Cussler’s globe-trotting archaeologists, husband-and-wife team Sam and Remi Fargo, are off on another fantastic adventure, one that will both educate and entertain Cussler’s legion of readers. While working on their latest dig, the Fargos become aware of an incredible treasure left by one of the most mysterious figures in history—Attila the Hun. Most of the available information on Attila is a mixture of myth and reality, but with the aid of a German scientist, the Fargos begin to decipher clues as to the locations of five burial sites where Attila hid his plunder. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones after the treasures. A Russian businessman specializing in illegal drug sales will stop at nothing to get his hands on the five hordes, even if it means killing the Fargos. VERDICT Cussler and seasoned mystery novelist Perry (The Boyfriend; Poison Flower) are a potent combination and bring high energy to this suspenseful chapter in the lives of Sam and Remi. Longtime Cussler reader Scott Brick is practiced at giving his narration the perfect amount of humor and drama. Cussler’s books, even in an age of gratuitous murder, sex, and violence in fiction, remain “gentlemanly” works in which plot is paramount and the characters skillfully drawn. Readers will be fascinated by the life of Attila the Hun while enjoying nonstop action on the part of Cussler’s dynamic duo. Highly recommended. [“Cussler delivers another adventure of nonstop, nerve-wracking suspense,” read the review of the Putnam hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 9/14/12.—Ed.]—Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

 Woodrell, Daniel. Give Us a Kiss. 5 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 5½ hrs. AudioGO. 2012. ISBN 9781611137132. $54.99; digital download. F

Woodrell’s (Winter’s Bone) hillbilly noir tale unfolds through Doyle Redmond, a crime writer of little (actually no) acclaim, who chucks his phony intellectual life at a California university when he discovers his wife openly cheating on him for the sole purpose of possibly getting her poetry published. Tossing a few measly possessions into a pillowcase, Doyle takes his wife’s Volvo and drives that yuppie-mobile all the way home to the Ozark hills, where he is immediately welcomed with the loan of a .32 caliber “lady stinger” by his dad, General Joe, and cut in on a potentially profitable dope deal by his older brother, Smoke. Woodrell’s novels are character-driven carnivals in which plots are incidental although always a wild ride. VERDICT The dialog here is solid and the players unforgettable. Narrator Brian Troxell’s accented presentation brings out both the humor and the sometimes deadly seriousness of each episode. The story also has as close to a happy ending as Woodrell musters. Both raunchy and dangerous, this will have listeners demanding a sequel.—Mike Rogers, Babylon, NY

 Shapiro, B.A. The Art Forger. 8 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 10 hrs. HighBridge Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611749274. $34.95; 8 CDs. library ed.; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download.F

What if a forger discovered that the painting she was forging might itself be a forgery? That is Claire Roth’s dilemma in Shapiro’s (The Safe Room) fascinating novel about the art world, major thefts, and the struggle for authenticity. Claire’s reputation was ruined after a scandal in which she covered for a famous artist; since then she has made a meager living painting for Reproductions.com. When she is offered money and a show of her own if she will agree to make a copy of a famous Degas stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston, she jumps at the chance but quickly becomes suspicious that the supposed original is a fake. ­VERDICTShapiro expertly includes details about Degas, Isabelle Gardner, and the art world, as well as describing techniques used by artists and forgers. The first-person narrative is professionally and skillfully read by Xe Sands. This work is highly recommended and will be popular with fans of literary fiction and anyone with an interest in the art world. [“This well-researched work combines real elements...with the understanding that the art world is as fragile and precarious as the art itself.... A highly recommended debut that would be great for book discussion groups,” read the review of the New York Times best-selling Algonquin hc, LJ 8/12.—Ed.]—Mary Knapp, Madison P.L., WI

For all the latest reviews in this subject area and more, check out our new Book Verdict site! Book Verdict is fully accessible to all users, though certain content and functionality are only available to subscribers.To log in to your account, click here. To view the new subscription options, Get Started With Book Verdict Pro Today.

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The following titles are reviewed in the April 15 print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

Fiction

Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. 4 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 4½ hrs. Dreamscape. 2012. ISBN 9781624062155. $39.99; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; digital download. CLASSIC

Brooks, Terry. Wards of Faerie. 12 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 14½ hours. Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 9780307913661. $45; digital download. F

Daheim, Mary. The Wurst Is Yet To Come. 8 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 10¼ hrs. Dreamscape Audio. 2012.
ISBN 9781611206906. $59.99; 1 MP3-CD library/retail eds.; digital download. F

Fuentes, Carlos. Adam in Eden. 5 CDs.
library ed. unabridged. 6 hrs. Dreamscape Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781624060755. $59.99; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download. F

Harrison, Jim. The River Swimmer. 4 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 5 hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781470838577. $55;
1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download. F

Millet, Lydia. Magnificence. 6 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 7 hrs. Dreamscape Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611209839. $59.99; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download. F

Morais, Richard C. Buddhaland Brooklyn. 8 CDs.
library ed. unabridged. 9¼ hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781455166534. $76;
8 CDs. retail ed.; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail ed.; digital download. F

Niven, Larry & Edward M. Lerner. Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld. 8 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 9¼ hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781455127009. $90;
1 MP3-CD. library ed.; Playaway digital; digital download. SF

Patterson, James & Marshall Karp. NYPD Red. 6 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 7 hrs. Hachette Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611137101. $34.98; 6 CDs. library ed.; 1 MP3-CD. library ed.; Playaway digital; digital download. F

Wilhelm, Kate. By Stone, by Blade, by Fire.
12 CDs. unabridged. library ed. 14½ hrs.
Blackstone Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781470846367. $118; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download. F

Nonfiction

Barofsky, Neil. Bailout: An Inside Account
of How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street. 8 CDs. library ed. unabridged 9½ hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781470832209. $90;
1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; digital download. BUS

Greenberg, Amy S. A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico. 11 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 12¾ hrs. HighBridge Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611748819. $78; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download. HIST

Hunter, Rielle. What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me. 7 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 8½ hrs. Blackstone Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781470832544. $76;
1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; Playaway digital; digital download. BIOG

Taleb, Nassim Nicholas. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. 13 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 16¼ hrs. Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 9780449011317. $45; digital download. SOC SCI

Watson, Robert A. with Ben Brown. Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army. 5 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 6 hrs. Mission Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781610456029. $21.98; digital download. BUS

Wiencek, Henry. Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves. 9 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 11 hrs. HighBridge Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611749892. $34.95; 9 CDs. library ed.; digital download. HIST

Worick, Jennifer. Things I Want To Punch in the Face. 3 CDs. library ed. 3 hrs. AudioGO. 2013. ISBN 9780792795254. $39.95; digital download. HUMOR

Worth, Jennifer. Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times. 11 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 12 hrs. HighBridge Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781611749243. $39.95; digital download. MEMOIR

EVENTS

FOLLOW ON If you are on Twitter you know that a lot of publishers are there discussing upcoming releases and looking to connect with librarians and readers. How can a person keep on top of all those tweets? I tend to group publishers together in a Twitter list so I can easily review their tweets, especially on Tuesdays (usually a major release day). To enhance your mystery groupings, take a look at Minotaur Books (@MinotaurBooks), Prime Crime/Obsidian (@penguincozies), Hard Case Crime (@hardcasecrime), Midnight Ink (@midnightinkbook), and Soho Press (@soho_press).

Self-publishing is an enormous industry: Bowker reports that more than 235,000 such titles are released annually, a number that only continues to grow. Archway would provide not only the editorial, design, and distribution services that Author Solutions has always offered, but also inclusion in the Edelweiss online catalog, access to a speakers’ bureau, as well as video and audio production help—all perks Simon & Schuster consulted on.

It’s clear that the publisher seeks both to capitalize off of its brand (Archway charges between $1,599 and $24,999 per book package) and to avoid tarnishing it (Simon & Schuster’s name does not appear on the final project and its employees are not involved). What remains unclear, however, is whether authors will find Archway’s service worth the cost.

Writer Roxane Gay (Ayiti), who runs her own micropress, took to Twitter and Tumblr to air her astonishment at the announcement. In an email she said, “Many of the services offered in the packages can be obtained, with a bit of legwork, for a fraction of the cost.” She concedes that, “consumers are responsible for educating themselves before investing in such ventures,” but asks “publishing to take a hard look at itself when an outfit like Archway offers a publishing package for $15,000 that includes a DIY Audiobook,” which Gay contends could be replicated with a $30 piece of equipment and a copy of GarageBand.

Gay is not alone in her skepticism about the value of these services. On Twitter, Sarah Weinman of Publisher’s Marketplace scoffed at the fact that social media services—the archetypically cheap marketing alternative—are only available in the most expensive packages.

Meanwhile, most libraries have yet to warm to self-published materials of any stripe, though the tide may be turning – among other endeavors, Califa and Douglas County Libraries in Colorado have recently made combined purchase commitments totaling some $100,000 to acquire the top 10,000 best-selling ebooks from Smashwords, an ebook self-publishing and distribution platform.

Thanks for your support of e-Views, hope to “see” you again at the link above, and best wishes,
Cheryl

From now until September 14th at 11:59pm PST, you can submit your best (original) photograph that illustrates why your library has value.  And there are some nifty prizes to be won:

-       1 first-place winner will receive a voucher for registration at the 2013 Charleston Conference as well as $500 for travel related expenses to attend the 2013 Charleston Conference.

-       5 second-place winners will receive a $50 Amazon gift cards to purchase book(s) of their choice.

-       All 6 winners will have their entry photographs featured in the 2012 Charleston Conference’s photo-desk calendar to be given to all conference attendees.

Just go to this SAGE Facebook page to find the contest rules and how to enter. And may the most valuable library photographs win!

More as it happens,
Cheryl

If you haven’t seen the MLA page on these awards yet, please do take a look, since the MLA is giving these awards to folks who really do advocate for libraries. And kudos to Gale for earning this award.

More as it happens,
Cheryl

And you can try it for free from now until September 18, 2012.

Just go to: http://spex.alexanderstreet.com/

and use these login codes:

Username:  eviews
Password:  sportex

Enjoy! and
more as it happens,
Cheryl

Gale Genealogy Connect is an advanced online tool for genealogical research, designed to instruct researchers in genealogical research methods and help them organize materials to build optimal family trees. It is powered by information from Genealogical.com, publishers of works on genealogy and family history, and includes: “how-to” works for doing genealogical research; Colonial period works identifying early American settlers and chronicling immigration to America; works that can trace noble and royal ancestries; and histories and source records for Native American tribes. It features a user interface with instant translation into 38 languages, unlimited 24/7 simultaneous access, seamless cross-searching across Gale Genealogy Connect collections, mult-page viewing (to recreate a book experience), and the ability to print, save, e-mail, and share articles.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Want to try it for free?  You can, right here. Just go to:

http://www.galetrials.com/default.aspx?TrialID=39230;ContactID=6287

to  access it for the next 2 weeks (this free trial expires Sept. 13^th).

Please note: If the above link takes you to a page asking for Account number and ZIP, just copy and paste the URL into your browser address bar to get in.

Enjoy! and more as it happens,
Cheryl

If you’d like to attend this event in person, fill out this form at the Berkman site and you’ll get a confirmation by e-mail. For those who can’t attend in person, the event will be recorded and archived on the Berkman Center site shortly after it takes place.

I love the fact that Suber not only talks the talk but walks the walk; as his web site states: “The book will become open access one year after publication.” Very cool.

More as it happens,
Cheryl

The site also includes a link to  Bon Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian, the companion site for the exhibit itself, where you can explore a panoramic view of the kitchen as installed at the Smithsonian (it requires Flash to play), as well as images and commentary about a host of items Child kept in her kitchen (including her copy of The Joy of Cooking, which the site notes was “the first cookbook she acquired after her marriage and the one she most used, after her own.”

It’s a joy to see these things, and to remember Mrs. Child. I’ve lived in two places she once called home (Santa Barbara, CA and Cambridge, MA) and always hoped to catch a glimpse of her at the markets she was said to frequent… and I actually did see her one day in Cambridge some years ago, as she wheeled a shopping cart across the road from the Broadway Market to the parking lot (in fact, I stopped my car to let her cross, not in a crosswalk — a risky thing in Cambridge!).

Since I was raised in a house where the kitchen was the focal family point, and which was where we really lived, Mrs. Child’s stories about her kitchen are very resonant for me. Her cookbooks have stood me in very good stead, too, especially Mastering the Art of French Cooking (oh! the Potage Parmentier!) and The Way to Cook (which taught me how to boil an egg properly and how to make incredible quiche, among many other things).

And then… I remembered that the Schlesinger Library has quite a bit of material from and about Child, and did a quick look, and found this page, A Julia-worthy Feast, highlighting collections Child gave to the Schlesinger (papers, audiotapes, and videotapes) as well as the upcoming “Siting Julia: a Julia Child Centenary Symposium,” to be held Friday, September 21, 2012, sponsored by the Schlesinger Library and held at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study here in Cambridge. (Although the symposium is free and open to the public, it requires registration and there is already a wait-list.) But the site itself is full of Child-related treasures. Of course, Mrs. Child herself was a great treasure for us all.

More as it happens, from a humble fan of Mrs. Child’s,
Cheryl

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