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THE PAINTED BRIDGE, by Wendy Wallace

November 20, 2012

ATMOSPHERIC HISTORICAL NOVEL set in an 1850s English mental hospital is rich in vivid Victorian period detail.

Grade: SOLID B

THE PAINTED BRIDGE
Charles Scribner and Sons
2012

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THE BRONTES, by Juliet Barker

November 19, 2012

IMPRESSIVE NEW BIOGRAPHY of the Brontës reveals much about father and brother as well as the famous sisters.

Grade: B PLUS

THE BRONTES: WILD GENIUS ON THE MOORS: THE STORY OF A LITERARY FAMILY
Pegasus Books
2012

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SEMI-CHARMED LIFE, by Nora Zelevansky

November 18, 2012

DELIGHTFULLY OVER-THE-TOP chick-lit confection is also a satire of celebrity culture with a touch of magic!

Grade: B PLUS

SEMI-CHARMED LIFE
St. Martin's/Griffin
2012

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THE CHILD WHO… by Simon Lelic

November 17, 2012

INGENIOUSLY PLOTTED, DEFTLY characterized novel follows a high-profile murder case and its impact on a family.

Grade: B PLUS

THE CHILD WHO...
Penguin
2012

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MENAGE, by Alix Kates Shulman

November 16, 2012

KEENLY OBSERVED, IMPECCABLY crafted cultural satire revolves around an expat writer and his would-be patrons.

Grade: B PLUS

MENAGE
Other Press
2012

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DOES THIS CHURCH MAKE ME LOOK FAT? by Rhoda Janzen

November 15, 2012

CHARMING, OPEN-HEARTED MEMOIR of a writer’s new marriage, religious reawakening, and breast cancer experience.

Grade: SOLID B

DOES THIS CHURCH MAKE ME LOOK FAT? A MENNONITE FINDS FAITH, MEETS MR. RIGHT, AND SOLVES HER LADY PROBLEMS
Grand Central
2012

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TERMINAL POINT, by K. M. Ruiz

November 14, 2012

MUTANT PSYCHICS BATTLE for control of a post-apocalyptic Earth and its space colony. Lots of action!

Grade: B MINUS

TERMINAL POINT: A STRYKERS SYNDICATE NOVEL
St. Martin's
2012

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OUR KIND OF PEOPLE, by Uzodinma Iweala

November 13, 2012

FIRST-PERSON STORIES of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria paint a nuanced picture of the disease’s impact.

Grade: B PLUS

OUR KIND OF PEOPLE: A CONTINENT'S CHALLENGE, A COUNTRY'S HOPE
Harper
2012

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THE GENERAL’S MISTRESS, by Jo Graham

November 12, 2012

DASHING HISTORICAL IS crammed a bit too full, with kinky sex and psychic powers atop court intrigue, battles.

Grade: B MINUS

THE GENERAL'S MISTRESS
Gallery Books
2012

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HORSESHOE CRABS AND VELVET WORMS, by Richard Fortey

November 11, 2012

A MARVELOUSLY ENJOYABLE TOUR of so-called “living fossils”—the world’s oldest (and strangest) organisms.

Grade: A MINUS

HORSESHOE CRABS AND VELVET WORMS: THE STORY OF THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS THAT TIME HAS LEFT BEHIND
Knopf
2012

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