Library Journal articles from May 2007

Library Journal archives from May 2007

The New Yorker on libraries: illustrator McCall's future library is funny--but alarming.(editorial)(Bruce McCall)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... IN TRUE WHIMSICAL NEW YORKER FASHION, THE full-page, glorious color illustration for the magazine's "seasonal look at books" (4/9/07, p. 79) is a hoot and brings the viewer up short at the same time. Titled "The Reading Room," it depicts "the...

It's political, so what?(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I wish John Berry ("The Politics of NCLIS," Blatant Berry, LJ 3/15/07, p. 11) would think back to when the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was established. It was the American Library Association (ALA) that...

Known as his wife.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... If the item "Businesslike" (Movers & Shakers, Supplement to LJ 3/15/07, p. 26ff.) is an example of the quality of LJ staff research capabilities, please send them back to school for extensive retraining on how to research and vet a story...

A living on $40K.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... In response to Linda Jones's puzzlement ("Aren't We Teachers?" Feedback, LJ 3/1/07, p. 10). "What man could support a family on a $40,000 salary?" Jones gasps, as if this were a law of physics, like gravity. I'm a man, supporting a family on...

Reviewing atheism.(feedback)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I'm very disappointed that a book on atheism (James A. Haught's Honest Doubt: Essays on Atheism in a Believing Society, LJ 3/15/07, p. 76) was reviewed by someone at a Baptist university. The reviewer's negative tone comes as little surprise to...

Paraprofessional support.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Just got our copy of LJ and went to the article on the Paraprofessional of the Year 2007 ("Jackie Cornette," LJ 3/1/07, p. 30-31). It must have been a tough decision; I read the descriptions of the "three to watch" and knew there were many...

Keeping Harry Potter secure.('Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows')(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... For the final installment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as with the previous books, publisher Scholastic is making sure librarians don't break the embargo. "If we receive our copies prior to July 21, we shall...

Stat watch.(front desk)(Vicki Myron gets $1.25 million from Grand Central Publishing)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... $1.25 million The sum publishing house Grand Central (formerly Warner Books) paid Vicki Myron, director of the Spencer Public Library, IA, and a ghostwriter to pen Dewey: A Small Town, a Library and the World's Most Beloved Cat. Some...

Heard.(front desk)(library card)(Quotation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... "I was finding books and Congressional records information and history and all sorts of research, and the little Kanawha County Library [Charleston, WV] got all those for me on interlibrary loan. I've always thought one of the first things...

ACRL draws record crowd: Baltimore hosts lively assessment of libraries' future.(Association of College and Research Libraries)(Conference news)
May 1, 2007... The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) shattered records at its 13th National Conference, drawing 3,069 registrants--and 4,784 attendees in all--to Baltimore over the final weekend in March. Seasonal spring weather made it a...

FBI won't reveal NSLs at libraries.(Federal Bureau of Investigation on National Security Letters )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... While the FBI has been quite willing to announce that it has not used Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act to seek records from libraries (see News, LJ 4/1/07, p. 14ff.), it has balked at public disclosure of its use of National Security Letters...

15-branch Oregon library closes: two other Oregon libraries in jeopardy after loss of federal timber funds.(lj news)
May 1, 2007... The 15-branch Jackson County Library Services (www.jcls.org), Medford, OR, closed April 6, marking the largest library closure in history, according to the American Library Association, and now libraries in two other rural Oregon counties are...

OH PLs would get fiscal boost.(Ohio's public libraries)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Governor also proposes new, broader funding sources After years of stagnation and even declines in state support for public libraries in Ohio, Gov. Ted Strickland has proposed two changes that provide some light at the end of the tunnel:...

Politician of the year nominations sought.
May 1, 2007... Is there a political figure making a difference in your library community? The editors of U warn to know about them and what they've achieved for libraries in your area. Past winners include Virginia Rep. Rick Boucher (2006). Philadelphia City...

"One Book" flap in Salt Lake Cty.: was it concern about content or just a bureaucratic snag?(lj news)
May 1, 2007... Was an aversion to coarse language behind the Salt Lake County Library System's decision to rescind the choice of Mark Spragg's novel An Unfinished Life as the "One County, One Book" selection for 2007? That's been suggested by the author...

Palm Beach plan cost doubled: inflation in construction costs slows revamp effort.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... When Palm Beach County, FL, voters in 2002 approved $55 million to expand or overhaul all 14 public library buildings, the total project budget was $71 million. Now, delays caused by hurricanes, site problems, and rising construction costs have...

Providence PL to decouple? Library says the city could run branches, save 25 percent.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... In response to a plan developed by a city-appointed task force, the Providence Public Library (PPL) announced it could manage the library system's branches for $5 million a year. However, PPL also said that the city could save some 25 percent...

ALA protests Fort Library closure: closings at other military bases may be in the offing.(American Library Association)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The American Library Association (ALA) has protested the March 1 closing of the Fort Huachuca Library, Sierra Vista, AZ, a move that may be a harbinger of future closings of libraries at military bases. The closure, which saves the army post...

Michigan Library co-ops threatened.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... All of Michigan's 13 regional library cooperatives are "very much in trouble," according to Roger Mendel, director of the Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative. Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed FY08 budget includes $1 billion in total cuts,...

KY Construction grant reversal.(Kentucky)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Reversing what appeared to be a political decision, Kentucky State Librarian Wayne Onkst, following the recommendations of an appeals panel, has announced larger construction grants for three public libraries. Last year, former state librarian...

MIT faculty say no to restrictive DRM.(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, digital rights management )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Automotive engineering faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have agreed to cancel access to the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) database of journals over digital rights management (DRM) issues. According to...

Calendar.(lj news)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... JUNE 6-7--Rhode Island Library Assn., Providence www.uri.edu/library/rila AUGUST 8-11--Pacific Northwest Library Assn., Edmonton, AB www.pnla.org SEPTEMBER 12-15--Wyoming Library Assn., Cheyenne www.wyla.org ...

Cook Memorial Public Library District.(people)(Dan Armstrong appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Dan Armstrong has been named Director of Cook Memorial Public Library District, Libertyville, IL. He most recently was Director of the Palatine Public Library, IL.

Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services.(people)(Howard Boksenbaum appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Howard Boksenbaum has been named Chief of the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services. He most recently was assistant Director for Central Information Management Services for Rhode Island's Division of Information Technology.

Cerritos Library.(people)(Don Buckley appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Don Buckley has been appointed City Librarian at the Cerritos Library, CA. He most recently was in charge of public services. Buckley came from the Westfield Athenaeum, MA, where he was Assistant Director and then Acting Director.

Cherokee Regional Library.(people)(Lecia Eubanks appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Lecia Eubanks has become Director of the Cherokee Regional Library, Lafayette, GA. She succeeds Diana Tope, who retired earlier this year. Eubanks has worked at the library for 18 years, most recently as Interim Director. Before that she was...

Pleasant Hills Public Library.(people)(Holly Ferkett retires )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Holly Ferkett, Director of the Pleasant Hills Public Library, PA, has announced her retirement, effective summer 2007. She has devoted 28 years of service to the library and has been Director since 1990.

Public Library of Westland.(people)(Cheryl Napsha appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Cheryl Napsha became director of the Public Library of Westland, MI, effective May 1. She was Director of the Bethel Park Public Library, PA.

Donna Parks recently retired as Head of Children's Services at Washington County Free Library, Hagerstown, MD.(people)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Donna Parks recently retired as Head of Children's Services at Washington County Free Library, Hagerstown, MD. She had held the position for 34 years. Paul "Jeff" Ridgeway is the new head of the department.

Sacramento Public Library.(people)(Gary Shaffer appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Gary Shaffer is the new Director of Marketing for the Sacramento Public Library, CA, effective April 18. He most recently was a Reference Services Librarian at the County of Los Angeles Public Library. Shaffer is a 2006 LJ Mover & Shaker.

California State Library.(people)(Linda Springer appointed)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Linda Springer has been appointed Bureau Chief for the California State Library (CSL). She was Acting Bureau Chief since November 2006 and, before that, Deputy Bond Act Manager in the Office of Library Construction at CSL.

Obituary.(people)(Betty Jean Boulware, Joan Foster, Molly Giles)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Betty Jean Boulware, former Head of Neighborhood Services at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, died on February 2 of respiratory failure. She was 58. She worked at the library since 1971, beginning as a children's librarian. She earned an...

Is the Web reference's future? New venues, better toolbars, and smartphones scrutinized at ACRL.(Association of College and Research Libraries conference)(Conference news)
May 1, 2007... Edited by Michael Rogers There was skepticism about the future of reference services at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) National Conference in Baltimore, March 29-April 1. "We've tried chat, roaming, deskless, and...

Calhoun OCLC VP; Norlin to CAPCON.(Karen Calhoun joins Online Computer Library Center Inc., Elaina Norlin joins Online Computer Library Center Inc., campus control)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... OCLC has named Karen Calhoun VP of World-Cat and Metadata services. She previously was Cornell University Library's senior associate university librarian for information technology and technical services. The position is a homecoming for...

Maryland's touch of KLAS.(Keystone Library Automation System)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (MDLBPH) has installed a Keystone Library Automation System (KLAS). The vendor said the system "helps libraries like MDLBPH fulfill thousands of requests for materials within a...

Grand Valley joins Encore.(INDUSTRY)(Grand Valley State College partners with Innovative Interfaces Inc. )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Grand Valley State University, MI, is the latest academic school to come aboard as a development partner for Innovative Interfaces' Encore, its new library services platform. Even though Grand Valley isn't currently an Innovative customer, Lee...

EBSCO Academic Search Complete.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... EBSCO has a new weapon in its academic arsenal with Academic Search Complete (ASC), which initially will provide access to 5,318 full-text journals, with eyes to growing the list to over 6000 next year. Included are 4000 peer-reviewed...

Tutor.com tops jobs for women.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Working Mother magazine has named Tutor.com, the noted online homework and tutoring service, one of the Top 25 Best Small Companies for Women 2007. The company was honored because it allows "all 20 of [its] female employees [to] work a flexible...

Gold Book Service Awards!(INFOTECH)
May 1, 2007... LJ's Buyer's Guide is being reborn as the Gold Book (www.libraryjournal.com/goldbook). Along with its new 6" x 9" trim size sporting cleaner, more streamlined, four-color listings, the makeover includes the introduction of the Gold Book Service...

A print "Tradition" on Ebook.(Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2d ed.)(E-book review)
May 1, 2007... THE ENCYCLOPEDIA-OFF, ROUND 6 I recently came across something interesting when comparing the entries on Gamal Abdel Nasser in Encyclopaedia Britannica and Wikipedia. I found this sentence in Britannica: "Nasser was born in a mud-brick house on...

Quality still matters.(ONLINE DATABASES)
May 1, 2007... MOST LIBRARIANS AGREE THAT quality matters, but the ongoing debate recently raised about the quality (or lack thereof) of Wikipedia entries (both intentional and unintentional) and the falsified credentials of some Wikipedia editors referenced...

Turning "No" into "Yes".(THE TRANSPARENT LIBRARY)
May 1, 2007... OFTEN TIMES, IT'S BORN AT THE desk. Staff members think of a new idea, and they want to share it with the decision-makers. They put together a presentation or proposal at the suggestion of their immediate supervisor and take it up to...

The women who drive library technology: equally fascinated by emerging technologies and how to use them to improve library services.(Darci Hanning, Wendi Bost, Judy Russell, women librarians)
May 1, 2007... When Darci Hanning entered an electrical engineering program in the 1980s, her goal was to design computers. The man standing in front of her digital design class could give her that knowledge, and Harming, whose mother led a chapter of the...

New York expo'd: New York City, May 31-June 3.(BookExpo America)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... BookExpo America (BEA) is back for its biennial visit to Manhattan's west side, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, May 31-June 3, with the show floor open June 1-3. The industry confab will reflect both the local publishing power of New...

Best magazines of 2006.
May 1, 2007... Deeming 2006 disappointing for the magazine industry may be an exaggeration. Nevertheless, publishers have undoubtedly seen better years. Advertising revenue declined for a number of popular print titles, with publications such as Field &...

A place on the shelf.(Collection Development / Gay/Lesbian Fiction)(Bibliography)
May 1, 2007... If we read to discover new worlds, we also read to find ourselves. For gays and lesbians, this act of discovery can be problematic: literature has so often excluded them. In the last decades, as gays and lesbians have grown increasingly vocal...

Don't sweat the program: both practical and theoretical, these forthcoming titles mean fit for life.
May 1, 2007... Consumer health publishers in mid-2007 recall those elliptical machine addicts--they've fallen into a safe holding pattern that should maintain their weight in the market. In other words, mind-body books and recovery memoirs are back, as are a...

Best consumer health books of 2006.(CONSUMER HEALTH)
May 1, 2007... If 2006 were reduced to one word, fat could easily take the cake. Our national weight problem--127 million Americans are pushing the scales, and nearly half of that group are obese, according to recent studies--made big headlines, some going so...

Out from behind the screen.(BACKTALK)
May 1, 2007... IT'S TAKEN ME 20 YEARS TO FIND a post where I can read on the job, and I don't mean reading tied to a production schedule, copyediting, or consulting reports. I'm talking about lumps of time where I can lose myself in A.J. Liebling's Paris or...

Prepub alert.
May 1, 2007... FICTION Allen, Sarah Addison. Garden Spells. Bantam. Aug. 2007. 304p. ISBN 978-0-553-80548-2. $20; Irg. prnt. $22.95. The real magic suffusing Bascomb, NC, emanates from the Waverly household, where Claire is about to discover love. A...

Mystery.(A Beautiful Blue Death)(Tumbling Blocks: A Benni Harper Mystery)(The Sudoku Murder: A Katie McDonald Mystery)(Fools Rush In: A Sam McCain Mystery)(Earthly Delights: A Corinna Chapman Mystery)(Christietown: A Coco Caruso Mystery)(Glitter of Diamonds: A Manziuk and Ryan Mystery)(Day of the Dandelion: An Arthur Hemmings Mystery)(Gun Shy)(Dangerous Games: A Chief Inspector Woodend Novel)(The Scent of Blood: A Nathaniel Singer P.I. Novel)(Bad Lands: A Holmes and Storm Mystery)(Justice for the Damned: A Medieval Mystery)(A Killer Stitch)(Old Town)(Keep It Real)(The Patience of the Spider)(Hard Man)(Bloodthirsty)(Scott Free: A Crime Novel)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... CHARACTER RULES! Lately, it seems that strongly defined crime fiction characters are overshadowing their plots. Yes, there is a mystery to be solved, but that sometimes takes a backseat to the protagonists' personal dramas. Kerry Greenwood's...

Prepub mystery.
May 1, 2007... Albert, Susan Wittig. The Tale of Hawthorn House. Berkley Prime Crime. Sept. 2007. 320p. ISBN 978-0-425-21655-2. $23.95. Sundry fairy folk may be the culprits who left a baby on Beatrix Potter's doorstep in the third of the "Cottage Tales"...

Spiritual Thoughts: In the First Year of His Papacy.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Benedict XVI. Spiritual Thoughts: In the First Year of His Papacy. U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops. 2007. c.128p. ISBN 978-1-57455-765-7. pap. $9.95. REL Spiritual leaders are, almost as a condition of their prominence, the center points of...

Chopra, Mallika. 100 Questions from My Child.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Chopra, Mallika. 100 Questions from My Child. Rodale. May 2007. c.215p. ISBN 978-1-59486-600-5. $18. REL Chopra will doubtless experience the pleasures and perils of having a well-known father: Deepak Chopra has provided the introduction to...

Connell, Janice T. The Visions of the Children: The Apparitions of the Blessed Mother at Medjugorje.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Connell, Janice T. The Visions of the Children: The Apparitions of the Blessed Mother at Medjugorje. Griffin: St. Martin's. Jun. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-312-36197-6. pap. $14.95. REL Apparitions, like hair shirts and holy water, are...

De La Torre, Miguel. A Lily among the Thorns: Imagining a New Christian Spirituality.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... De la Torre, Miguel. A Lily Among the Thorns: Imagining a New Christian Spirituality. Jossey-Bass. May 2007. c.216p. ISBN 978-0-7879-8146-4. $21.95. REL De la Torre (ethics & religion, Iliff Sch. of Theology) here discusses the profound...

Hilsman, Gordon I. Intimate Spirituality: The Catholic Way of Love and Sex.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Hilsman, Gordon I. Intimate Spirituality: The Catholic Way of Love and Sex. Sheed & Ward. 2007. c.208p. ISBN 978-1-58051-211-4. $19.95. REL Hilsman, director of the Pastoral Care Education programs for the Franciscan Health System in...

Linamen, Karen Scalf. Chocolatherapy: Satisfying the Deepest Crazings of Your Inner Chick.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Linamen, Karen Scalf. Chocolatherapy: Satisfying the Deepest Crazings of Your Inner Chick. Revell. 2007. c.176p. ISBN 978-0-8007-3189-2. pap. $12.99. REL Any woman who can write a book called Just Hand over the Chocolate and No One Will...

Lionberger, John. Renewal in the Wilderness: A Spiritual Guide to Connecting with God in the Natural World.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Lionberger, John. Renewal in the Wilderness: A Spiritual Guide to Connecting with God in the Natural World. SkyLight Paths. Jun. 2007. c.224p. ISBN 978-1-59473-219-5. pap. $16.99. REL Lionberger, head chaplain at a retirement community in...

MacBeth, Sybil. Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... MacBeth, Sybil. Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God. Paraclete. 2007. c.105p. ISBN 978-1-55725-512-9. pap. $16.95. REL Dancer and mathematics instructor MacBeth's charming book may be the first to combine the pleasures of doodling...

Maisel, Eric. Ten Zen Seconds: Twelve Incarnations for Purpose, Power and Calm.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Maisel, Eric. Ten Zen Seconds: Twelve Incarnations for Purpose, Power and Calm. Sourcebooks. 2007. c.256p. ISBN 978-1-4022-0853-9. pap. $12.95. REL This winning book comes from the mind of the versatile Maisel, who is a family therapist,...

Marty, Martin E. The Mystery of the Child.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Marty, Martin E. The Mystery of the Child. Eerdmans. 2007. c.254p. ISBN 978-0-8028-1766-2. $24. REL Only a few scholars of religion can have been read by nonacademics as much as Marty, author of Righteous Empire and the classic...

Newman, Elizabeth. Untamed Hospitality: Welcoming God and Other Strangers.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Newman, Elizabeth. Untamed Hospitality: Welcoming God and Other Strangers. Brazos. 2007. c.240p. ISBN 1-58743-176-9. pap. $22.99. REL Newman's (theology & ethics, Baptist Theological Seminary) new book is an intriguing approach to Christian...

Perez, Joe. Soulfully Gay: How Harvard, Sex, Drugs, and Integral Philosophy Drove Me Crazy and Brought Me Back to God.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Perez, Joe. Soulfully Gay: How Harvard, Sex, Drugs, and Integral Philosophy Drove Me Crazy and Brought Me Back to God. Integral Bks. May 2007. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-59030-418-1. pap. $16.95. REL The subtitle of Perez's book says almost more...

Ragonnet, James L. Golf's Three Noble Truths: The Fine Art of Playing Awake.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Ragonnet, James L. Golf's Three Noble Truths: The Fine Art of Playing Awake. New World Lib. 2007. c.272p. ISBN 1-57731-580-4. $19.95. REL Lighthearted but never foolish and certainly not a joke, this book interestingly marries the...

When Faith Meets Fame: Inspiring Personal Stories from the World of TV.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... When Faith Meets Fame: Inspiring Personal Stories from the World of TV. Guidepost Assn. 2007. c.309p. ISBN 978-0-8249-4714-9. $16.99. REL Unarguably moving and various, this anthology brings together the spirit of Guideposts, a magazine...

Yamakage, Motohisa. The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Yamakage, Motohisa. The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart. Kodansha, dist. by Oxford Univ. 2007. c.229p. ISBN 978-4-7700-3044-3. $22. REL By now, Japanese Buddhism is a commonly encountered, if incompletely understood,...

Q & A: Frank Oveis.(SPIRITUAL LIVING)(Continuum Publishing Co.)(Interview)
May 1, 2007... Frank Oveis is a vice president of Continuum Books as well as senior editor for titles in Catholic studies, spirituality, Judaica, and current affairs, In the busy pre-Easter season, he generously took a bit of his time to answer a few...

Abu-Jaber, Diana. Origin.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Abu-Jaber, Diana. Origin. Norton. Jun. 2007. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-393-06455-1. $23.95. F When a series of seemingly innocent crib deaths come to the attention of fingerprint expert Lena Dawson, she somehow knows that these aren't the...

Andrews, Lori. The Silent Assassin.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Andrews, Lori. The Silent Assassin. Minotaur: St. Martin's. May 2007. c.304p. ISBN 978-0-312-35271-4. $23.95. F This follow-up to last year's Sequence finds geneticist and forensic expert Dr. Alexandra Blake in Vietnam trying to identify a...

Burchard, Brendon. Life's Golden Ticket: An Inspirational Novel.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Burchard, Brendon. Life's Golden Ticket: An Inspirational Novel. HarperSanFrancisco: HarperCollins. May 2007. c.224p. ISBN 9780-06-117390-5. $19.95. F Crisis often brings about significant change. Such is the case in Burchard's first...

Burke, Alafair. Dead Connection.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... * Burke, Alafair. Dead Connection. Holt. Jul. 2007. c.336p. ISBN 978-0-8050-7785-8. $19.95. F Burke (criminal law, Hofstra Law Sch.) takes a break from her terrific Samantha Kincaid legal thriller series (Close Case) with this novel of...

Carroll, Claudia. Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Carroll, Claudia. Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man. HarperCollins. May 2007. c.368p. ISBN 978-0-06-114053-2. F Thirty-seven-year-old television producer Amelia Lockwood is single and doesn't want to be. To the chagrin of her...

Alafair Burke.(Q&A)(Interview)
May 1, 2007... In 2003, Alafair Burke, the daughter of crime fiction novelist James Lee Burke, burst onto the legal thriller scene with Judgment Calls. Drawn from the author's own experiences as a deputy district attorney in Portland, OR, the novel introduced...

Christopher, Nicholas. The Bestiary.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Christopher, Nicholas. The Bestiary. Dial: Random. Jul. 2007. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-385-33736-6. $25. F As in A Trip to the Stars, Christopher here blends intriguingly detailed esoterica with a contemporary coming-of-age story that recalls...

Connolly, John. The Unquiet.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Connolly, John. The Unquiet. Atria: S. & S. May 2007. c.418p. ISBN 978-0-7432-9893-3. $25.95. F Following the standalone The Book of Lost Things, Connolly returns to his Charlie Parker series in this dark and disturbing tale of...

Cook, Claire. Life's a Beach.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Cook, Claire. Life's a Beach. Hyperion. Jun. 2007. c.272p. ISBN 978-1-4013-0324-2. $23.95. F At age 41, Ginger Walsh is unemployed and still living in an apartment above her parents' garage. She dabbles in making jewelry but realizes that...

DeAngelis, Camille. Mary Modern.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... DeAngelis, Camille. Mary Modern. Shaye Areheart: Harmony. Jul. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-307-35258-3. $24. F A literary mix of love story, sf, and thriller, this first novel features Lucy Morrigan, a frustrated genetic researcher who lives...

Deaver, Jeffery. The Sleeping Doll.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Deaver, Jeffery. The Sleeping Doll. S. & S. Jun. 2007. c.448p. ISBN 978-0-7432-6094-7. $26.95. F An explosive prison escape in the opening pages sets a dynamic pace in Deaver's newest suspense thriller. Kathryn Dance, the kinesics expert...

Dolnick, Ben. Zoology.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Dolnick, Ben. Zoology. Vintage: Random. May 2007. c.304p. ISBN 978-0-307-27915-6. pap. $12.95. F What does it mean when you spend a summer in New York City and your best friends end up being someone else's girlfriend, a Nubian goat named...

Griffith, Nicola. Always.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Griffith, Nicola. Always. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). May 2007. c.480p. ISBN 978-1-59448-935-8. $26.95. F The careful layering of mystery and suspense in Griffith's latest Aud Torvingen thriller (after The Blue Place and Stay) gives the...

Jelinek, Elfriede. Greed.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Jelinek, Elfriede. Greed. Seven Stories. 2007. 336p. tr. from German by Martin Chalmers. ISBN 978-1-58322-757-2. $24.95. F Novelist, poet, and playwright Jelinek's latest novel (published in German four years before she won the Nobel prize)...

Lohr, Robert. The Chess Machine.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Lohr, Robert. The Chess Machine. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2007. c.344p. tr. from German by Anthea Bell. ISBN 978-1-59420-126-4. $24.95. F Journalist Lohr takes the inspiration for his debut novel from one of the most...

McFadyen, Cody. The Face of Death.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... McFadyen, Cody. The Face of Death. Bantam. May 2007. c.464p. ISBN 978-0-553-804669. $24. F You don't want to be at the watering hole where the dark things drink--but Smoky must, to catch a serial killer. McFadyen's (Shadow Man) sequel...