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RUNNER (JANE WHITEFIELD NOVELS) by Thomas Perry

July 31, 2009

JANE WHITEFIELD GUIDES a new fugitive through this taut, suspenseful novel. Gritty, beautifully wrought. A MINUS #beachread

RUNNER (JANE WHITEFIELD NOVELS)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
2009

Grade: A MINUS

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BARBARIANS TO ANGELS by Peter S. Wells

JAM-PACKED WITH FASCINATING INFORMATION, surprisingly readable short history sheds new light on so-called Dark Ages. B PLUS

BARBARIANS TO ANGELS: THE DARK AGES RECONSIDERED
Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
2008

Grade: B PLUS

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THE DRAINING LAKE by Arnaldur Indridason

July 29, 2009

QUIET, ELOQUENT MYSTERY from Iceland’s master of police procedurals looks at the human toll of Cold War intrigue. A MINUS

THE DRAINING LAKE: A THRILLER (REYKJAVIK THRILLER)
Minotaur Books
2008

Grade: A MINUS

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NOW THE DRUM OF WAR by Robert Roper

July 28, 2009

WALT WHITMAN AND HIS FAMILY come into vivid focus in this beautifully presented look at their Civil War letters. A MINUS

NOW THE DRUM OF WAR: WALT WHITMAN AND HIS BROTHERS IN THE CIVIL WAR
Walker & Company
2008

Grade: A MINUS

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THE BLOODY WHITE BARON by James Palmer

July 27, 2009

ASTONISHING STORY of the Russian nobleman who ruled Mongolia just after World War I. Well-researched, well-written. B PLUS

THE BLOODY WHITE BARON: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE RUSSIAN NOBLEMAN WHO BECAME THE LAST KHAN OF MONGOLIA
Basic Books
2009

Grade: B PLUS

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MY INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL, MISERABLE LIFE by Adam Nimoy

July 26, 2009

ENGAGING, CANDID MEMOIR about divorce, teaching, recovery from drug abuse, and growing up with Mr. Spock for a dad. SOLID B

MY INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL, MISERABLE LIFE: AN ANTI-MEMOIR
Pocket
2009

Grade: SOLID B

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MURDER IN FOUR PARTS (DAN RHODES SERIES #16) by Bill Crider

July 25, 2009

SMALL-TOWN TEXAS SHERIFF Dan Rhodes returns in this well-plotted mystery with dry humor and barbershop harmony. SOLID B

MURDER IN FOUR PARTS (DAN RHODES SERIES #16)
St. Martin’s Press
2009

Grade: SOLID B

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THAT WENT WELL by Terrell Harris Dougan

July 24, 2009

WARM-HEARTED, FUNNY, TOUCHING MEMOIR by writer whose life with a developmentally disabled sister sparked activism. B PLUS

THAT WENT WELL: ADVENTURES IN CARING FOR MY SISTER
Hyperion
2009

Grade: B PLUS

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THE COOLEST RACE ON EARTH by John Hanc

July 23, 2009

THE ORIGINAL ANTARCTICA MARATHON’S human story, from a journalist who ran the mind-boggling polar race in 2005. SOLID B

THE COOLEST RACE ON EARTH: MUD, MADMEN, GLACIERS, AND GRANNIES AT THE ANTARCTICA MARATHON
Chicago Review Press
2009

Grade: SOLID B

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GHOST RADIO by Leopoldo Gout

RADIO, PUNK ROCK, MESOAMERICAN CULTURE and the supernatural blend in this spooky, gripping debut novel. A MINUS #beachread

GHOST RADIO
HarperCollins Publishers
2008

Grade: A MINUS

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