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Children’s & Younger Readers Books

One of the great challenges the parents of a young child faces is keeping enquiring minds busy in positive ways. Just turning on the television is too easy and not necessarily a good idea. Getting a child reading at an early age is a gift that lasts forever. That’s why I particularly liked a series of "Learn and Have Fun" books published by Teora. These are "Activity & Game Books" each aimed at teaching basic skills for children 3-4 year old, 4-5 years old, 5-6 years old, 6-7 years old, and 6-10 years old. They are filled with games and are only $7.95 each. You can check them out at www.teora.com. They are illustrated with various brainteasers that are sure to keep any child busy for hours. Some of them can be done alone and others with an adult or older child helping. This publisher offers a variety of books that are ideal for stimulating young minds, including Learn Math and Have Fun ($7.95), an activity book for preschoolers.

There’s more learning to be had, plus some fun, with Mercer Mayer’s "Little Critter" line of books from HarperCollins Publishers. These are books are meant to be read to the very young, pre-schoolers, aged 3 to7. Two very sturdy little books that can take a beating are Just a Tugboat and Just a Dump Truck ($5.99 each) briefly tell what it takes to operate either one with the emphasis on the noises they both make as in "Beep! Beep!" Good for Me and You ($3.29) is about the importance of exercise and eating properly. Little Critter has starred in more than 100 books by this prolific children’s book author whose work has sold more than 100 million copies since the later 1970s. You can visit Little Critter online at www.littlecritter.com.

Sometimes school (and elsewhere) is made pure hell by the bullies who are always looking for a victim. Izzy Kalman, a school psychologist and psychotherapist, tackles this problem in Bullies to Buddies: How to Turn Your Enemies into Friends! ($15.00, The Wisdom Pages, Staten Island, NY). Written for youngsters, ages 10 and up, Kalman’s simple, yet innovative, methods are designed to help kids solve their own problems without anyone else’s help or getting into trouble. He explains the dynamics of bullying and offers specific solutions that will help turn around the situation. For any child experiencing bullying, this book will prove a godsend. In the end, it is a book about human nature and one worth learning as early as possible because life is full of bullies.

From Blue Marlin Productions comes Mama, Can Armadillos Swim? An entertaining and educational tale, illustrated by Anthony Alex LeTourneau and Thomas H. Bone, ($17.00, Blue Marlin Publications, 823 Arberdeen Road, West Bay Shore, NY 11706) a little girl taking a bath learns about the swimming habits of various mammals. This publisher has a number of clever books for young readers such as Small, Not Tall ($l6.00) by Francine Poppo Rich, illustrated by Thomas P. DiFilippi, ideal for ages 4-8, that addresses the fact that, well, kids are smaller than adults. Visit their Internet site at www.bluemartinpubs.com to learn about their other books too.

As part of my "Picks of the Month" above I take note of two books from Amadeus Press, but they also have a delightful children’s book, Polly and the Piano, written and illustrated by Carol Montparker ($19.95), that includes a CD with music to accompany it. You not only get the book, but a selection from Mozart, Schubert, Chopin and Ravel to enjoy. Their first children’s book, it tells the story of a little girl’s pet dog who dreams of being able to play the piano too. It is a heartwarming story, particularly well suited to any family that enjoys music.

The Christian book market has many titles from which to select, but children’s books for young Jews are fewer. Marge Blumberg has remedied that with Avram’s Gift ($17.95, MB Publishing, 7831 Woodmont Ave., Suite 312, Bethesda, MD 20814). It’s about a little boy, Mark, who likes his new home, but there’s a picture of a man with a long, gray beard and dark mysterious eyes, that he doesn’t like. It is a picture of his great-great-grandfather Avram. Who was he? Was he really as stern as he looks? One special Rosh Hashanah (New Year) he begins to learn the answer to these questions from his grandfather Morris. And he discovers Avram’s gift. This book is beautifully illustrated and would make a great gift for any Jewish youngster, age eight and older. You can visit www.mbpublishing.com to learn more about it.

Wendy Lawton has penned six books for young Christian girls in her Daughters of Faith series published by Moody Publishers. Based on the lives of women who faced challenges, these are the kind of inspiring stories a parent would want their child to read. One of them, Shadow of His Hand, tells the true tale of a Holocaust survivor and others tell of a woman who brought the Salvation Army across the ocean to America. Another tells the story of one of the 102 passengers aboard the Mayflower. At $6.99 each, they are absorbing stories and you can learn more by visit www.WendyLawton.com and/or www.moodypublishers.com. And don’t forget to check out a more contemporary story by Lawton titled Flip Flop that turns a young girl’s life inside out. All of these books can be read by youngster’s ten and older.

Teresa Saari has written two wonderful books for young readers that have been very well received. They are Imogene of the Pacific Kingdom and Dager of the Tasman Empire. Both conjure up magical kingdoms made known to their main characters, places where every child would love to go in their imagination. Imogene lives with a cranky aunt and her best friend is a kindly butler. She awaits the return of her mother who has promised "Five years, Imogene. I shall come for you in five years?" Dager’s tale is even more fanciful if that is possible, involving a world under the sea where people communicate without words. To learn more, visit www.teresasaari.com.

The publishing dynamo, America Girl, has introduced a new character, Marisol, a dancer from Chicago who conveys an inspiring message to readers about the importance of following your dreams. For Marisol, age 10, her dream to become a professional dancer is jeopardized when her family moves from the city to a suburb with no dance studio. Can she keep her dream alive? Written by Gary Soto ($6.95) girls 8 and older will enjoy this story and may also want to get the Marisol doll, outfits and accessories that are also marketed with it. A visit to www.americangirl.com will tell you all you need to know and, if there’s a budding dancer in your family, you will want to give them this book.

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Novels, Novels, Novels

For some reason, many of the novels that have arrived in recent months relate the lives of women and how they cope with the world into which they have been born and the circumstances that shape their lives.

Penguin Books publishes many fine novels in softcover every month and two of their latest are The Good Wife Strikes Back by Elizabeth Buchan ($14.00) in which the wife of an ambitious politician faces a crossroads in her life. A devoted wife and mother, as well as a businesswoman, Fanny Savage is beginning to grow restless. She has been all things to others in her life, but wonders when there will be some time just for her. When she decides to take charge of her life, tragedy strikes not once, but twice. Her increasingly tenuous marriage is challenged by a love from her past reappears. How she resolves these conflicting feelings and aspirations will prove a good read by an author who understands women and what it is to deal with life’s challenges. Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell ($14.00) is the story of four beautiful, musical sisters in 1777 Vienna and the young genius who walks into their lives. No longer a child prodigy, Mozart is penniless and the sister’s mother, eager to marry them off, has a real problem. It is the youngest of the four who becomes his wife in a novel that recreates that era and its demanding patrons of the arts. Anyone who loves his music will enjoy this novel. The Lady and the Unicorn ($14.00, Plume) is by Tracy Chevalier, the author of "Girl with a Pearl Earring" which has since been made into a movie. Both books take artists or their work as their starting point. This one is based on six celebrated tapestries of the same name and, using them as her inspiration, she has fashioned an intimate tale of intrigue, passion and deception as she shows us how they came to be created by various artists and artisans who lives she creates with her imaginative powers. Set in the Middle Ages, it is a trip back in time, but the story itself is timeless.

The Legend of Fire Horse Woman by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston ($15.00, Kensington) tells the story of three generations of Japanese women, drawing in part on the author’s own life during the WWII internment of Japanese-Americans. This is an inspiring story of how these women overcame all odds to find peace amidst chaos and love amidst hate. The story begins with Sayo, born under the portentous Fire Horse sign in 1902. In Japan, it is a tragic sign, occurring only once every sixty years. Married by proxy into the wealthy Matsubara family, she is sent to join her husband in America. In 1942, facing the sunset of her life, she is interned with her daughter and granddaughter. For a wonderful insight to a clash of cultures as it affects the lives of the characters, this is first-rate drama worth reading. Suffering is the theme of If You Walked in My Shoes by Gwynne Forster ($15.00, Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington). It’s not for nothing that the Black Writers Alliance gave their 2001 Gold Pen Award to the author because she tells the story of a successful career woman, wife and mother of two stepsons, struggling with a secret that haunts her. At 17, she was the victim of a vicious date rape and sent to live with an abusive aunt and give up her child to adoption. Now, years later, she must come to terms with that long-lost daughter who wants to confront her biological mother. This is not a pretty story, but the author brings to it a reality that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens to all of the characters.

A real standout among new novels is The Sea of Tears by Nani Power ($25.00, Counterpoint, an imprint of Perseus Books). Her first novel, "Crawling at Night", was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award. It has been translated into seven languages. Her second novel, "The Good Remains" enjoyed similar accolades. Ms. Power knows her way around the human heart and this new novel about love, discovery, and obsession weaves together the stories of disparate people and their tangled relationships. Set in a fictional Washington, DC Hotel Royale, you will quickly find yourself drawn into their hidden worlds. She writes superbly with a poet’s eye for emotion.

Kensington Publishing has an imprint called "Strapless" that looks at the lives of contemporary women and, since November, three such novels have crossed my desk. White Bikini Panties by Kelly James-Enger ($12.95) is an amusing novel that asks, "Does the choice of underwear say something about someone?" and "Can changing your underwear possibly change your life?" The main character is 28 and working on the great American novel while writing advertising copy. Her life in Chicago includes Rick, a boyfriend who’s hot without being weird, but who is also caught making out with a bimbo and gets tossed out. Ready to reshape her life, Trina starts with her underwear drawer, tossing the white bikini panties for thongs and push-up bros. This one’s a hoot from beginning to end. Reinventing Mona by Jennifer Coburn ($12.95) introduces 30 year-old Mona Warren who concludes she needs a "personal metamorphosis." She’s young and rich, thanks to a hefty inheritance, but she’s boring. And she knows it. So begins her reinvention in quest of the perfect guy. The only problem is that she is clueless about how to win him over. She gets help from a guy’s guy and you get an entertaining novel.

Friday Night Cocktails by Allison Rushby ($12.95) was published in Australia to raves and has now crossed the ocean to here where you get to know best friends, Gemma and Sarah, two gals who have spent every Friday night with a round of Tequila, comparing notes about their less than stellar love lives. They decide to get even by starting their own revenge website dedicated to every man who has done a woman wrong. The site takes off, attracting stories from women around the world. They’re having a great time until it all goes wickedly out of control.

The Outback of Australia in an earlier age is the setting for The Heart of Thornton Creek by Bonnie Leon ($12.99, Revell, Book 1 in The Queensland Chronicles). It is the story of an adventurous, strong willed young woman, Rebecca, who leaves the stylish streets of Boston in the 1800’s to follow her new husband to his native Queensland in the arid back country of a new land thousands of miles removed from everything she used to know. Her life becomes a test of faith and relationships as she longs for freedom and acceptance. Can she make the transition? You will have to read this intriguing novel to find out.

If you like short stories, you will enjoy those by George Thomas Clark in Outliving Flynn ($19.95, Three Point Press, POB 70100, Bakersfield, CA 93387). There are twenty-two short stories in all about men andwomen in love and turmoil, people struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction, lost friendship, and a host of characters who are living on the edge. The author has a sharp sense of dialogue, capturing how real people talk, and an eye for real lives, caught in sharp focus. There are nine stories in Let’s Do by Rebecca Meacham, winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction, ($12.95, The University of North Texas Press). The lives of ordinary Midwesterners who cope with a mixture of good intentions and ineptitude are caught in a style that balances humor with painful clarity. They are lives that struggle with or against change. In short, they are about all our lives.

Doris Mortman, a bestselling novelist, is back with Shades of Red ($24.95, St. Martin’s Press), just published this month. She takes you into the high stakes world of the beauty and lifestyle industry, the world of Vera Hart who stands at the center of a conglomerate that manufactures everything from nail polish to sectional sofas. Someone is out to destroy her and her company, initially by tainting a batch of her famous Valentine Red lipstick with mercuric chloride. At the heart of the novel are the relationships between mothers and daughters, good women and evil women, heroic women and vengeful women. It’s a page-turner.

That’s it for February! Come back next month and tell a friend about Bookviews, too! Don’t forget to visit our Featured Books section to learn about some very interesting and unique books of every description. One of them might be just perfect for you or a friend.

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