Guest Review - The Hugo Awards Nominees (Novels)

One of the Kindles here in the house is in use by my stepson, Brian. When he isn't busy wearing out the five-way on the K2 playing Monopoly, he is reading (seriously, it's even putting a dent into his paperback habit and he only reads hours and hours a day!). One of the reasons I sign up to support the Hugo Awards each year has been to get the voter's packet of books and I put him in charge of reading the lot before I send in my vote. Here is his review of the novels that have been nominated this year. I've added links to the Kindle editions (one is paper only), for those of you that might want to check out one or two (and probably in a better formatted editions, since the voter packet often includes PDFs).

The Hugo Novels Having taken the time to read the Hugo award nominees for best novel here is a short review and a rating of them by my favorite to least favorite. The best of a very good group of books is Feed. Not being a big fan of Zombie books myself this was a rollicking ride of a book that left you commenting, cheering and laughing all through it while making an almost believable twist on near future history. 5 stars all the way. I keep going back and forth on the next 2. In the end I think Cryoburn should get the nod for 2nd as it stands alone better. This may be the best Miles Vorkisigan novel yet in what is a very fun series, but the thing Bujold has always done with this series is make sure that if this is the first one you have read it doesn't mean you have to go back and start over and when your done if she never wrote another in the series you can live with that to. Blackout on the other hand is also excellent and if this is your first introduction to this series that is fine but at the end of Blackout you are immediately in need of All Clear because your left at such a bad spot in the story, so if you get Blackout get All Clear at the same time. Next is the one fantasy novel on the list, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Note that although I will read fantasy it is not my go to. This is a well written story with some very nice twist and well worth the nomination it received. Then finally we come to what I call the art book. The Dervish House is one of those books in which the author is so busy looking at relationships and creating pretty pictures that he forgets this is Science Fiction and not a chick flick. It is a pretty book and at least one book every year is in this category but it doesn't mean I have to like them, I don't. In conclusion four out of five of the nominated novels are very readable which is a great score and if you only get to read one of them, then pick Feed. The Step Son (Brian)

Yes, he really did sign it that way! LOL! I know he really enjoyed Feed, as he has been reading the next one in the series when we visit Barnes & Noble (thanks to their Read in Store feature - I'm about done with Hit List that way, as well).

Southern Cooking: The How-To Guide

Southern Cooking: The How-To Guide, by Wanda Long

Review
A southern guide, probably written by someone from the North.

First, seasoning a cast iron pan takes more than one brief exposure to oil in the oven. But, as you go thru just the first few recipes, you can see the author doesn't know much about the subject.

Cornbread is southern, but the recipe shown is a very northern one, 3/4 white flour and would have little cornbread taste or texture - a true southern recipe is 100% cornmeal, while some do cheat a bit and add white flour, eggs are the secret to a cornbread that holds together (for a 9-inch recipes, you need two-three eggs, not one). Then, you cook it cast iron, not a cake dish (as is common with northern recipes). And you ABSOLUTELY do not, EVER, NEVER add sugar to corn bread!

Nor to biscuits, for that matter, which is done in the first recipe of the book (and butter will work, but a true southern recipe calls for pure white lard, as biscuits should be pure white and flaky, not yellow like out of a can), and the flour should be a low-gluten type, not all purpose (ok, it absolutely should be White Lily, although there is some controversy over whether it's still the same, now that the plant moved to the north, which involves using new grinding equipment and possibly the region where the corn is grown, which changed the texture).

Zucchini bread is usually served with coffee, just as any other dessert bread, either for breakfast (instead of a pastry) or a mid-afternoon snack (or after dinner, not with it; that's where your cornbread should go, if you make it so it isn't a sweet dessert). Country fried steak that isn't dipped in flour? Really? Frankly, I quit reading the recipes closely after that. The recipes may be fine, they may work. But, it's northern recipes for southern foods (and probably created without any input from the anyone in the south).

Shadowmagic

When I bought Shadowmagic ($0.99), by John Lenahan, in October '09, I paid $3.40 and considered it a good bargain. At the current sale prices, you should grab this one and the newly released sequel Prince of Hazel and Oak (Shadowmagic Book 2) ($1.59), before the publisher (The Friday Project, an imprint of HarperCollins) decides to raise the prices. If you happen to have already purchased the sequel and got it when it too had the title "Shadowmagic", be sure to delete it and re-download so that you Kindle has the proper title (one of the few changes a publisher can make and you get an update just by redownloading).

When I saw the sequel was out (and the big price drop), I pulled out the first volume and read it thru in just three days (in between doing everything else). The paper edition says it is 288 pages, but they go by in a flash (unlike Lord of the Rings, which the synopsis compares it to). This is young adult fiction, but is entirely enjoyable by adults of any age; there is budding romance (but barely a kiss or two) and the story is told from the point of view of a teenage boy, who is getting ready to go to school, trying to find a good time to ask his dad for a bit more cash to take out a girl, when he answers the door ... only to have people on horseback try to kill him, a weird glow surround him and one of the attackers crumble to dust upon being unhorsed. His day only gets worse, but he quickly adapts to his new surroundings, after breaking free of his captors and finding himself not in the Real World, at all.

The action isn't non-stop (really, could anyone stand to read 200+ pages that were?), as, in addition to a bit of adventure, you get his reaction to the new land, descriptions of what he sees and finds and experiences, as he makes his way. Along that way, he first reacts without thinking, but gradually changes to reaction with forethought (well, as much as a teen can muster, at any rate), growing at least metaphorically during journey. As with most good teen fiction, good triumphs over evil, in the end (at least for the day), but there is also tragedy to provide a bittersweet tinge to the joy of the day.

At the end, you can see the hooks for a sequel are set, but the volume concludes well on it's own (no big cliffhangers to frustrate you if you do decide not to get the second title). For myself, though, I've put the sequel near the top of my TBR list (just as soon as I go thru the rest of the sale titles on the Kindle Sunshine Deals page, to see if there are any paperbacks I want to replace or any other series where I can fill in a missing title).

Book Description
A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.

Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.Conor thought he was an average teenager. OK, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages and was a bit on the eccentric side but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armour appear at his front door and try to kill him. After that, things get pretty weird.

Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and will have a broad appeal beyond the fantasy sections.

Gideon's Sword

I stayed up late last night, to finish reading Gideon's Sword ($12.99), by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The intro starts out with Gideon's childhood, followed by what could have been a novella in it's own right, completing the backstory for Gideon Crew, a chameleon who blends in anywhere (with a bit of help from some stage props) and can lie his way thru nearly any situation, much like Frank W. Abagnale, in Catch Me If You Can. Add in a dash of James Bond, for this is an international thriller, and you start to get the flavor of the novel, which was released today.

It's one thrill after another, with twist and turns along the way and you never know when an ally might turn out to be your enemy. It all starts with a routine job (or, as routine as you might get, as independent contractor with DHS, offered $100K for a one week project) to retrieve the plans for a weapon that are being smuggled into the US by an agent who is to arrive within a couple of hours of Gideon's being hired for the job.

I thought the earliest chapters were the weakest of the book, especially when he is supposed to be a brilliant physicist, yet the math in a paper written by his father years earlier is described as "way over his head". Not to mention the likelihood of a master art thief who turned over a new leaf to become a government employed physicist, who fly-fishes in his spare time. But, once past the setup chapters (and after his father has been avenged) and the true story commences. From there on, the action is non-stop and each chapter ended with me wanting to read just one more, until I arrived at the "end", which was, of course, anything but. There are obviously going to be more books in this series and I'll have them on my wishlist for the future. I do see, though, that they'll all have to cover very short periods of time or the leverage that DHS used to get Gideon to agree to work with them will have to be proven false (or a cure found).

You can sign up for a newsletter from Child and Preston, which looks to be published monthly, more or less, to get samples of their works-in-progress or tidbits about the characters that might not make it into the books themselves.

Book Description
Introducing Gideon Crew: trickster, prodigy, master thief

At twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.

At twenty-four, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.

Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.

But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.

For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning . . .

If you order the current Kindle edition of Gideon's Sword, you'll also get a bonus download of The Zero Game ($7.99), by Brad Meltzer. I picked this one up when it was under $2 last year. You don't order it separately (and the book page won't show that you own it, which is something I wish Amazon would fix), but a copy of the book just shows up in your library and on the same Kindle where you sent Gideon's Sword.

Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaires and The First Counsel returns to Wash-ington, D.C., with the story of an insider's game that turns deadly. Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are best friends who have plum jobs as senior staffers to well-respected congressmen. But after a decade in Washington, idealism has faded to disillusionment, and they're bored. Then one of them finds out about the clandestine Zero Game. It starts out as good fun-a simple wager between friends. But when someone close to them ends up dead, Harris and Matthew realize the game is far more sinister than they ever imagined-and that they're about to be the game's next victims. On the run, they turn to the only person they can trust: a 16-year-old Senate page who can move around the Capitol undetected. As a ruthless killer creeps closer, this idealistic page not only holds the key to saving their lives, but is also determined to redeem them in the process. Come play The Zero Game-you can bet your life on it.

A pre-publication, print copy of this book was provided by the publisher/publicist for this review.

Bon Appetit Desserts

Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful ($9.99 Kindle, $20.00 Hardcover), edited by Barbara Fairchild, is a massive cookbook from one of my favorite magazines. Since I reviewed an ebook version, I didn't realize just how large it was until I saw it recently in one of the local bookstores. Not only will it take up quite a bit of space on your counter when cooking, but it is quite heavy if you plan on reading it without having a place to prop it up. On the other hand, this is a book with page after page of gorgeous photographs, each one seducing you into adding just one more recipe to the list that you absolutely must try.

On the Kindle, the first 700 locations after the cover are just the linked table of contents alone and the photographs are not nearly so compelling in shades of gray (which might be better for your waistline, all things considered). I popped the Kindle sample onto my iPad though, and all the photographs are there and my mouth is watering once again. Not only that, but the sample I downloaded from the Hardcover page includes "the first chapter", which is a bit misleading. In fact, it has the first nineteen recipes from Cakes, which follows the (long) sections The Desserts Pantry, Equipment: The Basics and Techniques: The Basics, all of which are also included.

With over 2200 locations, the sample alone is worth picking up and keeping, even if you don't purchase the full book. You'll be missing out, though, as recipes such as the Double-Ginger Gingerbread with Orange-Ginger Sauce start only a few pages farther in, not to mention the final assembly instructions on that Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Cardamom Streusel are missing from the sample (two more paragraphs would have finished that recipe). If cakes are not your thing, fear not. Future chapters continue with:

• Cheesecakes
• Pies, Tarts & Pastries
• Custards & Puddings
• Fruit Desserts
• Frozen Desserts
• Cookies
• Bar Cookies & Brownies
• Candy

Yes, there is fudge and and there are truffles (Dark Chocolate Truffles alone has two recipes, with completely different flavors). Fruit isn't limited to Pies and there are many types of Cobblers (complete with the Vanilla–Crème Fraîche Biscuits recipe that you serve separately with the Cherry-Lime Cobbler, if you are looking for something different). If you prefer your chocolate with coffee, be sure to check out the Chocolate-Espresso Puddings with Espresso Whipped Cream. For dead simple and quick to prepare, you can't beat the Mascarpone and Berry Parfaits. For a bit more elegance, try the make-ahead Cranberry and Lemon-Ginger Parfaits, which they show in a plain glass (see below), but should be equally at home in a nice cut-crystal stemmed glass.

As you can see from the above prices, which appear to be part of the Black Friday Book Deals, the books is being greatly discounted at Amazon right now. If you are a Mark Bittman fan, they are having lightning deals on his How to Cook Everything right now ($17.50) and will have the Vegetarian version discounted later this afternoon.

The Hardcover edition also comes with a free subscription or renewal to Bon Apetit magazine, which separately sells for $12, with auto-renewal, or $15, without. In fact, you can get the hardcover to use in the kitchen and the Kindle version for browsing and checking in the store while shopping, for less than the retail price of the hardcover alone.

Book Description (Hardcover)
For more than 50 years, Bon Appetit magazine has been seducing readers with to-die-for desserts. From quick homestyle cookies to unforgettable special-occasion finales such as spiced chocolate torte wrapped in chocolate ribbons, Bon Appetit showcases meticulously tested recipes that turn out perfectly--every time. Now, culled from Bon Appetit's extensive archives and including never-before-published recipes, Bon Appetit Desserts promises to be the comprehensive guide to all things sweet and wonderful.

Authored by Bon Appetit editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appetit Desserts features more than 600 recipes--from layer cakes to coffee cakes, tortes and cupcakes to pies, tarts, candies, puddings, souffles, ice cream, cookies, holiday desserts, and much, much more. Certain to inspire both experienced home cooks and those just starting out in the kitchen, each recipe is designed to ensure the dessert preparation process is as enjoyable as the finished result.

Includes a subscription (or renewal) to Bon Appetit Magazine

A limited time use, pre-publication, PDF galley of this book was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for this review.

Green Books campaign: The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. The goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on the Eco-Libris website.

I learned of the campaign fairly late in the signup period, but managed to find a book that piqued my interest. The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff-and Making a Profit ($23.07 Paperback), by Richard Wiswall, was provided by Chelsea Green Publishing for this review. This is large format paperback, 184 pages, printed on chlorine-free, recycled paper and includes a companion CD-ROM with four spreadsheets and a doc file, all of which worked fine in the Open Office included on my netbook. A Kindle edition is available ($18.46), but I would not recommend it, even on the DX - the worksheets can be a bit of a strain to read even on paper and may be impossible as tables on the Kindle, plus you don't get the companion CD.

Most books on organic farming/gardening approach the subject from the gardening viewpoint. This book, however, introduces the organic farmer to several of the concepts needed to run a farm as a successful business, starting with the principle that profit is not evil (including a chapter on how to plan for a retirement where you don't have to keep working the farm until you die or sell off the farm to afford it). There are worksheets to help determine which crops are making money (after expenses which include more than just materials) as well as track payroll taxes (although I'd suggest considering a program like Quickbooks to handle that part of the business). The worksheets are pretty involved and some of the print is quite small on the page, but each one is included in one of the spreadsheets on the companion CD. The book may not make the actual gardening any easier (or find you reliable laborers), but it should assist in deciding which crops to grow and which markets to attend (if it costs you more to get ready for a market than you sell, you're better off not harvesting the crops at all). With a bit of hard work, good weather and proper planning, you might even get to the income level he discusses in the first chapter, bringing in after-expense profits in the six figures (at which point you might want an accountant rather than a do-it-yourself book for tax planning).

All-in-all, I felt it was a pretty good introduction for someone with an organic gardening background that wants to make it as a commercial farmer. The chapter on production efficiencies uses all organic methods, but doesn't avoid machinery that will be needed for larger operations, while chapters on calculating expenses and costs include hidden costs, marketing and CSAs, as well as special considerations if your spouse is also working on the farm. Most other books on the business of farming have an overwhelming focus on chemical rather than mechanical controls and wholesaling of commodity crops, rather than selling to smaller markets or direct to the customer.

Book Description
Contrary to popular belief, a good living can be made on an organic farm. What's required is farming smarter, not harder.

In The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook, Richard Wiswall shares advice on how to make your vegetable production more efficient, better manage your employees and finances, and turn a profit. From his twenty-seven years of experience at Cate Farm in Vermont, Wiswall knows firsthand the joys of starting and operating an organic farm-as well as the challenges of making a living from one. Farming offers fundamental satisfaction from producing food, working outdoors, being one's own boss, and working intimately with nature. But, unfortunately, many farmers avoid learning about the business end of farming; because of this, they often work harder than they need to, or quit farming altogether because of frustrating-and often avoidable-losses.

In this comprehensive business kit, Wiswall covers:

* Step-by-step procedures to make your crop production more efficient
* Advice on managing employees, farm operations, and office systems
* Novel marketing strategies
* What to do with your profits: business spending, investing, and planning for retirement

A companion CD offers valuable business tools, including easy-to-use spreadsheets for projecting cash flow, a payroll calculator, comprehensive crop budgets for twenty-four different crops, and tax planners.

No Mad

Sam Moffie's No Mad ($9.99) can be a little difficult to get into, as the writing style resembles stream of consciousness and the mind of the protagonist is one that seems to suffer from ADD/ADHD. One thought leads to another, but eventually the does come back to the story line. It wasn't long, though, before the story itself started pulling me along and the style took a backseat to the plot line.

In No Mad, Aaron Abrams is an author who has just landed his first big book deal. He cuts short his daily errand run and rushes home to celebrate with his wife and after repeated attempts to reach his brother, only to discover the reason that his wife seemed distracted and his brother was unreachable was that they were having sex in the backyard pool (at the bottom of which was his brother's phone). He packs a bag and his dog, then dumps a bucket of ice on the two from the balcony and walks out, beginning a journey that lasts the rest of the book. A journey that covers not only a considerable portion of the United States, but one that ends with Aaron, if not in a state of peace, at least in a position of emotional security (good thing, with his entire family re-united at a wedding, with the kids keeping the warring sides separated).

The humor and style won't be for everyone (a good guide might be your reaction to the movie Superbad). I'd definitely recommend taking advantage of the free sample ability on the Kindle, in fact. There is plenty of adult language and explicit descriptions of adult subjects (some of which I, quite frankly, found a bit disgusting). There is a continuing theme involving the game of Jinx (not just here and there, but with mentions on what seems like nearly every other page). It' s hard to believe that someone who grew up in the 60's had never heard of the game until college, as is claimed for Aaron Abrams, but even harder to believe that he would continue to play the game thru his 40's with anyone other than his own kids and then only until perhaps their teens. But, indeed, the game of Jinx, complete with shoulder punching of friends, family, peers and even aquaintances, is featured with such frequency that I felt it detracted from the story. A more positive theme that recurs throughout the book is how Aaron relates to the world thru the music of his youth. There are frequent references to songs and artists from the 70's and 80's, along with quoted song lyrics that illustrate how Aaron feels at the time.

Overall, the book is quite funny, but there are some elements that detract from it being as good a story as it could be, and I'd give it 3.5 stars out of five. I also think the pricing is a bit steep for the Kindle edition. This is Moffie's third book, but he isn't quite at the bestseller level yet.

Jinx! I knew you thinking that, too!