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THE POSSESSED by Elif Batuman

June 30, 2010

FUNNY, RUEFUL, RIDICULOUS, and wise memoir of one woman’s love affair with Russian literature and culture. A MINUS

THE POSSESSED: ADVENTURES WITH RUSSIAN BOOKS AND THE PEOPLE WHO READ THEM
Farrar Straus Giroux
2010

Grade: A MINUS

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BROKER, TRADER, LAWYER, SPY by Eamon Javers

June 28, 2010

COMPELLING AS ANY THRILLER is this inside look at the world of international corporate espionage. Fascinating! B PLUS

BROKER, TRADER, LAWYER, SPY: THE SECRET WORLD OF CORPORATE ESPIONAGE
HarperBusiness
2010

Grade: B PLUS

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AGATHA CHRISTIE’S SECRET NOTEBOOKS by John Curran

A DEVOTED FAN’S LOOK AT the notebooks in the Agatha Christie archive offers insights into her writing process. SOLID B

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S SECRET NOTEBOOKS: FIFTY YEARS OF MYSTERIES IN THE MAKING
Harper
2010

Grade: SOLID B

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NEXT by James Hynes

June 27, 2010

A FRUSTRATING NOVEL about a frustrated, unhappy man, partially redeemed by a startling, eloquent ending. SOLID B

NEXT
Little, Brown & Company
2010

Grade: SOLID B

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WHITBY VAMPYRRHIC by Simon Clark

June 26, 2010

ATMOSPHERIC, EVOCATIVE tale of vampire hordes in 1942 England is all the more chilling for its restraint. B PLUS

WHITBY VAMPYRRHIC
Severn House Publishers Ltd
2010

Grade: B PLUS

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PRICELESS by John Shiffman

June 25, 2010

AMAZING TRUE STORIES of art thefts and recoveries by a former FBI investigator in a page-turning memoir. B PLUS

PRICELESS: HOW I WENT UNDERCOVER TO RESCUE THE WORLD'S STOLEN TREASURES
Crown
2010

Grade: B PLUS

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POX AND THE COVENANT by Tony Williams

June 24, 2010

BOSTON’S 1721 SMALLPOX epidemic, public roles of Cotton Mather, Ben Franklin cast light on Colonial science. SOLID B

POX AND THE COVENANT: MATHER, FRANKLIN, AND THE EPIDEMIC THAT CHANGED AMERICA’S DESTINY
Sourcebooks, Incorporated
2010

Grade: SOLID B

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A MOUNTAIN OF CRUMBS by Elena Gorokhova

June 22, 2010

FASCINATING, VIVIDLY told memoir of a young woman’s life in the crumbling Cold-War world of the USSR. B PLUS

A MOUNTAIN OF CRUMBS: A MEMOIR
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
2010

Grade: B PLUS

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BALANCING ACTS by Zoe Fishman

HIGH-QUALITY CHICK LIT adds a yoga theme to tried and true formula of “four young NYC women becoming friends.” SOLID B

BALANCING ACTS
Harper Paperbacks
2010

Grade: SOLID B

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THE MATCHBOX THAT ATE A FORTY-TON TRUCK by Marcus Chown

June 20, 2010

ENGAGING, CLEARLY PRESENTED, witty overview of quantum physics and other complex fields for non-scientists. A MINUS

THE MATCHBOX THAT ATE A FORTY-TON TRUCK: WHAT EVERYDAY THINGS TELL US ABOUT THE UNIVERSE
Faber & Faber
2010

Grade: A MINUS

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