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REUNION. By Therese Fowler. Ballantine Books. 336 pages. $22

Reviewed by Courtney Cutright

A love triangle involving a father, son and a syndicated talk show host is at the center of Therese Fowler’s novel “Reunion.”
Fortunately for the reader, there is a span of two decades between the arms of the father-son angles.
While filming on location in Key West, Blue Reynolds is reunited with Mitch Forrester, whom she fell in love with 20 years ago. The two haven’t seen each other since Mitch dumped her, back when she was the furthest thing from a daytime TV icon.
Upon reuniting Blue falls fast for the idea of reconnecting with Mitch and his family. Right away she mixes business with pleasure by lending her camera equipment to Mitch so he and his son Julian can film a documentary.
Julian, who is nine years younger than Blue, knows little about his father’s long-ago romance. But as Julian grows closer to Blue he begins to feel guilty about trotting on his father’s turf. A near-death experience is enough for Julian to spill the beans, professing his attraction to Blue.
With enough conflict to keep it interesting there is almost too much complexity as Blue simultaneously is searching for a child she gave up at birth while trying to figure out whether she should pursue Mitch or Julian.
The plot peaks when Blue is exposed for trying to bribe someone for the midwife’s records on the closed adoption. The scandal tarnishes her TV image, and it is the last straw for her. She quits the show, succumbing to the notion she has it all when she realizes how much her life is missing. She realizes material success has left a gaping hole in her personal life.
She is ready to move on, but you will have to read the book to find out if she picks the father or the son.

NO ROOM FOR DOUBT. By Angela Dove. Berkley Trade. 384 pages. $15

Reviewed by Cathy Benson

Angela Dove has recounted a true-crime tale in “No Room for Doubt,” the story of the murder of her stepmother, Debi Whitlock, in Modesto, Calif., in 1988.
Whitlock’s father was considered a prime suspect by the authorities for years. This is the story of the dedication of Whitlock’s mother, Jacque McDonald, who became a champion of victims and a prime reason why the mystery was finally solved more than eight years later.
When the attention of media wanes and cameras quit clicking, families of murder victims must deal with the thought of a murderer still at large, the tragedy in the way the victim died and the unbelievable sense of sudden loss. They also deal with the perceptions of society toward the victim and the family, and sometimes even survivor’s guilt.
Dove does an excellent job putting the family’s trials and tribulations after her stepmother’s death on paper. Her engaging style begins with the foreword and carries through the final chapter.
This book may not be for everyone, but for those who wonder what a family faces after murder, “No Room for Doubt,” is a worthwhile read.

STONEWALL HINKLEMAN AND THE BATTLEOF BULL RUN.  By Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger. Dial. 176 pages. $16.99

Reviewed by Gretchen Hager Tipps

Many parents dream that their children will enthusiastically embrace their hobbies. But surly preteen Stonewall Hinkleman is sure that his parents have gone off the deep end when they insist, weekend after weekend, on his participation in their passion: Civil War reenactments.
He must dress up in a scratchy bugle boy uniform — authentic, of course — and give up any semblance of modern amusement. No cellphones, no Game Boys, no Internet. All weekend long.
Stonewall thinks the only bright spot in the reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run will be Ashby, a cute girl whose nutty dad is over-the-top even for a reenactor.
But when a borrowed bugle hurls the kids back in time to the real Battle of Bull Run, they quickly learn they’re not the only ones who have been transported — they must thwart the efforts of Ashby’s father to change the outcome of the war. The United States as we know it rides on their success, so Stonewall must use all his repressed knowledge of the Civil War to keep history from changing.
Local authors Michael Hemphill and Sam Riddleburger (aka Tom Angleberger, who writes the “What’s on Your Mind” column for The Roanoke Times) write with such urgency and wit that I had a hard time putting the book down. It made me wish I was a preteen again, with few real responsibilities, when I would shut myself in my room, lock the door against my big brother’s “nerd” taunts and escape into just such a book.
The authors have a great memory of preteen emotions, drawing out the drama of dealing with fanatical parents and the tongue-tying agony of a first crush.
They also handle historical details quite well, incorporating them so that they read as part of the story, not like a textbook. Hemphill and Riddleburger take liberties with the battle’s real characters and events for the sake of their storyline, but young readers are never in danger of confusing historical fact with fiction. This is a fun story that will likely help them on their next history test.
And, if we’re lucky, I sense a sequel on the horizon.

ADMISSION By Jean Hanff Korelitz. Grand Central Publishing. 464 pages. $24.95

Reviewed by Amy Hanek, a freelance writer from Franklin County.

Portia Nathan’s heart breaks repeatedly. Who could blame her? Essays filled with hopes, dreams and despair pass through her hands daily, via bright orange folders. And then there are those most heartbreaking stories. 
Seemingly ordinary teenagers are faced with the worst possible situations, proving how extraordinary they really are.
Fighting childhood cancer. Living in poverty. Losing a father in the war. These are just the tip of the iceberg for Nathan. She’s most likely seen it all. And each is meticulously laid out in an 8 ½ x 11 admissions application.
That’s Nathan’s job. She’s a Princeton University admissions officer. Reading thousands of lengthy applications each year is demanding. But what’s inside is the toughest part. Each carefully written essay pulls at Nathan’s heart, and she becomes a little overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t?
The key to this book is the title, “Admission.” The author, Jean Hanff Korelitz, inventively works both meanings of the word into the plot. Nathan admits, or denies, prospective students.
Then, she begins to admit to a 17-year-old secret. Her life starts unraveling and so does the past.
Nathan realizes she’s been lying to everyone around her, most importantly, herself.
Korelitz weaves a huge chunk of truth into her fifth novel. Bearing witness to the inner workings of the great and almighty Princeton is exciting.
Korelitz not only lives in Princeton, N.J., but is married to Paul Muldoon, a poet and Princeton professor. If this didn’t garner Korelitz enough information for this book, she likely drew on her experience as a part-time reader in the university’s admissions department.
This heartwarming tale is enough to keep the pages turning. The first half reveals the world behind that ivy-covered wall of Princeton. This leaves much of the shock and awe particularly low. But the story line picks up quite a bit in the second half.
And what begins as a somewhat predictable story transcends into something surprising.

NO SUCH CREATURE. By Giles Blunt. Henry Holt and Company. 304 pages. $25.00.

Reviewed by Barbara Dickinson

“No Such Creature,” is by a Canadian author, Giles Blunt, and his two books have garnered much buzz in the publishing world.

“No Such Creature” deals with a once promising Shakespearean actor, Magnus “Max” Maxwell and his adopted nephew, 18-year-old Owen Maxwell.

Little did Owen suspect when Uncle Max plucked him from his foster home in England that his relative had major plans for his future: Owen would become a gentleman thief.

Max’s tutoring is superb and the pair pulls off dazzling feats of derring-do among the rich and unsuspecting famous. 

They succeed swimmingly until the arrival of the Subtractors, a gang of vicious thieves who prey on other thieves.

Not to worry, Blunt does not let the curious pair of Maxwell and Maxwell succumb.

Kirkus Reviews had this to say about this intriguing book:  “Blunt pulls off a remarkable feat: he makes a story drenched in sadness almost unbearably exciting.  The most beautifully written deeply felt page-turner of the year.”

Although I wouldn’t go that far in agreeing with Kirkus, it does make a good read.

Just what is "pulp fiction"? Oiginally referred to "pulp" paper magazines which used cheap pulp paper between their colorful artsy covers, such as the early publications Weird Tales and The Strand. Many featured the work of such literary masters as H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Rice Burroughs, while others published very low payed writers, enabling the publications to be sold for little coin - ten cents apiece. This gave the opportunity for the masses to escape into the weird and wonderful worlds of fiction at an affordable price.

Detective and science fiction stories abounded, influencing entertainment media for generations to come. By the 1930's and 40's, pulp fiction was a massive presence at corner newsstands.  Such prevalence surely had an effect on the reading public, luring many to become such, having an option to the more expensive literature of the times or the less entertaining newspapers of the day. The product became a hit.  Pulp magazines became pulp novels which became the pulp genre. Larger than life heroes saved the day while damsels in distress swooned. Unheard of monsters and villains lurked in the pages only to be overcome and foiled by do-gooders. Otherworldly adventures and explorations into the unknown captured people's imaginations and attention.

With WWII came paper shortages, and a more serious outlook on life. Pulp fiction fell by the wayside for awhile, reemerging later in the form of paperback novels, inexpensive romances, comic books, movies and television. Pulp fiction became a genre, not just a publishing form. What is expected of the genre is still outlandish, outside the norm, outside the box, and that fact does justice to its origins.  

Today, pulp fiction books from the 30's and 40's are highly collectible. The artwork of the covers is the pull for collectors, while many adore the writing. As most collectibles, the originial price of the item was just a fraction of the current value. However, when considering what the societal value of the genre is, the impact on today's media, even the collector's price is a pittance in comparison. Is it high reading? Likely not, but it is classic.

RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS ESTABLISHES COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP TO CELEBRATE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF DR. SEUSS’S OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

 “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places. You’re off and away!”

—from Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

New York, NY (May 27, 2009)—To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s perennial bestseller Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, Random House Children’s Books has established its first college scholarship and will award one 2010 graduating high school senior $5,000 toward post-secondary education, it was announced today by Chip Gibson, President and Publisher, Random House Children’s Books.

Upon its publication in 1990, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! was an immediate success, embraced enthusiastically for its wonderfully wise outlook on life and for encouraging the potential that lies within us all. This remarkable book has since sold over 8.5 million copies and become the quintessential gift for graduates of all ages—from preschool to high school to college and beyond.

In the spirit of Dr. Seuss’s joyous ode to personal fulfillment and its enduring message about life’s ups and downs, high school seniors will be asked to describe in an essay the opportunities and challenges that they think their education will present to them in the future.

Applications for the scholarship are now available online and will be accepted through February 15, 2010. The winner will be announced and posted by May 1, 2010, on the Random House, Inc., Web site www.ohtheplaces.org. Visit the site for complete scholarship details.

“Children that grew up reading Dr. Seuss can connect with the genius of his writing in a new way through this scholarship,” said Gibson. “And we are thrilled to support their college endeavors.”

In what would be the last book of an extraordinary career, Theodor Geisel—better known as Dr. Seuss —created one of his most powerful works. Dr. Seuss’s editor, Janet Schulman, recalls her surprise when she received Oh, the Places You’ll Go! from him. “We were amazed when he said that he had a book for us. We had no clue he was working on anything and suddenly we had this complete book.” In Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, he stated his philosophy on life more completely than ever before. Dr. Seuss died in 1991, just one year after the book’s publication, leaving a legacy with generations of readers that continues to inspire today.

About Dr. Seuss

Theodor “Seuss” Geisel is quite simply the most beloved children’s book author of all time. The 44 books he wrote and illustrated under the name Dr. Seuss (and others that he wrote but did not illustrate, including some under the pseudonyms Theo. LeSieg and Rosetta Stone) have been translated into 30 languages. Hundreds of millions of copies have found their way into homes and hearts around the world. Dr. Seuss’s long list of honors includes the Pulitzer Prize and eight honorary doctorates. Works based on his original stories have won three Oscars, three Emmys, three Grammys, and a Peabody. For more information about Dr. Seuss and his works, visit www.seussville.com.

Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books and novels, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. The company’s award-winning Web site, kids@random (www.randomhouse.com/kids), offers an array of materials and activities free of charge for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company.

Virginia Publisher Wins 2009 “IPPY” Award in National and Regional Book Competition

Mariner Media, Inc., of Buena Vista, Virginia, announced that one of its best-selling titles—"Jefferson, A Monticello Sampler" by Rick Britton—has won a Bronze Medal for best non-fiction book in the mid-Atlantic region, in the 13th Annual Independent Publisher Books Awards contest. Recognizing excellence in independent publishing, the award—an “IPPY”—will be presented at the BookExpo, May 29th in New York City.

Nearly 2,000 independent authors and publishers participated in the 2009 contest, submitting more than 4,090 entries.  

"Jefferson, A Monticello Sampler", edited by Mariner’s publisher, Andrew Wolfe, is a collection of essays on Thomas Jefferson's multi-faceted life by award-winning historical journalist Rick Britton.  Winners receive gold, silver, and bronze medals and can place the award image on their book covers.

Haiku about art at the Artful Writing Group. A free event which meets the first Tuesday of each month in the Taubman Museum of Art’s atrium.  This allows writers to have the chance to “interact” and respond to the art in a more quiet and intimate setting.  At each meeting they focus on different works in the collection. Guest speakers occasionally visit; on June 2nd,  Kinuko Jambor of the Blue Ridge Haiku Group will be leading the Artful Writing Group in writing haikus around art in the collection.  The purpose of the group is to explore how art can inspire and enhance writing. Open to interested writers from high school age and up. Bring a notebook and pencil.

When: 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Where: Taubman Museum, Roanoke

Contact: Tanya Gray, 540-204-4110, tgray@taubmanmuseum.org

Random Acts of Heroic Love
by Danny Scheinmann
Thomas Dunne Books
400 pages, $24.95
 
Reviewed by Tom Jones

Well received in the U.K. when first published in 2007, Danny Scheinmann’s emotionally charged debut novel arrived in U.S. book stores in late January. It contains two seemingly disparate stories, each featuring a young man whose obsession with the love of his life controls his every thought and deed. Through them Scheinmann skillfully explores the issues of love and survival, grief and bereavement, and ultimately, hope and redemption.

Leo Deakin is inconsolable when he awakens in an Ecuadorian hospital in 1992 and is told that Eleni, his Greek girlfriend had died in an accident that he survived. She had been his soul mate, the center of his universe. Paralyzed by guilt, remorse and grief, Leo attempts to return to his PhD studies in Biology in London, but to no avail. Though he is only 25, he experiences the deep sense of bereavement of one who had lost a wife and lover of many years. His friends are extremely supportive and sympathetic, but become weary of the never-ending intensity of the level of his grief, and eventually are driven away.

The second story is about the sustaining strength of love and the magnitude of its influence. In 1914 Austrian teen-ager Mortiz Daniecki shares a single kiss with Lotte before going off to fight the Russians. Soon he is engulfed in all of the horrors of WWI, and it is only the memory of that kiss that spurs him on. Death and destruction are everywhere; all of his childhood friends have been killed. When captured by the Russians and sent to a Siberian prison camp he can only think of escaping the unbearable conditions and returning to Lotte who is now over 4 thousand miles away. Thus begins the epic tale of Mortiz’s two year walk across Russia and his turbulent arrival in Vienna within days of Lotte’s marriage to another.

In an effort to break through Leo’s grief, his father who heretofore had been a quiet unassuming and unemotional cipher reveals the secret of his lineage and background. His Jewish parents, Mortiz and Lotte, had sent him to England in 1938 to escape the Nazis. The story of Mortiz’s love for his grandmother, and his arduous journey to return to her becomes the key to Leo’s redemption. 
The two narratives are effectively interspersed, beautifully written and heart wrenching. As if compelled to create the quintessential story about the power of love, Scheinmann spent six years writing this book, and he got it right.
 
Tom Jones is President of the Southwest Virginia branch of the English Speaking Union.