Library Journal articles from April 2007

Library Journal archives from April 2007

SI vs. Librarians: Sports Illustrated flunks collection development.(Sports Illustrated)
April 1, 2007... I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE DEFENDING THE SPORTS Illustrated (SI) swimsuit issue, nor have an image of its cover in LJ (see News, p. 14). It has long been regarded as soft-core porn and a blatant example of the objectification of women in our...

Trading images.(feedback)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I greatly enjoyed Francine Fialkoff's "The Image Thing" (Editorial, LJ 2/15/07, p. 8). My husband has always worn his hair long. Working for Indiana University (IU) libraries in a clerical position that paid less than $19,000 a year and with...

Best little library.(Best small library in America)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... Each year since 2005, I have looked forward to seeing [which institution] is named LJ's "Best Small Library in America." This year it is another amazing winner in the Grand County Public Library in Moab, UT (John Berry, "Moab's Living Room,"...

Reading makes the art.(feedback)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I share John Berry's enthusiasm for excellent dramatic performance, whether on audiobook, DVD, or at the theater ("Messages and Media," Blatant Berry, LJ 2/15/07, p. 10). I disagree with his conclusion that it is the sum of these...

exchange.(front desk)
April 1, 2007... "Suppose there's a James Thurber, Mark Twain, Truman Capote, or George Harrison among us. Wouldn't that person likely be creating on the web, and shouldn't their work last longer than their own lives?"--Dave Winer "Books are always a good...

Library presents "preemptive reference".(front desk)(Johnson County Library in Shawnee Mission, Kansas)
April 1, 2007... Thanks to a unique partnership between the Johnson County Library (JCL), Shawnee Mission, KS, and the Kansas City Star, area residents reap the rewards of what librarian David Hanson calls "preemptive reference"--web-based information packages...

Stat watch.(front desk)
April 1, 2007... Top 10 Blogs on the Future of the Book 1 Publishing 2.0 2 if:book 3 Buzzmachine 4 Open Access News 5 Booktwo 6 Medialoper 7 Plagiarism today 8 Personanondata 9 PaidContent 10 Invisible Inkling ...

Add video to course reserves at the library.(front desk)(Brown University Library)
April 1, 2007... The library is usually the hub for course reserves, and libraries typically include audio files to supplement text and pictures. Now Brown University Library, Providence, has added video and streaming video to its Online Course Reserves Access...

Criticism over patriot act use: still, Justice Department says library controversy caused hesitation.(lj news)
April 1, 2007... In a lengthy report issued March 9, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ) for lax oversight of National Security Letters (NSLs), the scope of which were expanded by the USA PATRIOT Act. The DOJ...

Swimsuit issue denied to libraries.(lj news)
April 1, 2007... In an unannounced policy change that quickly got librarians fuming, Sports Illustrated (SI) decided this year to withhold 21,000 copies of its risque annual swimsuit issue from classrooms and libraries. SI spokesman Rick McCabe acknowledged to...

Filter policy snags Rochester: County official threatens budget if library continues unblocking.(lj news)(Monroe County Library System, Rochester, New York)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The budget of the Monroe County Library System, Rochester, NY, is under threat from County Executive Maggie Brooks, who was on the warpath after a television report on "porn at the library." If the library doesn't make its filtering...

Five SFPL branches delayed: renovation runs out of money; new vote possible to raise funds.(lj news)(San Francisco Public Library)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) ambitious $106 million branch renovation program, approved by voters in 2000, is running out of money. Soaring construction costs have led to the postponement of five branch projects, as the SFPL...

Librarians out front at Comic Con.(lj news)(New York Comic Con)
April 1, 2007... Librarians' pioneering role in bringing graphic novels to the public was celebrated at the second annual New York Comic Con (NYCC), held February 23-25, at Manhattan's Jacob Javits Convention Center. Some 400 librarians attended, a fourfold...

San Antonio PL branches needy: infrastructure bond will only include $11 million in capital funds.(NEWS)(San Antonio Public Library needs more funding)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... While San Antonio voters will go to the polls on May 12 to approve or deny a $550 million bond package, it will include only $11 million for public library capital improvements, about one-third of what the San Antonio Public Library board...

New fair use bill in Congress: does Boucher's measure have a chance this time?(NEWS)(Rick Boucher; Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship Act of 2007)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Congressional Rep. (and LJ 2006 Politician of the Year [LJ 9/15/06, p. 26-27]) Rick Boucher (D-VA), along with John Doolittle (R-CA) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), has introduced the Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship (FAIR USE)...

Brooklyn PL criticized over exhibit.(NEWS)(Brooklyn Public Library)
April 1, 2007... The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), an alliance that includes, among some 50 members, the American Library Association (ALA), has criticized the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) for censoring an exhibition of art related to a highly...

NC system blocks MySpace: library says site used to view and post pornography, promote gangs.(NEWS)(Wake County Public Library System, North Carolina)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... While legislators in some states have targeted access by children to social networking sites like MySpace (see News, LJ 3/15/07, p. 16), and some libraries have prohibited access in the children's room, the Wake County Public Library System,...

Buffalo DLIS joins School of Ed: three LIS programs see accreditation continued.(NEWS)(University of Buffalo Department of Library and Information Science joins Graduate School of Education)
April 1, 2007... The Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS) at the University of Buffalo (UB) will be placed in the Graduate School of Education, following the dissolution of the School of Informatics. The announcement comes after months of...

Publishers debut search engines: what, however, does it mean to consumers and Web 2.0 readers?(NEWS)(Random House and HarperCollins launch online digital books)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... For years, publishers have talked openly about making their own content available online, and now Random House and HarperCollins plan to offer thousands of digital books. Both Random House's Insight service and HarperCollins's Browse Inside...

Calendar.(NEWS)(Calendar)
April 1, 2007... MAY 2-4--Maryland Library Assn., Ocean City www mdlib.org 2-4--Massachusetts Library Assn., Sturbridge www.masslib.org 8--Delaware Library Assn., Dover www2.lib.udel.edu/dla-crld 15-16--Vermont Library Assn., Burlington...

Princeton University.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Joyce Bell has been named Cataloging and Metadata Services Director at Princeton University, NJ. She has been a Cataloger at Princeton for 16 years, most recently as Catalog Division Coordinator.

Triangle Research Libraries Network.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Mona Couts has been named Director of the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), Chapel Hill, NC, a consortium of four area universities. Since 1998, Couts had been Program Officer at TRLN and served as liaison for technology and human...

Lester Public Library.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Jeffrey Dawson is the new Director of the Lester Public Library, Two Rivers, WI. He replaces Nick Niederlander, who retired last August after serving as Director for 33 years. Dawson most recently was Youth Services and Bookmobile Manager at...

Camden County Library System.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Linda Devlin has been appointed Director, Camden County Library System, Voorhees, NJ. Devlin came to Camden in 1995 as a Senior Librarian; her most recent position was Associate Director. She has been named an LJ 2007 Mover & Shaker.

University of North Carolina.(Kirill Fesenko appointed head of Carolina Digital Library)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Kirill Fesenko has been appointed the first Head of the Carolina Digital Library (CDL) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, a new department within the library. In this newly created position, Fesenko will lead the...

Des Moines Public Library.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Steve Goers, North Side Branch Director, Des Moines Public Library, will retire next month after a 30-year career in the library system. He has been at the North Side location since 1993 and earlier managed the East Side and Forest Avenue...

Nylink.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Kathleen Gundrum has been named Interim Executive Director of Nylink, a nonprofit membership organization serving libraries and other institutions in New York State and surrounding areas. She had been Director of Member Services. Gundrum...

NC LIVE.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Timothy Rogers has been named Executive Director of NC LIVE, a statewide collaboration of nearly 200 public and academic libraries in North Carolina, effective April 12. For the past seven years, Rogers has worked at the Johnson County Library,...

Stanford University Libraries.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Robert Schwarzwalder is joining Stanford University Libraries, CA, as Associate University Librarian for Engineering and Science beginning in August 2007. He currently is Assistant University Librarian for Library Information Technology at the...

Marquette University Raynor Memorial Libraries.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Joan Sommer has been appointed Head of Access Services at Marquette University Raynor Memorial Libraries, Milwaukee. The new department was formed through the merger of interlibrary loan and access services. Sommer joined Marquette in 1984 and...

North Carolina State University Libraries.(people)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Maurice York is now Associate Head of Information Technology, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh. York comes from Emory University, Atlanta, where he served as Team Leader for Circulation and E-learning Services.

ProQuest CSA free marketing kit: Library ubermarketer Beth Dempsey and team create how-to resources for pushing your online services.(infotech)
April 1, 2007... The newly formed ProQuest CSA is coming out swinging: the company is offering both its customers and non-customer public libraries a free marketing tool kit that combines a wealth of "how-to" advice from library marketing expert, speaker, and...

OCLC launches WorldCat Registry.(Online Computer Library Center initiates directory for libraries)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... OCLC announced February 26 the debut of WorldCat Registry (worldcat.org/registry/institutions), "a comprehensive directory for libraries and consortia and the services they provide." The goal is to offer a single platform that helps these...

Carl Grant leaving VTLS.(Visionary Technology in Library Solutions Inc.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... VTLS announced in late February that Carl Grant, its president of four years, will vacate that post April 15. Former president and current CEO Vinod Chachra will resume the president's position as well as continue as CEO. Additionally, Cecilia...

Ex Libris releases MetaLib 4.0.(infotech)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Ex Libris has released an updated version of its gateway and metasearch system as well as landed some new contracts. MetaLib 4.0 features many upgrades, including top clustering navigation, an interface that complies with "the W3C Web Content...

ebrary signs up more publishers.(infotech)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Ebrary has expanded its publishing partner program with the inclusion of three prestigious houses. Blackwell Publishing, Yale University Press, and Columbia University Press have agreed to "distribute several thousand ebooks across a broad...

Xrefer adds Marquis who's who.(infotech)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Xrefer has cut a deal that will see two noted biographical reference resources from Marquis Who's Who integrated into the Xreferplus Ready-Reference collection. Under the terms of the agreement, Xrefer will "provide Who's Who in the World, with...

GovSearch gets a big boost.
April 1, 2007... By Cheryl LaGuardia I AM VIRTUALLY CURIOUS Are any of you using--or exploring--Second Life (http://secondlife.com), "a 3-D online digital world imagined, created, and owned by its residents," for your library...

When you just need a part.(ONLINE DATABASES)
April 1, 2007... SOMETIMES A USER REALLY ONLY needs part of an article or part of a chapter--a table, a photograph, a map, or another item. Electronic journals and books make all of these levels of granularity possible. Granularity E-resources are...

Introducing the Michaels.(what a transparent library should be)
April 1, 2007... WHAT PREVENTS A LIBRARY from being transparent? Barriers. Roadblocks. Inability to change. The culture of perfect. The transparent library contains three key elements: open communication, adapting to change, and scanning the horizon. We'll...

Pride of the buckeyes: Ohio State University revamps its library services as it revamps its buildings.(William Oxley Thompson Library)(Editorial)
April 1, 2007... Late last year, Ohio State University (OSU) library director Joseph Branin graciously invited me to visit for an up-close look at the William Oxley Thompson library renovation and construction project underway on his campus. I eagerly accepted....

An industry redefined: private equity moves into the ILS, and open source support emerges.(AUTOMATION MARKETPLACE 2007)
April 1, 2007... The reshuffling of the deck in 2005 presaged even larger changes this year, introducing new players and effecting dramatic shifts. The industry grew at a healthy pace in 2006, with overall revenues expanding from an estimated $535 million in...

Stick to the ALA plan! Candidates find platforms despite the directive to ...(LJ Q & A: ALA CANDIDATES)
April 1, 2007... One candidate for president-elect of the American Library Association (ALA) is a woman, the other is a man. You can tell them apart by looking at them. But Nancy Davenport and James Rettig are not that far apart on the issues that confront the...

Nonprofit sharing.(collections of books on obtaining grants)(Bibliography)
April 1, 2007... The United States is home to about 1.3 million organizations that fall under the IRS's 501(c)(3) classification of "[tax]-exempt organizations," known informally as nonprofits. A nonprofit is defined as a formally incorporated nongovernmental...

Weed killer.(weeding in a library)
April 1, 2007... "HEY, HARRY, HOW WAS THE VACATION?" asked librarian Virginia Rosicky, "Great. Always good to get away for a few weeks," fellow desk jockey Harry Dutton answered her. "Very therapeutic, yet it's also nice to be back at good ol' Merset PL."...

Not one size fits all.(ANALYSIS I)(weeding books from public libraries)
April 1, 2007... Merset, we have a problem. Actually, Merset has two problems--the weeding decision itself and the communication of that decision. Rosicky and Dutton are reacting to both. According to Rosicky, the decision to withdraw all books that have not...

An essential practice.(weeding in libraries)
April 1, 2007... Every library races the same dilemma: How do we accommodate all the materials we would like to own in facilities with limited storage capacity? The solution is a word that many librarians dread--weeding. Weeding is essential to collection...

Prepub alert.(prepublication)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... FICTION Bialosky, Jill. The Life Room. Harcourt. Aug. 2007. 288p. ISBN 978-0-15-101047-9. $24. A brief encounter with former flame Stephen reawakens literature professor Eleanor to the passion she has buried, which is all to the good:...

Mystery.(Book review)
April 1, 2007... MALE SLEUTHS have taken a back seat in mystery for several years, but there now seems to be a resurgence. For a man with insight and the ability to do the right thing, look to Mark de Castrique's Barry Clayton, who gave up his job as a police...

Prepub mystery.(column)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Andrews, Donna. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much: A Meg Langslow Mystery. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Aug. 2007. 288p. ISBN 978-0-312-32942-6. $23.95. A bankrupt zoo has Meg's father adopting penguins and more, as well as digging up a dead body...

Christian fiction.(Book review)
April 1, 2007... GIRLS RULE! Women's fiction continues to grow in the CF market. More chick-lit, mom-lit, and girlfriend fiction tales are popping up, and many of these novels are series entries that allow readers to revisit the characters they have grown to...

Q & A: Cyndy Salzmann.(Interview)
April 1, 2007... Cyndy Salzmann (www.cyndysalzmann.com), the busy mother of three teenagers, began writing in 1997 as a way of avoiding doing the laundry. Her first books--Making Your Home a Haven: Strategies for the Domestically Challenged; The Occasional...

Alexie, Sherman. Flight.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Alexie, Sherman. Flight. Black Cat: Grove. Apr. 2007. c.208p. ISBN 0-8021-7037-4 [ISBN 978-0-8021-7037-8]. pap. $13. F "Call me Zits," says the 15-year-old narrator, an Irish/Native American half-breed with a bad attitude who is constantly...

Belle, Jennifer. Little Stalker.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Belle, Jennifer. Little Stalker. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). May 2007. c.352p. ISBN 1-59448-946-7 [ISBN 97821-59448946-4]. $24.95. F In Belle's third book (after Going Down and High Maintenance), Rebekah Kettle is having trouble...

Brashares, Ann. The Last Summer (of You and Me).(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Brashares, Ann. The Last Summer (of You and Me). Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2007. c.304p. ISBN 1-59448-917-3 [ISBN 978-1-59448-917-4]. $24.95. F This debut adult novel from Brashares, author of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling...

Carlotto, Massimo. The Fugitive.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Carlotto, Massimo. The Fugitive. Europa, dist. by Consortium. Apr. 2007. c.176p, tr. from Italian by Antony Shugaar. ISBN 1-933372-25-7 [ISBN 978-1-933372-25-9]. pap. $14.95. F Hardly a household name in the United States, Carlotto...

Coelho, Paulo. The Witch of Portobello.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Coelho, Paulo. The Witch of Portobello. HarperCollins. May 2007. c.288p, tr. from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. ISBN 0-06-133880-X [ISBN 978-0-06-133880-9]. $24.95. F In best-selling novelist Coelho's (The Alchemist) latest, Athena...

Eisler, Barry. Requiem for an Assassin.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Eisler, Barry. Requiem for an Assassin. Putnam. Jul. 2007. c.368p. ISBN 0-399-15426-4 [ISBN 978-0-399-15426-3]. $24.95. F John Rain is an assassin determined to get out of the biz. At the start of this sixth series entry (after The Last...

Englander, Nathan. The Ministry of Special Cases.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Englander, Nathan. The Ministry of Special Cases. Knopf. May 2007. c.352p. ISBN 0-375-40493-7 [ISBN 978-0-375-40493-1]. $25. F This debut novel by the author of the award-winning story collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges...

Fletcher, Susan. Oystercatchers.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Fletcher, Susan. Oystercatchers. Norton. Aug. 2007. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-393-06003-4. $23.95. F Most Western philosophers see guilt and envy as negative, paralyzing emotions that can only be overcome by heartfelt repentance. Fletcher's...

Frankel, Valerie. I Take This Man.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Frankel, Valerie. I Take This Man. Avon. 2007. c.320p. ISBN 0-06-078555-1 [ISBN 978-0-06-078555-0]. pap. $13.95. F In this latest novel from Frankel (The Accidental Virgin), Penny Bracket is literally minutes away from walking down the...

Gingrich, Newt & William R. Forstchen. Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Gingrich, Newt & William R. Forstchen. Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin's. (Pacific War, Bk. 1). May 2007. c.384p. ISBN 0-312-36350-8 [ISBN 978-0-312-36350-5]. $25.95. F Following their New York Times...

Hart, Megan. Broken.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Hart, Megan. Broken. Spice: Harlequin. May 2007. c.384p. ISBN 0-373-60515-3 [ISBN 978-0-373-60515-6]. pap. $13.95. F Hart's second (after Dirty) of three erotic novels to be published in the Harlequin Spice line revolves around Sadie, a...

Holland, Travis. The Archivist's Story.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Holland, Travis. The Archivist's Story. Dial: Random. Jun. 2007. c.256p. ISBN 0-385-33995-X [ISBN 978-0-385-33995-7]. $23. F Pavel Dubrov is an archivist in the notorious Lubyanka prison during dictator Stalin's murderous purges. One day...

Jacobson, Howard. Kalooki Nights.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Jacobson, Howard. Kalooki Nights. S. & S. Apr. 2007. c.480p. ISBN 1-4165-4342-2 [ISBN 978-1-4165-4342-8]. $26. F Jacobson (The Mighty Waltzer) follows the trajectory of British cartoonist Max Glickman's life, from his childhood in a...

Jiles, Paulette. Stormy Weather.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Jiles, Paulette. Stormy Weather. Morrow. May 2007. c.352p. ISBN 0-06-053732-9 [ISBN 978-0-06-053732-6]. $24.95. F While their father was alive, the Stoddard family followed him to the booming oil towns of Texas. Then came the dust and...

Kavenna, Joanna. Inglorious.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Kavenna, Joanna. Inglorious. Metropolitan: Holt. Jun. 2007. c.288p. ISBN 0-8050-8189-5 [ISBN 978-0-8050-8189-3]. $24. F Thirty-five-year-old Rosa Lane is having an existential crisis. Despondent after her mother's death, she abandons a...

Leavitt, David. The Indian Clerk.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Leavitt, David. The Indian Clerk. Bloomsbury, dist. by Holtzbrinck. Sept. 2007. ISBN 1-59691-040-2 [ISBN 978-1-59691-040-9]. $24.95. F Set at Cambridge University in the early 20th century, this ambitious new historical novel from the...

McCarry, Charles. Christopher's Ghosts.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * McCarry, Charles. Christopher's Ghosts. Overlook, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). May 2007. c.272p. ISBN 1-58567-914-3 [ISBN 978-1-58567-914-0]. $27.95. F Effectively a prequel to McCarry's series of outstanding novels featuring master spy...

McElhatton, Heather. Pretty Little Mistakes.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... McElhatton, Heather. Pretty Little Mistakes. Harper: HarperCollins. May 2007. c.464p. ISBN 0-06-113322-1 [ISBN 978-0-06-113322-0]. pap. $14.95. F McElhatton is a radio producer whose commentaries are heard regularly on shows such as This...

McEwan, Ian. On Chesil Beach.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * McEwan, Ian. On Chesil Beach. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Jun. 2007. c.176p. ISBN 0-385-52240-1 [ISBN 978-0-385-52240-3]. $22. F It is 1962, and college graduates Florence and Edward, very much children of late 1950s London, are ready to...

Markson, David. The Last Novel.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Markson, David. The Last Novel. Shoemaker & Hoard: Avalon, dist. by Publishers Group West. May 2007. c.208p. ISBN 1-59376-143-0 [ISBN 978-1-59376-143-1]. pap. $15. F Like Markson's This Is Not a Novel (2001), this work is not really a...

Mizner, David. Hartsburg, USA.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Mizner, David. Hartsburg, USA. Bloomsbury, dist. by Holtzbrinck. Aug. 2007. c.368p. ISBN 1-59691-326-6 [ISBN 978-1-59691-326-4]. $24.95. F In the heartland of America, Bevy Baer and Wallace Cormier are in competition for a seat on the...

Notaro, Laurie. There's a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Notaro, Laurie. There's a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell. Villard: Random. Jun. 2007. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6501-1. $19.95. F Fans of humorist Notaro will certainly want to pick up her first try at fiction. Readers unfamiliar...

Santlofer, Jonathan. Anatomy of Fear.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Santlofer, Jonathan. Anatomy of Fear. Morrow. Apr. 2007. c.320p. illus. ISBN 0-06-088197-6 [ISBN 978-0-06-088197-9]. $24.95. F Santlofer's fourth novel (following the Kate McKinnon series, which will continue) features new protagonist...

Schaffert, Timothy. Devils in the Sugar Shop.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Schaffert, Timothy. Devils in the Sugar Shop. Unbridled. May 2007. c.256p. ISBN 1-932961-33-X [ISBN 978-1-932961-33-1]. pap. $14.95. F Ashley is a failed erotic novelist with a sketchy marriage, a newly outed gay son, and a passel of...

Stott, Rebecca. Ghostwalk.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Stott, Rebecca. Ghostwalk. Spiegel & Grau: Random. May 2007. c.256p. ISBN 0-385-52106-5 [ISBN 978-0-385-52106-2]. $24.95. F Isaac Newton joins Dracula and Leonardo da Vinci as the latest historical figure to show up in an academic thriller,...

Terrell, Heather. The Chrysalis.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Terrell, Heather. The Chrysalis. Ballantine. May 2007. c.240p. ISBN 0-345-49466-0 [ISBN 978-0-345-49466-5]. $21.95. F Lawyer Terrell's first novel is a gem of suspense. Mara Coyne, gunning for partnership with a prestigious law firm, is...

Voorhees, Sara. The Lumiere Affair.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Voorhees, Sara. The Lumiere Affair. S. & S. May 2007. c.304p. ISBN 0-7432-9195-6 [ISBN 978-0-7432-9195-8]. $24. F In her debut novel, film critic Voorhees starts off with a bang--okay, with a flash. The defining moment in Natalie Conway's...

Wall, Paula. The Wilde Women.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... * Wall, Paula. The Wilde Women. Atria: S. & S. Apr. 2007. c.320p. ISBN 0-7434-9621-3 [ISBN 978-0-7434-9821-8]. $24. F After the debut success of The Rock Orchard, Wall has another winner. It's Christmas 1932, and smoldering Pearl Wilde...

Wallace, Daniel. Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Wallace, Daniel. Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician. Doubleday. Jul. 2007. c.272p. ISBN 0-385-52109-X [ISBN 978-0-385-52109-3]. $21.95. F A wonderful storyteller, Wallace (Big Fish) here recounts the life of Henry Walker, the Negro...

Holthe, Tess Uriza. The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Holthe, Tess Uriza. The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes. Crown. May 2007. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-307-35185-2. $23.95. F Like Kurosawa's classic film Rashomon, this elegantly realized collection of linked short stories offers a variety of fascinating...

Rash, Ron. Chemistry and Other Stories.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... Rash, Ron. Chemistry and Other Stories. Picador. May 2007. c.240p. ISBN 0-312-42508-2 [ISBN 978-0-312-42508-1]. pap. $13. F In the tradition of Robert Morgan's Gap Creek and Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain, Rash (The World Made Straight)...

At Home in Renaissance Italy.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2007... At Home in Renaissance Italy. Abrams. 2006. c.420p. ed. by Marta Ajmar & Flora Dennis. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 1-85177-488-2 [ISBN 978-1-85177-488-3]. $85. FINE ARTS The aim of this exhibition catalog by curator Ajmar and Dennis...