New This Week

The only book on my radar this week is THE FORTY YEARS WAR: The Rise and Fall of the Neocons, from Nixon to Obama by Len Colodny and Tom Shachtman.

As a political junkie and a decided foe of the neocon belief system (the actual one not the stated one), I want to read this book. Published by Harper Collins, it'll be in stores on Tuesday.

Queen's Highway

Doreen Orion is the female Bill Bryson.

I have often stated that Bill Bryson is one of my favorite authors. He is a writer who does what a professor should: he makes learning fun and hilarious. I advise never to read Bryson in a public place. Passersby will think you are insane due to the snickering and full-out laughing you will be doing. As it always is with authors we love (unless you like James Patterson -- I don't), it is always too long in between new books. So it is with pleasure that I found and read QUEEN OF THE ROAD by Ms. Orion.

If you like books that are funny and well-written, get yourself to a bookstore and get this book. You will be glad you did, and will quickly make a list of people you want to read small passages to. Doreen and her husband (Project Nerd -- just read the book...) are the perfect comedy pair.

Ms. Orion is the star of the book with credible performances by her husband (awesomely named Tim), the bus, the pets and a slew of new-found friends in RV parks throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. When first we meet Doreen she is addicted to only a few things: shopping, Oprah and the great indoors.

A self-proclaimed "Princess from the Island of Long", there is no way she herself or you the reader can believe she will be able to successfully complete the mission declared on the book cover: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 miles, 200 shoes, 2 cats, 1 Poodle, a husband and a bus with a will of its own.

Through mechanical mishaps, family visits, an armed robbery, mountain hiking and nudist parks, Doreen and Tim bring us along on the trip of a lifetime. You can measure this trip in laughs, not miles.

I won't ruin the ending, but suffice to say when the family arrives back in Boulder, Colorado, she is a changed woman....for the most part.

QUEEN OF THE ROAD is published by Broadway Books. http://www.broadwaybooks.com .

Please also visit http://www.queenoftheroadthebook.com .

A Place For His Stuff

One of my best friends turned me onto George Carlin when I was about 15 years old and I will be eternally grateful. Carlin appealed to teenage me in part because his humor was unlike anything else I had ever heard. When my friend played Class Clown for me I not only laughed at the shock of all the wonderful (to a 15 year old boy) swearing but because the Carlin was so different from any other comedian I had ever listened to.

This posthumous autobiography Last Words, tells in 294 glorious pages of the life of the constantly-in-motion comedian. Carlin, with help from writer/comedian Tony Hendra, tells of his childhood on the fertile grounds of New York City, his love-hate relationship with the Catholic Church (a recurring subject onstage), and his crazy family life. Saddled with the ubiquitous alcoholic father, a precursor to his own later addiction problems, Carlin became an actual class clown and a comedy seeds were planted.

Carlin's mother, Mary, was quite the woman. Clearly, Carlin loved his mother, but theirs was a complicated relationship. The story of how, despite her strong Catholic roots, she (and the local nuns) justified Carlin's later language and opinions about the Church are interesting to say the least.

For the longest time I was only aware of the profane, outrageous Carlin. It was some years later before I saw video of the short-haired, suit-wearing George Carlin performing comparatively conservative routines. I always wondered how he got from point A to point B. Thanks to this deeply personal and brutally honest book, I now know.

If you are a Carlin fan, you really need to read this book. In wonderful detail ( and plenty of Carlin insight along the way), we watch Carlin go from smart-ass kid to the envelope-pushing comedy giant on his always entertaining HBO specials.

Sadly, Carlin left us too early, still with dreams of his own unfulfilled. The book is a treat for anyone wanting to know more about the genius behind the man who brought us Al Sleet, the Trippy Drippy Weatherman. Get this book for someone for Christmas.

But with no more HBO specials, no more books and no more CD's to be forthcoming from the mind of Carlin, I feel sad. After finishing this book I feel I have literally "closed the book" on one of my heroes. Makes me want to (expletive deleted) cry.

Advantage: Agassi

I thought I was a fan of Andre Agassi.

But I just completed his recent autobiography Open, and I have to say: I've never admired a tennis player more.

Inside the pages, Agassi tells , with brutal honesty, of his childhood with an overbearing father who makes no secret of his dream of his son being the best tennis player in the world. Agassi is 7 years old at the time. It is no surprise that Agassi spends his life collecting father figures to surround himself with.

Familiar names are peppered throughout: Connors, McEnroe, Courier, Sampras, Federer. If you are a tennis fan, you will learn even more about these greats with the behind-the-scenes tales. (Although I'm not sure I can forgive AA for giving me the image in my head of a naked Ivan Lendl.)

Tennis players are not the only familiar names. Agassi's courtship of and marrige to his first wife Brooke Shields gets fully covered. Some of the story is a little heartbreaking at times, so I'm impressed that she is listed as someone who read the manuscript ahead of time and yet allowed the scars to show.

The book covers Agassi's time at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida as well as his early days on the professional tour. There are many mentions of Pete Sampras and their rivalry. I can't imagine Pete will be too happy with the "valet" story, but this is a very honest book.

And that is what I enjoyed most about it. It is clear that AA has cleared his desk, his mind and his conscience with the airing of the dirty laundry contained inside the nearly 400 pages. We have all heard the sordid headlines lately about the crystal meth use and the hairpiece. It is clear that coming clean about these secrets are a catharsis for a man who clearly has evolved.

Agassi dropped out in 9th grade. He now has a college preparatory school he founded and mostly funded. The dropout is now a proponent of education. Some would say this is ironic. But, if you read this book you will see that Agassi was always smarter than he appeared.

The sweet side of Agassi emerges as he attempts to get Steffi Graf to go out with him. It is clear that these two belong together and the calm she provides has been the influence a now-retired Agassi has needed.

However, as the book makes clear, things were not always so calm. Early in his career, Agassi was defined in the public's mind with an advertising slogan for one of his endorsement deals. Posters and television ads with his face and the words "Image Is Everything" were ubiquitous back in the day. However, Agassi was always bothered by the advertising campaign -- he was being cast as a rebel and a punk. The truth is he didn't evern know what image he wanted to have. In truth he was nothing like his public image -- what almost no one knew is that Agassi was secretly a pretty sensitive guy who actually listened to soft rock. And the long flowing hair wasn't even his. The image being sold to tennis fans meant nothing.


Reading this book, I felt like I was hanging out with Agassi. It's that personal. I always liked Agassi the tennis player. After reading Open, I like and admire the man.

-----

In the acknowledgments Agassi lists J.R. Moehringer as the person who helped "tackle my memoir and give it shape." Moehringer refused to let his name be on the cover despite Agassi's request because, while proud of the work, he "couldn't see signing his name to another man's life." Moehringer wrote one of my favorite books of all time, his own memoir, The Tender Bar.

New Releases for Next Week

Books scheduled to come out next week include:

The Professional (a Spenser novel) by Robert B Parker
American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood by Marc Eliot
Christmas List: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans
Evidence: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman
Finding It by Valerie Bertinelli
The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeanette Walls
How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Milan
Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
New Moon Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus
Three Feet from Gold by Sharon L. Lechter
A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

New Releases This Week

New books coming out this week include:

Karen Armstrong -- The Case for God***
Margaret Atwood -- The Year of the Flood
J.G. Ballard -- The Complete Stories
Glenn Beck -- Arguing with Idiots***
Pete Dexter -- Spooner
James Ellroy -- Blood's a Rover
Craig Ferguson -- American on Purpose***
Diana Gabaldon -- An Echo in the Bone
Robert Hicks -- A Separate Country
Steve Hodel & Ralph Pezzuillo -- Most Evil***
David Hoffman -- The Dead Hand***
Kazuo Ishiguro -- Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall
Garrison Keillor -- Pilgrims: A Woebegon Romance
Robert T. Kiyosaki -- Rich Dad's Conspiracy of the Rich***
Peter Maass -- Crude World***
Jill McCorkle -- Going Away Shoes
Sara Paretsky -- Hardball
Ruth Reichl -- Gourmet Today***
Anita Shreve -- A Change in Attitude
Alexander McCall Smith -- The Lost Art of Gratitude
Stuart Woods -- Hothouse Orchid

***Non-fiction

A Master Stroke

I read almost exclusively non-fiction. One of the most enjoyable places to find well-written non-fiction is inside the pages of magazines. L. Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated's best tennis writer, has delivered a master stroke of his own, Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played.

As a tennis fan, I enjoyed the "inside story" feel of this book. I felt like I was courtside during the match with terrific historical context thrown in during the changeovers. Even though I knew the outcome of the match, I was riveted by Wertheim's skillful pacing.

I thought I was a fan of Federer with a grudging respect for Nadal. Now, however, I am a huge fan of both players. Wertheim managed to somehow elevate my love of the game and its combatants. And that is a gift I did not expect.

If are a fan of Federer or Nadal, of tennis, or just sports in general, do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in this wonderfully woven tale of competition, respect and rivalry.

On my Reading Table

Here is a list of what's on my reading table. This is at once intimidating and exciting:

Cooperstown Confidential by Zev Chafets
Right of Thirst by Frank Huyler
Retail Superstars by George Whalin
The First Family by Mike Dash
The Next 100 Years by George Friedman
Assisted Loving by Bob Morris
Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett

New Books Out Today

Hardcover

Star Wars: Omen (Fate of the Jedi #2) by Christie Golden
Magnificent Desolation -- The Long Journey Home from the Moon by Buzz Aldrin & Ken Abraham
State of Jones (Civil War nonfiction) by Sally Jenkins & John Stauffer
Finger Licken' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich (Audio also)
Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo
Catastrophe by Dick Morris & Eileen McGann (Audio also)
The Doomsday Key by James Rollins (Audio also)
The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews (Audio also)

Trade Paper

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Where the River Ends by Charles Martin
Take Two: Above the Line by Karen Kingsbury (Audio also)

Mass Market

My Life In France by Julia Child & Alex Prud'Homme
GI Joe: Rise of Cobra by Max Allan Collins
A Time to Kill by John Grisham (reissue)
Fractured by Karin Slaughter
Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann
Last Kiss by Luanne Rice
Larger Than Life by Kay Hooper
Run to Me by Christy Reece
Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum)by Janet Evanovich

Seeing in the Dark

Full disclosure: I am a cat lover and have two of my own.

I can't tell you how much I love cats. I have had at least one cat for almost all of my adult life and most of my childhood. As I said above, I own two now. I also feed a stray that lives under the bush in front of my apartment. I imagine I have the nickname "crazy old cat guy" behind some of the doors in the complex, but I would wear it as a badge of honor.

If you are one of those people who love cats, Gwen Cooper's Homer's Odyssey (Delacorte Press, 8/25/09), is for you. I fell in love with Homer immediately upon meeting him and gladly jumped for the chance to travel on his odyssey with him.

Thankfully, no one ever told Homer the odds were against him. Abandoned on the doorstep of a compassionate veterinarian, Homer had a virulent eye infection which necessitated removal of his eyes. As you may imagine, this made Homer's adoption odyssey a little more difficult.

If you know cats at all, you know that most of them are....uh....judicious with their affection. When you gain a cat's trust and affection, well, you have really done something. And, you've heard about cats who think they're dogs or even human. Well, Homer doesn't know the difference. You see, Homer is blind...but only in the physical sense. Homer doesn't know he's blind because he never had sight.

I don't want to ruin any of the tales of Homer's life by posting them here. Just suffice to say this book is at times uplifting, at times frightening, but always endearing. (And, he even survived 9/11.)I will tell you this: Homer is so wonderful and special that I feel now that I have three cats.

This book is subtitled "A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat." Please don't take my word for it, Homer is a wonder cat. Once you read of his adventures and the way he has lived his life, you'll wish you knew him.

Gwen Cooper lets us know how lucky she is to have Homer. I'm here to say that Homer is equally lucky to have a Mom like Gwen.

June 16, New Release Books

Real Change by Newt Gingrich
Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Fragment by Warren Fahy
Dune Road by Jane Green
The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner
Knockout by Catherine Coulter
Robin Rescues Dinner by Robin Miller
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
Rogue of My Own by Johanna Lindsey
Below Zero by C.J. Box
Angels Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Skeleton Justice by Dr. Michael Baden and Linda Kenney Baden
Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin

New Releases

New books are released every week. Some books can be put on the shelf when they are received. Others, though, have strict on-sale dates. I have been unable to find a good list of book new releases online. If you know of a fairly comprehensive list let me know. I'm not talking about amazon or barnes and noble. They seem to play favorites.

Here's my list (so far) of today's new releases:

Hardcover

Dean Koontz Relentless
Robert Wright The Evolution of God
Larry Tye Satchel
Julie Metz Perfection
Aravind Adiga Between the Assassinations
Melissa Gilbert Prairie Tale
Jeffery Deaver Roadside Crosses (Kathryn Dance series #2)
Shannon Hale The Actor and the Housewife
A.J. Baime Go Like Hell
Gary Jennings Apocalypse 2012 (Aztec series #3)
Greg Grandid Fordlandia
Matthew Aid The Secret Sentry
Kaspar Hauser Obama's Blackberry
Eric Van Lustbader The Bourne Deception
Alan Furst The Spies of Warsaw

Paperback

Donna Woolfolk Cross Pope Joan
Susan Swimmer Michelle Obama

C'mon folks, I know someone knows where a comprehensive list can be found.

email me @ book dot dude at hotmail dot com

Storm Polished Pearl

I just finished A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean by Tori Murden McClure (Harper Collins). If you like books wherein the protagonist ask you to tag along as they find themselves, then you will love this book. I enjoyed the journey with Ms. McClure; the one in the Atlantic Ocean and otherwise.

Tori McClure always felt she had to protect others and continuously pushed herself to experience life in hostile locations. This seems to be a metaphor for her journey from an embattled childhood to an impressively learned adulthood. Weaving literary allusions with real-life action, she tells her tale with the same drive she has applied to her life outside the boat.

I just have one thing I'd like to say to her. Tori, you never lost your heart.