LIFE IN RURAL and industrializing China, as seen through an American reporter’s eyes. Fascinating true stories. B PLUS

COUNTRY DRIVING: A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA FROM FARM TO FACTORY
HarperCollins Publishers
2010

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE for a 17-year-old: his father’s porn theater, and his mother’s newfound Hasidic faith. SOLID B

PEEP SHOW
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2010

DETAILED RECREATION of the Battle of Waterloo is a treasure trove for devoted military history buffs. B PLUS

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO
Random House (NY)
2010

HIGH-SOCIETY SCANDAL, seen from a secondhand store, in newest of the “Dead End Jobs” mystery series. SOLID B #beachread

HALF-PRICE HOMICIDE: A DEAD-END JOB MYSTERY
NAL Hardcover
2010

TOUGH-GUY NOIR set in the deep woods of Maine melds twisty plot and strong sense of place, character. B PLUS #beachread

THE POACHER’S SON
St. Martin’s Press
2010

ODD, INTERESTING book about poet Emily Dickinson and her family’s conflicts and lawsuits is well researched. SOLID B

LIVES LIKE LOADED GUNS: EMILY DICKINSON AND HER FAMILY’S FEUDS
Viking Books
2010

WELL CRAFTED HIP-HOP soap opera is a fast paced, compulsive page turner a cut above the usual. B PLUS #beachread

PLATINUM
Touchstone Books
2010

COZY COOKING MYSTERY has folksy small-town characters, yummy recipes, and a solid whodunnit plot. B PLUS #beachread

APPLE TURNOVER MURDER
Kensington
2010

CANDID, DETAILED MEMOIR from a former professional dominatrix is thoughtful, if perhaps too graphic for some. B PLUS

WHIP SMART: A MEMOIR
St. Martin’s Press
2010

ANOTHER ENGAGING MYSTERY with a hip chick-lit touch from Kyra Davis; humor, characterization shine. B PLUS #beachread

VOWS, VENDETTAS AND A LITTLE BLACK DRESS
Mira
2010