There’s more than a bit of irony in the way Newt Gingrich’s new book, Winning the Future: A 21^st Century Contract with America, ($27.95, Regnery Publishing) has arrived on the literary scene in January at the same time the Cato Institute is declaring his "revolution" dead. (See below) Gingrich was one of the co-authors of the 1994 "Contract with America" that gave control of Congress to the Republican Party. He served as the Speaker of the House. Before all that and throughout it, Gingrich was a historian. He had taught history at the university level before entering politics. What his new book demonstrates is just how grounded in American history he is and why he felt compelled to sound a call to solve current problems, reverse secular trends, and recognize that a very real enemy threatens our lives of the future of the nation. This is a book that speaks to conservative values and beliefs, but anyone of more liberal views would benefit as well as he focuses on five key areas of concern. Gingrich calls for a long term commitment to defeat the Islamic fascists that would destroy America; he wants Americans to recognize the religious values that are inherent in our way of governing the nation; he wants our educational system to teach our real history, our patriotic history; he wants the nation to harness modern science and technology to create jobs and wealth; and he puts forth a reasoned plan to save Social Security.

For those who are interested in political trends, The Republican Revolution 10 Years Later ($19.95/$13.95, hard or softcover, Cato Institute) is a collection of commentaries on the initial success of the Republican "Contract with America" that permitted the party to regain control of Congress in 1994 after 40 years of Democrat rule, and the subsequent disappointment with Republican control of both Congress and the White House. The original "Contract" called for smaller government and more fiscal responsibility. The opposite has occurred and the reason, simply stated, is that Republicans in power showed even less restraint than Democrats when it came to expanding federal control over our lives and ballooning the budget. I suspect that Republicans think they will stay in power for years to come, but the underlying conditions examined by the think tank’s best minds, suggest they are skating on thin ice as voters grow increasingly disillusioned. To its credit, the "Contract" did bring about welfare reform, the first tax cut in 17 years, and balanced budgets, but all that is history now.

Want to know what really goes on in the Supreme Court? If so, pick up a copy of Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court by Edward Lazarus ($18.00, Penguin softcover), written by a former law clerk to Justice Harry Blackman who spent a year behind its doors. What emerges from this trenchant analysis of how the Court has functioned in the past and how the personalities of its present members influences the decisions that have been made in recent decades and today. It is a picture of a court at war with itself and too frequently neglecting the limits of the Constitution it is sworn to uphold. Anyone trying to understand what is happening and why needs to read this thoroughly absorbing book. Want to know what it was like to be in the thick of the fighting to liberate Iraq? Then pick up Among Warriors in Iraq by Mike Tucker ($16.95, The Lyons Press, trade paperback). Here is war, dirty, profane, violent, and lethal, and it leaps off of every page of this report on what it meant to be in combat, raiding Mosul and Fallujah. The author is a Marine infantry veteran with a Special Operations background. He tells what it was really like with heart-pounding realism. This is just a great read!

By far one of the most offbeat books I have seen in a long time is Conversations With George Bush by Martha Boone Mattia ($15.95, Brown Books Publishing Group, Dallas, TX). The book is subtitled, "Beyond Polls and Partisanship: Real Life in the USA" and involves interviews with men named George Bush as well as narratives with women as well, black and white, young and old. There’s George Bush, a miner in Alaska, and George Bush, a black truck driver in Louisiana, and George Bush, a gay Republican in North Carolina; George Bush the church choir director in Pennsylvania. And so it goes from state to state, each person emerging with their own story and their own point of view on what is happening in post 9-1 America today. The author was an expatriate, growing up in Libya and has been to more foreign nations than States, though she always felt a great pride in being an American. She went in search of an answer to the question, what does it mean to be a patriot today? The answer makes for a very interesting book.

Washington, DC is one of the great tourist destinations and one that every American should visit at least once in their life. Pamela Kessler, a former Washington Post reporter, has written a delightful, offbeat guide to the Capital, Undercover Washington ($15.95, Capital Books, Sterling, VA) that spotlights the many places where spies did their dirty work from the days of the Civil War to the Cold War. Here are the places in and around Washington such as the Hotel George where the only Soviet general to survive Stalin’s purges died a mysterious death or the restaurant where a KGB mole swapped his wife to get government secrets. If you are an espionage buff, this book will take you on a tour of the Capital like no other.

There is so much information and misinformation about what weight to be, what diets to use, that people are understandably confused. The much publicized "obesity epidemic" has been widely debunked and disputed, so naturally I was pleased to receive The Diet Myth by Paul Campos ($15.00, Gotham Books, a division of Penguin Group) that exposes how the public is constantly misinformed about the medical significance of weight, why dieting can be bad for your health, and despite a $50 million weight loss industry, we still have no idea how to make a fat person thin. He addresses how authors of medical studies distort their data and the conclusions they draw from it, and how claims that being "overweight" shorten life expectancy are actually the opposite of the truth. Indeed, the author notes that a fat person who is moderately active is much healthier than a thin person who is inactive. Hooray for this book. I heartily recommend it!

Television so infuses our lives that it is hard to think of a time when it did not exist, although I am old enough to recall such a time. Turning Points in Television: Great Moments on the Small Screen by Larry Brody ($12.95, Kensington Publishing, softcover) will appeal to folks who are interested in cultural history and this book by a veteran TV writer and executive captures twenty-three vital moments and examines their significance. This is a fun and interesting book in many ways. Also from Kensington and just in time for Father’s Day is Father Still Knows Best by Tripp Whetsell ($9.95, softcover), a collection of more than 500 of the greatest lines ever spoken by TV dads from Fred Sanford to Mike Brady, Cliff Huxtable to Archie Bunker, and even including Fred Flintstone. There are dozens of favorite TV dads who helped shape our thinking about countless aspects of our lives. Some just made us laugh, but most made us think.

For a look at Red China that is quite different from the usual academic stuff around, read Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China by Rachel DeWoskin ($24.95, W.W. Norton). In 1994, after being told she was "too weird to get a normal job", the then-recent Columbia graduate decided to move to Beijing, hoping to broaden her cultural horizons. After a brief stint at an American public relations firm, she auditioned for and was cast as Jiexi, the sexy and aggressive female lead in "Foreign Babes in Beijing", a Chinese soap opera about Chinese-Western relationships and the modern drama of cultural exchange. The show became a huge hit and she became a major celebrity. An intelligent and sensitive observer, DeWoskin tells a remarkable story that provides insights into the vast changes that swept China in the late 1990s and continue today. This is a society in which "to get rich is glorious", a long way from the austerity of the early years of Communist control. The author returned to the US after five years and now divides her time between New York and Beijing.

Visitors to Bookviews often have dreams of writing their own book. Before you do, pick up a copy of Cathy Wald’s The Resilient Writer ($14.95, Persea Books, New York) that is filled with tales of rejection and triumph as told by twenty-three top authors such as Bret Easton Ellis and Amy Tan. Here’s an inside look at the way their efforts were received by editors who did not have the slightest grasp of the fact that an excellent writer’s manuscript was right there in their hands! For those with the fortitude to get passed the phalanx of editors who find it easier to say no, this book will provide the motivation to try, try, and try again. And, of course, Bookviews visitors love to find an exciting new book that may have been overlooked in the mainstream media. Steve Leveen has written The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life ($17.50, Levenger Press, Delray Beach, FL) that is filled with advice on how to get the most of the reading experience. In particular, how to make time to read and then how to find books that speak to you. Part of the reading experience includes spending some time with the classics and G. B. Cobbold has made that much easier with his new translation of Vergil’s Aeneid ($12.95, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Wauconda, IL). The author’s knowledge of Latin and this classic story has permitted him to retell it as a novel, rather than its original text as a poem about a man whose city is destroyed by war and his long journey to find his destiny. In the process, there’s plenty of high drama, passion, battles, monsters, and meddling gods. It speaks to every new generation in a very special way. This new version makes the story especially accessible in many ways, including a glossary of characters, a timeline of significant events in Roman history, and other aids.

I am particularly fond of books that offer good, money-saving advice and The Hassle Free Approach Car Buying & Leasing by Marc Vanasse ($14.95, Quickread Publishing, Santa Barbara, CA) fits that description. It is filled with useful tips on how to eliminate sales pressure, how to purchase online, and it explains leasing. The author is an auto buying consultant with 20 years experience. Before you buy or lease your next car, pick up a copy of this book! Given the reputation of car salesmen, A Treasury of Deception by Michael Farquhar ($14.00, Penguin softcover) is a historic tour of some of the greatest liars, ruses, and pranks of all time. It is a highly entertaining introduction to charlatans, imposters, forgeries, scientific frauds and hucksters of all descriptions.

I know exactly where to find Theodore Browne, the author of How to Legally Escape From an American Prison ($13.30, Authorhouse, 1663 Liberty Drive, #200, Bloomington, IN 47403). He is a resident of Leavenworth, the federal prison in Kansas. He’s got a potential market over more than two million Americans behind bars. Per capita, America has more of its population in jail than any other nation. As Browne points out, the overcrowding of American prisons with, in particular, non-violent drug offenders is becoming a national crisis. "The checks-and-balances guaranteed by the Constitution," says Browne, "no longer have any meaning in the American criminal justice system. Racism, injustice, and inequality are rampant in the system." So, while serving time, Browne took the time to write a book intended to be a resource to secure their release, relying on international treaties and law to seek redress from the courts. Why hasn’t he used it himself? He is awaiting an appeal and cannot utilize his plan until it is decided. One cannot help but wonder if this obviously intelligent man had set his sights on an entrepreneurial venture that did not involve crack cocaine. For those inmates with no other options left, this book will prove to be a ray of hope.

My pal, Francis Murray, has written Satirical Americana: Caustic Satire for the 21^st Century ($30.99, Xlibris) delivering some very funny, very devastating looks at things like those contests where five year olds are supposed to wear makeup and dress inappropriately, and a contemplation on whether Canadian toilet paper is really smoother? Suffice it to say that Francis—I call him Frank—has a very different take on things we take for granted and, in the process, makes you think about some of the silliness that surrounds us.

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Summertime Cooking & Eating

Some of the happiest memories of summer (or anytime!) are associated with cooking or dining out. There are a number of new books that address these pleasures.

Peace, Love and Barbecue ($19.95, Rodale) by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe should be called the bible of barbecue because it is filled with just about everything you need to know about this quintessentially American treat. There are plenty of recipes, plus lots of the secrets of the best BBQ’ers around. There are tall tales and legends as well, of which add up to one of the most entertaining books on the subject. Of course, if you’re into eating "healthy", there’s 12 Best Foods Cookbook by Dana Jacobi ($21.95, Rodale) that offers more than 200 delicious recipes that feature things like blueberries, black beans, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and other things that will tease your palette and help keep your body strong and well.

Of particular interest to the many Americans who are diabetics is the Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good with the American Diabetes Association ($15.95, Good Books, Intercourse, PA). This book describes how to use slow cookers to prepare meals that have been carefully reviewed to insure they are safe for diabetics and tasty too. It offers lots of recipes ranging from main course dishes to soups, vegetables, and desserts, plus recommendations for beverages, breakfast dishes, and breads, among others. Clearly, being diabetic does not mean having to eat bland foods. If you are a diabetic or know someone who is, I would recommend this book.

From the Collectors Press of Portland, Oregon comes a sumptuous feast for the eye, Chocolate: The Sweet History by Beth Kimmerle ($39.95). This publisher is justly famed for publishing outstanding books, noteworthy for their ample illustration and design. If you’re a chocoholic like me, the complete history of this treat can be found between its covers as the author traces its long history from 400 BC to the present day. As early as 1765, the man whose name, Baker, became synonymous with chocolate over the years to follow was producing chocolate "cakes" in America for the drinking of chocolate. Meanwhile, in France and Holland, chocolate was becoming a popular treat as various confectioners discovered ways to make it available to the public. By 1900, the first Hershey’s milk chocolate bar was introduced and the rest is history as they say. And that history has been beautifully captured in this marvelous book!

The kitchen is the heart of any home and Susannah Seton has collected recipes, crafts and comforts to be found there in Simple Pleasures of the Kitchen ($14.95, Conari Press, Boston). Organized by season, this delightful softcover offers ideas that will enhance any season as the family gathers in the kitchen to unwind from the day and reconnect. An unusual, but interesting book is Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America by Laura Shapiro ($15.00, Penguin softcover). It’s a blend of culinary history and popular culture as it tells how the food industry elbowed its way into the kitchen after World War II. Prior to then, people pretty much prepared dinner from scratch, as pre-prepared food items were not available. Along came frozen foods and companies like Pillsbury who encouraged people to take advantage of new food technologies and convenience.

Though Bookviews these days tends to pass on self-published books because their numbers keep growing and because we have a long history with established, mainstream publishers, large and small, I will make an exception for John Galloway’s Fine Dining Madness: The Rules & Realities of Fine Dining ($18.95, iUniverse) that is a hilarious introduction to dining well while setting out restaurant patrons steadfast rules that will insure they get a good meal and what to do if they don’t. Anyone who dines out regularly will enjoy this book recounts all kinds of stories about how restaurants really function and how to separate the best from the worst. For anyone thinking about owning a restaurant, this book will surely talk you out of that notion. In short, this is a fun book.

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Great Summertime Reading for Kids

The best way to avoid hearing, "Mom, I’m bored", and to get your child on the pathway to success is to encourage them to read as much as they want. To do that, make sure there are plenty of books suitable to their age around. Here are some recently published books worth checking out.

From the children’s books division of HarperCollins, including imprints, we can start with Dinosnores by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Ponder Goembel ($15.95). It’s an opportunity for a parent to not only read, but also add all the funny noises that dinosaurs make. The pictures will delight pre-schoolers and those who can read for themselves will enjoy making their own noises. A great bedtime story is Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton ($15.99) about a sheep that has trouble getting to sleep. The illustrations are hilarious and the story will amuse any young child. Nighttime is the setting for It Is the Wind by Ferida Wolff, illustrated by James Ransome ($14.99). This book, too, is a good one for bedtime as it addresses the question of what is making noise outside. It is ideal for the early reader as its text is short and easy. And yet another book addresses children’s fears in Snip Snap! What’s That? Mara Bergman has written and Nick Maland has illustrated a scary story about an alligator coming up the stairs to eat some children ($15.99). Were they scared? You bet they were, but happily the alligator was more scared of them at the end. Saving Strawberry Farm ($16.99) by Deborah Hopkinson with pictures by Rachel Isadora is set in 1933 when farms were often lost during the Great Depression. It is, however, a story of how people got together to help their neighbors and told from a small boy’s point of view. It is both history and inspiring for a youngsters age 5 and up.

From Tanglewood Press in Terre Haute, Indiana, comes a clever book for young readers aged 4 to 8. Adults tend to think of childhood as a carefree time, but today’s kids are bombarded by news of things to worry about so Is a Worry Worrying You? Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz deal with how to overcome common childhood worries in a book ($15.95) that is cleverly illustrated by Marie Le Tourneau. If you have a little worrywart in the family, this is the book for him or her! Little, Brown Books for younger readers has a winner in Old Mr. Mackle Hackle by Gunnar Madson and illustrated by Irana Shepherd ($15.99, Little Brown Books for Young Readers). Written for ages 3 to 6, it is about a completely wacky hen that wouldn’t cackle. It will have your youngster laughing as you or they read through this funny story. Also from Little Brown are two books that help children deal with their emotions. One is I’m So Mad! The other is I’m Not Sleepy! ($7.99 each) The handiwork of Robie H. Harris, as illustrated by Nicole Hollander, both books for ages 3 to 6 not only entertain, but also suggest that there are ways to deal with these problems.

Those who wish to instill an appreciation for the environment will want to consider Turtle Bay by Saviour Pirotta and beautifully illustrated by Nilish Mistry ($7.95, Francis Lincoln). It is a story about a boy and an old man who share a friendship and love of nature about sea turtles that live on the coast of Japan; a good book for ages 7 and up. For the older reader, 8 and up, there’s another Francis Lincoln book, Roman Fort, by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom ($15.95) that evokes history by telling the story of a fort on the northern frontier, far from the city of Rome. It is wonderfully educational as it invites the reader to learn about life as a Roman soldier.

From Tree of Life Publishing in Summerland Key, Florida, comes a clever story, Boomer to the Rescue ($15.95) that is a good one for kids ages 2 through 8. In this story by Peter Parente, Boomer is a lavender skunk concerned about his first day at school, but nervous because he is, well, different. When he arrives, his fears are realized, not for his strange color, but because of his smell. He comes to the rescue of the others when a large Grizzly Bear captures Frankie, a squirrel. So Boomer becomes "special", not different. Along the same lines of how to deal with being different, there’s Nikolai, The Only Bear by Barbara Joose and illustrated by Renata Liwiska ($15.99, Philomel Books, a division of Penguin) that tells the story of a hundred orphans at a Russian orphanage, but Nikolai is, as the title says, the only bear among them. No one wants to take him home until a man and a woman visit from America and he has at last found a family. This is perfect for any child, age 3 and up, who feels like an outsider. A new Philomel book for those aged 9 to 12 is a delightful story by Sally M. Keehn called Gnat Stokes and the Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen ($16.99). Love conquers all in this post-Civil War tale set in Tennessee. Twelve-year-old Gnat lives with her grandfather and "ain’t scairt of nothing." This farcical romp drips with superstition and magic, Warrior Bogies and rusty Swamp Knights. This is a great summertime and anytime read.

For the older young person, the poetry of Alfred Noyes has been combined with the extraordinary illustrations by Murray Kimber in The Highwayman ($16.95, Kids Can Press) as part of a "Visions in Poetry" series. The poem, long a favorite by one of the most celebrated poets of his time, is visually updated to become, not a rider on a horse, but a dashing motorcyclist. Words and art combine for a thrilling reading experience.

What would it be like to read about a young James Bond before he became the famed spy, 007? The answer to that is found in Silverfin, a James Bond adventure by Charlie Higson ($16.95, Hyperion Books for Children). When we first meet him, he is just starting boarding school at Eton in the 1930s and from there the action moves to the Highlands of Scotland where a boy has gone missing and James teams up with the boy’s cousin to find him. I can see a young reader, age 12 and up, curled up reading this book as fast as he (or she) can. For the Love of Dogs is the name of a Portland, Oregon publisher whose book, Wonder Dog: The Story of Silverton Bobbie ($14.95) will entertain any young adult with a classic tale of canine faithfulness and loyalty. Based on a true story and told by Susan Stelljes, it tells of a Scotch collie that gets separated from its owners in Indiana, but miraculously finds his way to their home in Oregon, crossing 2,800 miles of plain, desert and mountains in the dead of winter. It’s a real page-turner. Check it out at www.silvertonbobbie.com.

HarperCollins is publishing many fine books for young adult readers. Isabel Allende is a bestselling author and her latest novel, Forest of the Pygmies ($19.99) adds to her acclaim with a story about an assignment to write about safaris on the plains of Kenya and this, in turn, leads to an unexpected adventure when a missionary asks their help to find his companions who have mysteriously disappeared. They discover a clan of pygmies involved in slavery and poaching. Her other young adult titles include "Kingdom of the Golden Dragon" and "City of Beasts." The Midnight Diary of Zoya Blume by Laura Shaine Cunningham ($15.99) for those 8 and older tells the story of Zoya’s separation from her mother for a week. To cope, she begins a diary to keep dark fears and nightmares away, and this ten-year-old shares with the reader a very unusual household of a senile old woman and two bachelors. Despite what you might think, it is a life filled with love that is funny, sad and irreverent. From Naomi Shihab Nye comes Going, Going ($15.99) tells the story of so many small, distinctive local businesses that cannot compete with the chains that are found everywhere. Set in the author’s hometown of San Antonio, this story is one of an America that is disappearing. For ages 12 and up, and of particular interest to girls, is Rachel Vail’s If We Kiss ($15.99) in which the main character, Charlotte, finds herself in a bind having fallen for a boy who is off-limits because of some tangled relationships. Still, when they do kiss, a lovely story of walking the line between the lives of others emerges.

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Novels, Novels, Novels!

I recently counted the novels that I have received in the last month or more and the total came to more than fifty! Of these I have selected a few that should prove entertaining, but Bookviews.com has had to institute a new policy whereby we no longer review self-published novels because this has become a trend that frankly overwhelms the ability of any reviewer to take notice of them. I suspect only friends and family, and very few others read most of these self-published works.

Fred Yager has crafted another novel, Cybersona, ($28.00, Hannacroix Creek Books, Stamford, CT) that asks the question, what would happen if you combined the popularity of video games with the growing threat of identify theft? The answer is a fast-paced psychological hi-tech thriller. The author says he deliberately wrote it for high school and college age students who would "get it" in ways that we older folks might not, but it is also a cautionary tale for those who interact on line with strangers. "It opens you up to lots of danger," says Yager and his novel crackles with the danger that will keep you turning the pages.

How did a Jewish white guy from Brooklyn come to write a novel about black fighter pilots during World War II? You will wonder about that, too, when you read Wings of the Panther by Stanley Weisleder ($15.00, Merril Press, Bellevue, WA). The story behind the novel begins in the 1950s when the author was attending ROTC classes at New York University that were taught by a black fighter pilot. When their paths crossed again in the middle 1970s, the author was so intrigued he began to study the history of the Tuskegee pilots and the racial prejudice they had to overcome to serve their nation. He decided to write a novel about them and it would take him ten years to learn how and finish the project. You will be happy he did. Black Americans will learn an important piece of their history and others born long after those times will wonder how America manages to always find patriots like these. A later war in Vietnam is the setting for Of Their Own Accord by Gary Dolan, ($24.95, The Writers Collective) a riveting tale about life and death in the elite "Charlie Rangers" of the 75^th Infantry. These soldiers were the equivalent of the Green Berets or Navy SEALS. They wrote the book on special operations and the author was one of them. Though fiction, this is as real as it gets as the action jumps off the page. It is about courage under fire in 1970 and is a tribute to good men who fought a war that became increasingly unpopular in its time.

Those who love history will enjoy Maddalena by Eva Jana Siroka ($26.95, Semele Books, Princeton, NJ). Set in 16^th century Rome, it tells the story of Maddalena who lives during the harsh days of the CatholicInquisition. You will be introduced to Bartholomaeus Spranger, a handsome young man who is the official painter to his Eminence Cardinal Allessandro Farnese and to the Pope. He serves as the narrator. Despite the severe moral climate of the Church, the Vatican’s most powerful cardinal has an illegitimate son, a Jewish mistress, and an ongoing affair with a 16-year-old boy! The author deftly explores the cardinal’s illicit love for Maddalena and, within a few pages, you too will want to explore it with her. The years after World War I are the background for Silent Lies by Mary Lee Malcolm ($24.95, Longstreet Press, Athens, GA) as it tells its story about a Hungarian boy, born into poverty, who uses his amazing ability with languages to build a life for himself. He literally reinvents himself, fleeing to Shanghai, taking with him a diamond necklace that will prove his salvation or his death warrant. Based on actual historical events, from the Communist takeover of Budapest in 1920 to the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1937, this novel paints a portrait of a world that no longer exists through the moral and political choices one man was forced to make in turbulent times.

Here are some softcover novels for the ladies to take the beach or the swing on the back porch. From Kensington Publishing there’s The Divine Circle of Ladies Making Mischief by Dolores Stewart Ricco ($14.00) a sequel to Cass and her four friends from her previous novel "Circle of Five". They all live in Plymouth, Massachusetts where Cass is enjoying a new romance and working with patients at a local rehabilitation center. She’s going to need the full circle for support! The Best of Friends by R.J. Stevens ($14.00) tells the story of four women whose bonds of love and friendship cannot be broken and each working in the fast moving world of emergency services. These are modern women who are cops, paramedics and one is a firefighter. As they go about your lives, you will want to tag along. The Single Girl’s Guide to Murder by Joanne Meyer focuses on a showroom girl/model/aspiring actress trying to make it in Manhattan. When she ends up on a list of suspects in her ex-boyfriend’s murder, she has to add amateur sleuth to her resume. The crime scene evidence points to her and how she extricates herself from this mess is a lively reading experience.

Hollywood serves as the setting for two novels from Plume, a division of Penguin Books. The Second Assistant: A Tale from the Bottom of the Hollywood Ladder by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare who spin the tale of Elizabeth Miller whose new job at The Agency is a big change from being a former congressional intern in Washington, DC. Looking for a change, she takes a job with the hottest young agent in Tinsletown who devotes his day to playing online poker or closing multi-million dollar deals for his clients. Hers is quite an education and you get to share it. The Loves of a D-Girl by Chris Dyer ($14.00) is a novel of sex, lies, and script development! Having graduated from NYU with a screenwriter award, Lizzie Hubbard, seven years later doesn’t have much to show for her dreams. Add to that her bitter tongue and bad attitude. In a last effort she tries to turn an amateur screenwriter into a genuine player, discovering that the only thing harder than breaking into the movie business is breaking out of it.

The author of "Bridget Jones’ Diary", Helen Fielding offers us Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination ($14.00, Penguin Books) a sensational new heroine who’s stunning, sexy, and a new player in the world of international espionage. She’s a journalist turned spy whose assignment to cover the launch of a new beauty product takes her to Miami where she meets the Hollywood producer, Pierre Farramo. But is he who he says he is? She’s intrigued and follows him to Hollywood and from the waters of the Central American coast to the deserts of the Sudan. I I won’t spoil this one for you. It’s just too much fun! A comedy of domestic manners in an affluent suburb of Philadelphia is found in This Side of Married by Rachel Pastan ($14.00, Penguin Books) in which the well meaning, but domineering Dr. Evelyn Rubin wants to see her three daughters married. The spirit of Jane Austin lives in this novel that rings true on every page.

That’s it for June! Come back in July for some more tips on new novels for summertime reading, some excellent biographies, and all kinds of new books that just keep rolling off the presses. Don’t forget to visit our Featured Books section and tell your friends about Bookviews.com, the most unique monthly report on the best in new fiction and non-fiction on the Internet!

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