From the Bookshelf

By Alyce Wilson

**** Must Read
*** Good
** Fair
* Save Your Money

Poetry

Tongue's Palette: Poetry by Linguists
Edited by Andrew Sunshine & Donna Jo Napoli
Atlantis-Centaur Inc., 2004: ISBN 1-930902-03-4
Rating: ***
A collection of poems by linguists and scholars. At their best, these poems are a meditation on language; at their worst, a bloodless class exercise.

Non-Fiction

Becoming Jefferson's People: Re-Inventing the
American Republic in the Twenty-First Century
Clay S. Jenkinson
Marmarth Press, 2004: ISBN 1-930806-22-1
Rating: ****
Humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson's call for a Jeffersonian renewal in America. Quotes from Jefferson's personal writings, and a sunny view of Jefferson's character, make for a Cliff Notes view of Jeffersonian principles.

Sleeping on Potatoes: A Lumpy Adventure
from Manzanar to the Corporate Tower
Carl Nomura
Erasmus Books, 2003: ISBN 2003108043
Rating: **
An autobiographical story of how a Japanese-American rose from a World War II internment camp to become a leader in the field of semiconductors. The many reminiscences, ranging from Depression Era struggles to tales of retirement travels, are often colorful but fail to form a cohesive whole.

Tainted Love: The True Story of Domestic Violence
and the Bornhoeft Murder Trial
Candy Johnson with Anna Pilat
1stBooks, 2003: ISBN 1-4107-6416-8
Rating: *
The true story of one woman's escape from domestic violence and the violent aftermath she faced from her ex-husband. This dialogue-heavy tale does little to capture the drama of this story.

Fiction

The Crying Wall and Other Prison Stories
Victor Hassine, Robert Johnson, Ania Dobranska
Infinity Publishing Company, 2005: ISBN 0741427478
Rating: ***
A collection of short fiction, one-act plays and essays examining the flawed and brutal prison system. The authors present an unflinching look at the problems and suffering behind prison walls.

A Dedication
John Zaiss
Synergy Books, 2005: ISBN 0975592238
Rating: **
Quinn Marshall, an underachieving teen photographer, finds a mentor in a Vietnam vet who is estranged from his own family. The narrative tends towards melodrama and deus ex machina solutions to problems, which overshadows the genuine emotion.

Hidden Under the Corporate Ladder
J.K. LaMay
TurnKey Press, 2005: ISBN 0-9754803-6-7
Rating: *
Based on the true story of harassment, abuse and assault suffered by author J.K. LaMay at a scandalous Fortune 100 company. Too many indistinguishable characters inhabit this ill-crafted litany of ugly acts and legal gambits.

Shelby and the Shifting Rings
A.M. Veillon
Parity Press, 2005: ISBN 0-9762015-5-0
Rating: **
As the first book in the Defender of Time series, the young adult fantasy/adventure introduces the reader to Shelby Shodworth, whose family history is full of secrets. Set in a girls' boarding school, this is a poor imitation of the Harry Potter books, with none of the magic.

The Sweet Shade of a Chinaberry Tree
Janice Ward Parrish
Hard Shell Word Factory, 2005: ISBN 0759948070
Rating: **
Set in small-town Alabama in 1963, the book tells a tale of romance between a white college girl and an African-American student at a black university. The book is strong on research but overwrought when it comes to descriptions of the troubled romance.

A Thousand Tomorrows
Karen Kingsbury
Center Street, 2005: ISBN 0-446-52967-2
Rating: *
The story of a bull rider and a horsewoman who find brief love despite her chronic illness. The characters are poorly developed and the plot drags in this implausible, melodramatic tale.

The Time Has Come: The Book of Grace
Barbara Oleynick
Synergy Books, 2005: ISBN 978-0-9755922-5-0
Rating: *
The first in a mystical trilogy, this book introduces readers to Grace, a messianic figure born before the end times. Character development is poor and the plot practically nonexistent in this saccharine volume.

Man Made Monsters
Mad Marv
Crypto-American Press, 2005: ISBN 0-9771341-0-5
Rating: *
Chilling tales of man's sins against nature: radio-controlled zombie armies, drug-induced superpredators and manufactured cannibalistic epidemics. Light on characterization and heavy on violence, this book goes primarily for shock value.

Children's

Tony the Mouse
Mr. So and So (Alvaro de Araújo), ill. by Miguel Falcão
Alvaro de Araújo, 2004: ISBN 159-713-011-7
Rating: **
A fanciful children's book about a mouse's accidental journey to the moon. Forced rhyme and poor logic dominate the fractured story, but the beautiful watercolor illustrations are worth viewing.

Spirituality

Make it Real: Words, Worth, Relationships and Me
Point of Grace
Howard Publishing Co., 2005: ISBN 1-58229-462-3
Rating: **
The Christian group, Point of Grace, put together this devotional and Bible study workshop for teen girls. Needlessly repetitive and frequently preachy, this book is not as useful as its companion book, Q&A with Point of Grace.

Out of the Question, Into the Mystery:
Getting Lost in the Godlife Relationship
Leonard Sweet
WaterBrook Press, 2004: ISBN 1-57856-647-9
Rating: *
This book promises a guide to discovering an authentic relationship with God, but this rambling, dense read offers little in terms of practical application.

Q&A with Point of Grace
Point of Grace and Nancy Alcorn
Howard Publishing Co., 2005: ISBN 1-58229-463-1
Rating: ***
A collection of questions from teenage girls, answered by the women of the Christian music group, Point of Grace. Practical and spiritual advice for born again Christian teens on issues ranging from friendship and dating, to dealing with personal crises.

Teen Virtue: Real Issues, Real Life... A Teen Girl's Survival Guide
Vicki Courtney
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005: ISBN 978-0-8054-3056-1
Rating: **
Designed to look like a teen magazine, this colorful publication takes a decidedly evangelical standpoint on teen issues. Despite the exciting graphic look, the text itself lacks punch and is unlike to appeal to real teens.

This Lifetime on Earth
Sandy Andrew
BookSurge, 2005: ISBN 1-4196-0726-X
Rating: **
A step-by-step learning and goal setting guide to a more successful, fulfilling life based on understanding fundamentals of the universe, the spirit and God. This simplistic New Age primer is too generalized to be of much use.

You! The Journey to the Center of Your Worth
Ed Young
Howard Publishing Co., 2005: ISBN 1-58229-446-1
Rating: ****
Pastor and Christian broadcaster Ed Young offers a guide to finding self-esteem through Christian principles. Part self-help book and part devotional, the book's clear examples, practical wisdom and engaging story-telling make it an invaluable tool for any Christian.