Review This Online

Ron Galella’s “Disco Years,” a history of photography books published since the mid-’70s, British landscapes and more.

This season brings three attractive books that shed light on American painting and its relationship to the world.

Novelist Philip Roth has signed with Houghton Mifflin for his next novel which will feature the last appearance in print by Nathan Zuckerman.

"Houghton Mifflin is thrilled to be publishing Philip Roth's ninth and last Zuckerman novel in October 2007, 28 years after the publication of "The Ghost Writer," Houghton Mifflin publisher Janet Silver said today in a statement.

According to Houghton Mifflin, Exit Ghost is a "portrait of the artist as an old man." "Bedeviled by the powers he's lost, fearful of losing the powers that remain -- and that are vital to his vocation -- Nathan Zuckerman returns to New York after 11 years of living as a solitary, reclusive writer in the rural hills of western Massachusetts.

"His encounters in New York with a new generation of writers and with an old, dying friend produce revelations that gravely unsettle him and make of the final Zuckerman book a moving study of obsession, forgetfulness, resignation, and ungratifiable desire," the statement reads.

Mao's Last Revolution by Roderick Macfarquhar, a review from The New Republic Online by Andrew J. Nathan.

The New York Times announced their annual 10 Best Books of the Year list today. It's always a deeply conservative list, and this year is no different. (How conservative? Since 1998, by my count, of the 87 books chosen for these lists, only 3, all from academic presses, have not been published by one of the major conglomerates or Norton or Harcourt.) But I certainly can't take much issue with the books they chose this time, since I had five of them on my personal top 10. In alphabetical order:

• Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart
• The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel by, yes, Amy Hempel
• The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
• Falling Through the Earth by Danielle Trussoni
• The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford
• The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
• Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
• The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
• The Places in Between by Rory Stewart
• Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

Of course, one reason these books are familiar is that Times reviews helped make them so--with Stewart and Pessl in particular (and perhaps Messud too), the early Times rave was what pushed them up onto the high bestseller plateau.

The top 10 follows shortly on the heels of the Times's 100 Notable Books of 2006 list, which thankfully they have shrunk the past couple of years to a smallish round number--in previous years a couple hundred books could claim the "New York Times Notable Book of the Year" line on their paperback editions--but it's still too long to say much about. And Canada's leading national newspaper, the Globe & Mail, has chosen their ninth annual Globe 100 (whose longer-lived number was perhaps a model for the Times's new policy). At some point I should do a mammoth grid and put all these lists together... --Tom, Amazon Bookstore

by Jacobson, Sid
If you genuinely want to get a detailed abstract version of The 9/11 Report from the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, then don’t snub the graphic novel The 9/11 Report: a Graphic Adaptation. Beginning with a timeline of the hijacked airlines that led to the national tragedy in September 2001, the narrative veers from its conclusion and analysis to the development of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and beyond. The book tracks the careful growth of Al Qaeda from Afghanistan to U.S. shores with its training and lethal plots of destruction. Writer Sid Jacobson gives the report its just due with wordy passages and artist Ernie Colon hits the mark too with his well-drawn portraits, maps and images of violence.
- reviewed by Lawrence, South County Regional, PLCMC

by Horowitz, Anthony
Horowitz’s first book in the Gatekeeper series is sure to keep you at the edge of your seat. It tells the story of an orphaned English boy named Matthew Freeman. He is put into a juvenile rehabilitation program on a farm in the English village of Lesser Malling. Matthew is forced into a life of hard labor by Jayne Deverill. A sense of evil surrounds both the village and the farm. Matthew tries to runaway, but everyone who helps him mysteriously dies. He finally flees the village with the help of a journalist named Richard. Upon his escape, Matthew discovers his unique role as a gatekeeper. This tale is both suspenseful and captivating, but readers beware if you don’t like scary stories.
- reviewed by Amy, Mint Hill Branch, PLCMC

by Myers, Walter Dean
The Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers is an emotional book. It is a realistic adventure with two boys. Jesse, the main character, deals with many losses. This story tells how he lives and what happens in his everyday life. His friend and blood brother Rise, was the strong one who looked after all the guys in their gang. They live in a very dangerous community. When something terrible happens to Rise, Jesse must deal with reality. This novel appeals to the reader's emotions and teaches you to think before you act. The Autobiography of My Dead Brother is an inspiring book about people who want to change their lives.
- reviewed by Samantha, , PLCMC

• 1996: "extravagantly self-indulgent," "superfluous and wildly tangential flights of lexical diarrhea"
• 2006: "there is not one lazy sentence. The book is drum-tight and relentlessly smart"

Cory Foy writes ""Whatever you do, don't touch that module of code. The guy who wrote it is no longer here, and no one knows how it works." In Practices of an Agile Developer, Venkat Subramaniam and Andy Hunt put that quote as an example of something we are all afraid to hear, but probably have in our careers. They then go on to list a collection of practices which can keep you from hearing, or worse, saying that phrase. How do they do?" Read the rest of Cory's review for the answer.

Azucena Grajo Uranza was the keynote speaker for the P.E.N. congress on The Ethics of Writing in Literature. In his address, he pondered the concept of ethics in modern literary life and how modern technology has affected the way we write.

...[T]here have developed so many different ways of expressing ideas in words enriched by "wordsmiths" and the "blogs" of countless websites. New literary forms have appeared. Some are new, others are newer versions of old classical forms. Among these is our much thought of post-modern style?a freer and less constricting way of creating art with words, liberated from the strictures imposed by the priests of our time, Mark van Doren, Lionel Trilling, John Crowe Ransom, Robert Penn Warren, and many others of their ilk, and the emphasis on the "hermetically sealed architectonic unit," which we of the previous generation measured our works against. And I understand that today in some countries, especially in America, there is talk of phasing out the print media for the more immediate demands of hurrying humanity who, with one click of the computer mouse, must be informed daily about what is going on in the world. With this, we see the possible demise of words on paper in order to give way to this electronic phenomenon.

But the soul of literature, its nature to sing of human triumph and heroism or lament man?s failures and faithlessness, remains the same, because despite the varied means employed by old and new technology, be it the scroll, the moveable type, the computerized color offset, or the electronic media, writers are guided by the truths of the same unchangeable moral universe.

For no technological advances can change the super-reality of this moral universe. Writers everywhere will still be moved by the same truths, will be propelled by the same consciousness, and literature would still sing of man?s courage and greatness.

You can read the rest of his address here.

Azucena Grajo Uranza was the keynote speaker for the P.E.N. congress on The Ethics of Writing in Literature. In his address, he pondered the concept of ethics in modern literary life and how modern technology has affected the way we write.

...[T]here have developed so many different ways of expressing ideas in words enriched by "wordsmiths" and the "blogs" of countless websites. New literary forms have appeared. Some are new, others are newer versions of old classical forms. Among these is our much thought of post-modern style?a freer and less constricting way of creating art with words, liberated from the strictures imposed by the priests of our time, Mark van Doren, Lionel Trilling, John Crowe Ransom, Robert Penn Warren, and many others of their ilk, and the emphasis on the "hermetically sealed architectonic unit," which we of the previous generation measured our works against. And I understand that today in some countries, especially in America, there is talk of phasing out the print media for the more immediate demands of hurrying humanity who, with one click of the computer mouse, must be informed daily about what is going on in the world. With this, we see the possible demise of words on paper in order to give way to this electronic phenomenon.

But the soul of literature, its nature to sing of human triumph and heroism or lament man?s failures and faithlessness, remains the same, because despite the varied means employed by old and new technology, be it the scroll, the moveable type, the computerized color offset, or the electronic media, writers are guided by the truths of the same unchangeable moral universe.

For no technological advances can change the super-reality of this moral universe. Writers everywhere will still be moved by the same truths, will be propelled by the same consciousness, and literature would still sing of man?s courage and greatness.

You can read the rest of his address here.

We're back with another round up of what's new in the comics biz, the fansites, and updates on your favorite comic book movies.

The Spirit

Will Eisner’s “The Spirit” is one of the most influential comics of all time and Frank Miller, one of comics’ most influential creators, is hoping to bring the movie version of “The Spirt” to life. Miller who has signed on to write and direct the “The Spirit” film recently did an illustration for the cover of the film's treatment as a way to help sell people on the project. Comic Book Resources columnist, Rich Johnston gave fans a first look at the cover in this weeks edition of his column Lying In the Gutters .Readers who are unfamiliar with Eisner’s work or "The Spirit" might want to check out The Best of the Spirit  which collects some of the series most celebrated stories in one volume

Iron Man

 

Director John Favreau is helming the film adapatation of Marvel Comics’ “Iron Man” and he needs fans’ help. The director recently started a thread on the “Iron Man” group forum at Myspace, asking for fans suggestions, as to who should play Tony Stark’s confidant, Harold “Happy” Hogan.Tony Stark is noted for being one of the first superheroes to tackle an addiction to alcohol. Stark’s battle against alcoholism in chronicled in the Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle (Avengers)  graphic novel

Tin Tin

 

Steven Spielberg is still committed to bringing the classic French comic book character, Tin Tin, to the silver screen. Variety  revealed that the director acquired to the film rights to character back in 1983 and has renewed his option on them. The Blue Lotus (The Adventures of Tintin)  is considered by many comic book fans to be  a masterpiece of graphic storytelling.  The tale sends Tin Tin to China and  thrusts him into the middle of the Sino-Japanese conflicts of the 1930s.--Dave, Amazon Bookstore

Irish-based software publisher Riverdeep is purchasing publisher Houghton Mifflin, according to Publisher's Weekly.

Reports have been circulating for about a month that a purchase was in the works. Under the structure of the deal, a newly formed company, HM Rivergroup, will acquire both HM and Riverdeep, forming a new company that will be named Houghton Mifflin Riverdeep Group. HM Rivergroup is paying $1.75 billion in cash for HM and will assume $1.61 billion in debt. The three equity groups that own HM bought the publisher from Vivendi in December 2002 for $1.7 billion.

*****

Tony Lucki, chairman, president and CEO of HM, will continue in those roles and will add the title of vice-chairman of HM Rivergroup. "Riverdeep represents an excellent strategic fit with Houghton Mifflin, bringing its high-quality electronic courseware offerings to our core basal textbook and supplemental products business. This combination will differentiate us from our competitors and will enable us to participate as one of the leading players in the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. school education market," said Lucki. The deal is expected to close before the end of 2006.

Barry O'Callaghan, the chairman of Riverdeep, will head the new company. Houghton Mifflin had a net loss of $62 million for 2005 and the new sale should help turn things around.

James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights (Pivotal Moments in American History) by Richard E. Labunski, a review from Esquire by Charles P. Pierce.

The WGA has got studios worried over a possible writers' strike next year. The WGA's leaders have refused to meet with industry leaders in January to jump start talks over the upcoming contract renewal. The current contract expires on October 31, 2007, and the WGA says it won't be ready to talk until September. It's a tactical move that has made the producers very unhappy. Variety reports:

"I'm very disappointed," said Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. "It's in the best interests of all concerned to get this resolved as soon as possible." On the film side, the delay means an acceleration of production and stockpiling of scripts, followed by a "de facto strike" next summer as studios stop launching film production once they can no longer be wrapped by Oct. 31. In TV, the prospect of a work stoppage means studios and networks will try to shoot more episodes of scripted series and will be less inclined to launch series while planning for more reality, news and sports programming.

Counter went public Monday with his frustration over the guild's refusal to start talks sooner. That prompted a statement by WGA West exec director David Young. "The WGA will be prepared to commence negotiations in the summer of 2007, well in advance of the November contract expiration," he said. "We are currently meeting with our members on contract issues, as well as continuing our dialogue with sister guilds in Hollywood. The WGA has always worked with the companies to make sure that all writers are covered by a guild agreement with proper compensation and residuals for their work. We fully expect that a fair agreement will be reached in our upcoming negotiation," Young said.

*****

Some execs attributed the WGA's move to simple gamesmanship, designed to show studios and networks that the scribes are serious about getting a bigger slice of the pie. "It's like a batter stepping out of the box with the bases loaded, just to rattle the pitcher," one top agent said. Other speculation for the delay centered on the WGA betting that the extra time will clarify the now-murky outlook on which digital delivery platform will become dominant in coming years.

But for now, pushing back the start of negotiations represents one more big step in convincing studios and networks that a strike is coming, according to "Law & Order" producer Dick Wolf. "The guild seems determined to ratchet up the likelihood of a strike," he told Daily Variety. "It's a Neolithic tactic, but it's a clear message that they want to have a work stoppage. I don't have to be the Delphic oracle to have seen this coming." Wolf said he won't lose personally in a strike since his shows are already syndicated. He added WGA leaders appear to be overestimating the potential revenues from downloads of TV shows. "I'm telling everyone who will listen, this isn't the 1950s when TV was growing," Wolf said. "A strike is like shooting arrows into a stumbling animal."

Ah, the Hollywood negotiating season is upon us. When writers and producers alike work diligently to see who can use the more dramatic language to describe their opponents' nefarious bargaining tactics. So, let's see. We have Dick Wolf fearlessly calling the WGA's tactics "Neolithic" and telling everyone that although he's no "Delphic oracle" he saw this strike coming. He also gets points for the "shooting arrows into a stumbling animal" metaphor in which he neatly called all striking writers a bunch of animal torturers.

On the other hand we have a "top agent" who used a tired baseball metaphor. And the WGA which used plain, sensible language to describe its position in a straight-forward, businesslike manner. Clearly, Dick Wolfe won this round. Nicely played, Dick.

The WGA has got studios worried over a possible writers' strike next year. The WGA's leaders have refused to meet with industry leaders in January to jump start talks over the upcoming contract renewal. The current contract expires on October 31, 2007, and the WGA says it won't be ready to talk until September. It's a tactical move that has made the producers very unhappy. Variety reports:

"I'm very disappointed," said Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. "It's in the best interests of all concerned to get this resolved as soon as possible." On the film side, the delay means an acceleration of production and stockpiling of scripts, followed by a "de facto strike" next summer as studios stop launching film production once they can no longer be wrapped by Oct. 31. In TV, the prospect of a work stoppage means studios and networks will try to shoot more episodes of scripted series and will be less inclined to launch series while planning for more reality, news and sports programming.

Counter went public Monday with his frustration over the guild's refusal to start talks sooner. That prompted a statement by WGA West exec director David Young. "The WGA will be prepared to commence negotiations in the summer of 2007, well in advance of the November contract expiration," he said. "We are currently meeting with our members on contract issues, as well as continuing our dialogue with sister guilds in Hollywood. The WGA has always worked with the companies to make sure that all writers are covered by a guild agreement with proper compensation and residuals for their work. We fully expect that a fair agreement will be reached in our upcoming negotiation," Young said.

*****

Some execs attributed the WGA's move to simple gamesmanship, designed to show studios and networks that the scribes are serious about getting a bigger slice of the pie. "It's like a batter stepping out of the box with the bases loaded, just to rattle the pitcher," one top agent said. Other speculation for the delay centered on the WGA betting that the extra time will clarify the now-murky outlook on which digital delivery platform will become dominant in coming years.

But for now, pushing back the start of negotiations represents one more big step in convincing studios and networks that a strike is coming, according to "Law & Order" producer Dick Wolf. "The guild seems determined to ratchet up the likelihood of a strike," he told Daily Variety. "It's a Neolithic tactic, but it's a clear message that they want to have a work stoppage. I don't have to be the Delphic oracle to have seen this coming." Wolf said he won't lose personally in a strike since his shows are already syndicated. He added WGA leaders appear to be overestimating the potential revenues from downloads of TV shows. "I'm telling everyone who will listen, this isn't the 1950s when TV was growing," Wolf said. "A strike is like shooting arrows into a stumbling animal."

Ah, the Hollywood negotiating season is upon us. When writers and producers alike work diligently to see who can use the more dramatic language to describe their opponents' nefarious bargaining tactics. So, let's see. We have Dick Wolf fearlessly calling the WGA's tactics "Neolithic" and telling everyone that although he's no "Delphic oracle" he saw this strike coming. He also gets points for the "shooting arrows into a stumbling animal" metaphor in which he neatly called all striking writers a bunch of animal torturers.

On the other hand we have a "top agent" who used a tired baseball metaphor. And the WGA which used plain, sensible language to describe its position in a straight-forward, businesslike manner. Clearly, Dick Wolfe won this round. Nicely played, Dick.

The Cage family and the Chopra are working on comic books together for Virgin Comics. The comics include Enigma, a comic book thriller series, and The Sadhu, an action and mythology comic book series.

Nicolas Cage and his 15 year-old son Weston Cage will are working with Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comics' Chief Creative Officer and the son of Deepak Chopa, for the Enigma comic books. Enigma will be published as a five part comic book released monthly beginning March 2007. The stories will be collected and republished as a graphic novel for worldwide audiences during fourth quarter 2007. The Enigma story begins with a rebellion on a Southern plantation during the Confederacy, and quickly takes us to the post-Katrina mean streets of New Orleans where a veteran detective is trying to solve a series of murders connected by mysterious historical circumstances.

"My father took an interest in my comic character Enigma so he put me in touch with Gotham Chopra" said Weston Cage. "Together we developed Enigma from my dark imagination. Enigma is a very dark character resurrected by a group of followers of Voodoo, who intend him to be a defender; one to give criminals bad karma early in life, or death. Despite his terrifying appearance that forces readers to believe at first that he is a villain or so called 'bad guy,' he is very well-mannered and a gentleman, but a machine full of rage in the heat of the moment. I owe my thanks to Gotham Chopra for his enormous help in getting all my thoughts out about Enigma and of course my outstanding father who is always there for me."

The other comic book series, The Sadhu, is written and created by Gotham Chopra. Nicolas Cage will develop the lead role of James Jenson in Virgin Comics' film adaptation of The Sadhu. The screenplay for the film adaptation will be penned by bestselling author and co-founder of Virgin Comics, Deepak Chopra.

Deepak Chopra added, "The Sadhu is a story of the dormant potentialities - both divine and diabolical - that exist in all of us. It is also about the struggle between the sacred and the profane within all of us when archetypal energies awaken in our consciousness. As a performer, Nic embodies the soul of these archetypal energies and I can think of no one better to develop this franchise and iconic role."

Virgin Comics is a new media and entertainment company founded in November 2005 by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, alongside author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and Gotham Entertainment Group, a South Asia publisher of comic magazines. Film directory Jon Woo has also help created a comic series for Virgin Comics called Seven Brothers.

Is it just me, or are we losing a lot of people we need around here these days? Yesterday came the news that novelist Bebe Moore Campbell had died at the age of 56. In five novels and two books of nonfiction, she managed to straddle the line between bestselling popularity and critical acclaim. In my wife's years of bookclubbing, Your Blues Ain't Like Mine remained one of her favorites, and in her review of Brothers and Sisters, Carolyn See wrote a line that Campbell, in an online chat, said, "I am still aspiring to live up to":

If this is a fair world, Bebe Moore Campbell will be remembered as the most important African-American novelist of this century--except for, maybe, Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin.

Her books include:

• Successful Women, Angry Men (nonfiction, 1988)
• Sweet Summer: Growing Up With and Without My Dad (nonfiction, 1990)
• Your Blues Ain't Like Mine (1992)
• Brothers and Sisters (1994)
• Singing in the Comeback Choir (1998)
• What You Owe Me (2001)
• 72 Hour Hold (2005)
• Stompin' at the Savoy (picture book, 2006)

--Tom, Amazon Bookstore

The latest news, reviews, and appearances:

The New York Times:

• Sunday's Book Review cover: The returns are still coming in. Liesl Schillinger's review of Pynchon's Against the Day reclaims the book from Kakutani's slag heap, calling it "his funniest and arguably his most accessible novel": "Beating a retreat from the injustices of capitalism and the looming atrocity of World War I, he builds himself the refuge of a dream-draped world by overlaying bloody late-19th-century labor disputes and 20th-century catastrophes with the raiment of escapist popular literature."
• Next by Michael Crichton: "It's tempting to stop and look up each of the genetic, legal and ethical aberrations described here in order to see how wild a strain of science fiction is afoot. Save a step. Just believe this: Oddity after oddity in 'Next' checks out, and many are replays of real events."
• Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell by Karen DeYoung: "She's written a portrait of Powell that is as revealing as it can be and remain flattering, and as flattering as it can be and remain revealing. And she's written it very well."
• Point to Point Navigation by Gore Vidal: "I have been reading Vidal with pleasure and profit for decades and though I have often wished to differ with him, I have never before wanted or dared to do so on a point of style."
• The Anchor Book of Modern Arabic Fiction, edited by Denys Johnson-Davies: "It contains a startling array of styles and subjects: Nubian folk tales, angry social satires, historical fiction, vivid battle narratives, even a lesbian seduction."

The Daily Show:

• Mon., Nov. 27: Rep. Rahm Emanuel, fresh off masterminding the Democratic victory in the House, discusses The Plan: Big Ideas for America

Oprah®:

• Tue., Nov. 28: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (Oprah is the voice of Gussy the goose in the new movie!)
• Wed., Nov. 29: Dr. Oz is back, and You: On a Diet has been atop our bestseller list since his last visit
• Thu., Nov. 30: Lessons in Becoming Myself by Ellen Burstyn

Fresh Air:

• Mon., Nov. 27: Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter and The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro
• Thu., Nov. 23: Miss Rhythm: The Autobiography of Ruth Brown, Rhythm and Blues Legend by the late Ruth Brown
• Wed., Nov. 22: Homeland Insecurity: The Onion Complete News Archives, Volume 17 by the editors of The Onion

All Things Considered:

• Sun., Nov. 26: Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape by Brian Hayes
• Sat., Nov. 25: Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India by Madhur Jaffrey and Dirty Red by Vickie Stringer
• Fri., Nov. 24: Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Lost Generation by Michael Zielenziger and Saving Graces by Elizabeth Edwards
• Thu., Nov. 23: Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
• Wed., Nov. 22: The Family That Couldn't Sleep by D.T. Max
• Tue., Nov. 21: The Anchor Book of Modern Arabic Fiction, edited by Denys Johnson-Davies

The New Yorker:

• Elizabeth Kolbert's survey of new children's picture books in the Dec. 4 issue is mostly descriptive, but she does betray an appreciation for Antoinette Portis's Not a Box, "part Magritte, part Crockett Johnson."

--Tom, Amazon Bookstore

Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic + the Domestic by Esther Perel, a review from The Atlantic Monthly by Cristina Nehring.

--The mysterious death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko--his apparent poisoning by the rare radioactive toxin polonium-210, his deathbed accusation that Vladimir Putin was behind the hit--continues to fascinate the international media. His cowritten expose of the Russian secret services, Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within, has moved up to #319 on our site, despite being out of stock. The writings of his colleague Anna Politkovskaya, the best-known Russian investigative reporter before her murder in Moscow last month, are also available in English:

• Putin's Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy
• The Dirty War
• A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya

--Ok, I think this is pretty cool. On the heels of my lengthy disquisition on book covers last week, this falls into the "well, can you do better?" department. Penguin UK is introducing a line of classic paperbacks called "My Penguin," with a blank white cover for you to design--or just scribble all over--yourself. (See their own first attempts here.) The first set includes Crime and Punishment, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Emma, The Waves, Grimm's Magic Tales, and Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. They are released on November 30, but it doesn't appear that you can order them on our UK site yet. (Via BoingBoing)

--Marianne Wiggins, a fiction judge for this year's National Book Awards, writes a familiar inside-the-jury account that is, happily, dishier than most, with a short list of books that barely missed the list of nominees (White Guys, Everyman, The Law of Dreams--which won Canada's Governor's General prize last week), and details on the back-door politicking:

All of us were in favor of Roth's "Everyman," though we agreed it was not his strongest book (except for No. 4, who called it equal to Tolstoy). Judge No. 2 kept pressing for "The Zero" by Jess Walter. Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" made me cry but left everyone else unmoved. Judge No. 4, an admitted friend of Roth's, had another favorite — "Only Revolutions" by Mark Danielewski, which none of the rest of us could fathom but he would not give up on. We began to know that in every conference call No. 4 would speak at length and very movingly in support of the book, and I finally said, "If Danielewski had written the novel you're describing, he'd deserve a Nobel, but I can't find a wormhole into that experience on the page."

I know at least one editor here who agrees (adamantly!) with Wiggins about Only Revolutions, which got nominated nevertheless thanks to No. 4's persistence. Which of these judges was "Judge No. 4": Bharati Mukherjee, Jonathan Lethem, Craig Nova, and David Plante? I'm guessing Plante, if only because Roth blurbed his novel The Country.

--Tom, Amazon Bookstore

by Inman, Robert
Will Baggett is living the high life. As the beloved weatherman in Raleigh, he cannot go anywhere without fans calling out to him. His beautiful wife is a successful real estate broker, and his son is in medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But when Will is unexpectedly fired from his job followed by a couple of arrests, things start to unravel fast. Will must reinvent himself by examining his past if he hopes to have a future. Filled with fun-loving, if not a little quirky, characters, this book will leave you wanting more.
- reviewed by Cassandra, Mint Hill Branch, PLCMC

Ravi writes "Fedora — the Linux that is developed as a community effort, is the sand box of Red Hat. They incorporate all the new features after they have been exhaustively tested into its commercial product, namely Red Hat Enterprise Linux . Fedora has a 6 month release schedule and the most recent release is core 6. In all respects Fedora is the same Red Hat Linux but with cutting edge packages. What I really like about Fedora apart from the vibrant community participating in its development is the mark of quality it has from its association with Red Hat." Read the rest of Ravi's review.