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THE LAST DAYS OF THE LACUNA CABAL by Sean Dixon

June 20, 2009

METAPHYSICAL FANTASIA on the Epic of Gilgamesh set in modern-day Montreal and Iraq has charm, but lacks substance. B MINUS

THE LAST DAYS OF THE LACUNA CABAL
Other Press
2009

Grade: B MINUS

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SARA BAARTMAN AND THE HOTTENTOT VENUS by Clifton Crais

June 19, 2009

SCHOLARLY BIO of the African woman exhibited in 19th-century Europe as “Hottentot Venus” is fact-filled, yet flat. B MINUS

SARA BAARTMAN AND THE HOTTENTOT VENUS: A GHOST STORY AND A BIOGRAPHY
Princeton University Press
2008

Grade: B MINUS

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ENGLISH by Wang Gang

June 18, 2009

COMING OF AGE STORY set in then-remote Xinjiang Province during Mao’s Cultural Revolution is terrifying, touching. B PLUS

ENGLISH: A NOVEL
Viking Adult
2009

Grade: B PLUS

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HOW TO LIVE ON MARS by Robert Zubrin

June 17, 2009

FICTIONAL GUIDE to the nitty-gritty of life on a future inhabited Mars offers food for thought along with laughs. SOLID B

HOW TO LIVE ON MARS: A TRUSTY GUIDEBOOK TO SURVIVING AND THRIVING ON THE RED PLANET
Crown Publishing Group
2008

Grade: SOLID B

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BARBIE AND RUTH by Robin Gerber

June 16, 2009

WELL-RESEARCHED, no-nonsense bio of the unsinkable, scrappy woman who cofounded Mattel, invented the Barbie doll. B PLUS

BARBIE AND RUTH: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS DOLL AND THE WOMAN WHO CREATED HER
HarperBusiness
2009

Grade: B PLUS

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SCATTERSHOT by David Lovelace

June 15, 2009

HARROWING, candid, surprisingly funny memoir of life in a family where mom, dad, 2 kids were diagnosed as bipolar. SOLID B

SCATTERSHOT: MY BIPOLAR FAMILY
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
2008

Grade: SOLID B

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LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS by Kyra Davis

June 14, 2009

SASSY SAN FRANCISCO SLEUTH Sophie Katz is back in another book, a juicy tale involving ghosts and family secrets. B PLUS

LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS
Mira
2009

Grade: B PLUS

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JETPACK DREAMS by Mac Montandon

June 13, 2009

THE FANTASY, SCIENCE, and legend of jetpacks, rocketpacks, and flying cars, told in charming gonzo-journalist style. B PLUS

JETPACK DREAMS: ONE MAN’S UP AND DOWN (BUT MOSTLY DOWN) SEARCH FOR THE GREATEST INVENTION THAT NEVER WAS
Da Capo Press
2008

Grade: B PLUS

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WAITING FOR THE APOCALYPSE by Veronica Chater

June 12, 2009

RIDICULOUS, YET POIGNANT story of a 1970s US family’s hapless move to Portugal in pursuit of their Catholic dream. B PLUS

WAITING FOR THE APOCALYPSE: A MEMOIR OF FAITH AND FAMILY
W. W. Norton & Company
2009

Grade: B PLUS

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NATURAL HISTORY OF SEEING by Simon Ings

June 11, 2009

THE SCIENCE OF SEEING presented in engaging, witty prose. Rich in detail, yet clear enough for everyone to enjoy. A MINUS

NATURAL HISTORY OF SEEING
Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
2008

Grade: A MINUS

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