Alvah's Books

The Ashes of Innocence
By Alexandra Tesluk
Tesluk Publications 2008
349 pages
$21.95

Reviewed by Randall Radic

Written by Alexandra Tesluk, The Ashes of Innocence relates the story of a child (Alexandra), whose father vanished at the end of World War II.  Alexandra’s mother – who makes Cinderella’s stepmother look like a saint – decides that, instead of going back to the Soviet Union, where she and her family would more than likely end up in a death camp, she will take her two daughters to Canada.  Upon arriving in Canada, they are classified as DP’s (displaced persons).  Today, they would be called ‘refugees.’  Essentially, they were nobodies without any status whatsoever.  No citizenship anywhere.

Things get worse.  Alexandra’s mother marries a violent alcoholic, who gets some kind of bizarre pleasure out of abusing and torturing his stepdaughters.  Good old mom, of course, who is the textbook definition of emotional inaccessibility, looks the other way.

One thing leads to another.  After the stepfather dies, Alexandra is abandoned by her mother.  Which means more suffering and loneliness.  Eventually Alexandra marries a violent alcoholic, who uses her as a punching bag.  Alexandra bears a child, whom she gives up for adoption for obvious reasons.  And on and on it goes.

Throughout the story, Alexandra keeps searching for the father she never knew.  This quest brings focus to her life.  In the end, Alexandra goes in a different direction.  She “gets a life.”  Just like in a fairy tale, she marries a prince, becomes successful in business, and reunites with her daughter.

She never does find her father.  However, she does hook up with relatives in Poland, which is where the book ends.

The story is told in a unique way and in Alexandra’s unique voice.  Which is to say Alexandra is not a professional author.  Which means the style is somewhat dicey at times.  Yet it is this very Ronco Chop-O-Matic style that gives the book its charm, the charm of a real story as told by a real person.  This realness allows Alexandra’s personality to seep out as she conveys her story.  Which means that when the reader finishes reading the book, he feels as if he knows her.  And this accretion of knowing – as the story progresses – allows the reader to identify with Alexandra, the protagonist.  Which means the reader finds himself rooting for her.

You can’t ask for much more than that.

On the old Read-O-Meter, which ranges from 1 star (pathetic) to 5 stars (outstanding), The Ashes of Innocence rates 5 stars for readability, and 4 stars for style.  Which means 4 and a half stars.

And that ain’t too shabby.

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[1] For a fact, most of the best memoirs seem to be penned by women.  Probably because men are too worried about what other people will think of them.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
By Renni Browne and Dave King
Harper Paperbacks
288 pages
List Price: $13.99; Amazon Price: $10.07

At the Internet Writing Workshop’s writing list there have been several animated emails going back and forth about the best books for editing. One writer always writes about his three bibles: The Chicago Manual of Style, The Synonym Finder, and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

Since I am a bibliophile and love all sorts of reference books, it should not as a suprise when I admit that I own all three. I actually got The Synonym Finder and its been incredible.  And I agree with this particular writer concerning Self-Editing. It’s a marvelous book, and it will help shape your fiction.

Self-Editing is divided into 12 chapters ranging from “Show and Tell” to “Voice” Each chapter has exercises and the writers have included an appendix with the answers to the exercises, as well as a reading list pf other books on writing craft.

I’ve used this book, but not as often as I should. And now that I am rethinking my novel, I have the perfect opportunity revisit these chapters. Although I’m pretty good with dialogue even I need some points to make it crisper and to convey emotion through the characters words and not describe how they are feeling. In other words, if you’ve properly set the scene that a character is astonished and says “You can’t be serious,” you can easily drop the “she said in astonishment.” For Browne and King adding this tag is lazy writing. Or as they point out:

When your dialogue is well written, describing your characters’ emotions to your readers is just as patronizing as a playwright running onto the stage and yelling at the audience. And when you explain dialogue that needs no explanation, you are writing down to your readers, a sure-fire way to turning them off. The theatergoer might or might not walk out of a theater when the playwright runs on stage; the reader who feels patronized will almost certainly close the book.

Chapter 11 focuses on how to make your writing more sophisticated by using some stylistic tricks. Browne and King give the “as and ing” construction example:

Pulling off her gloves, she turned to face him.

or

As she pulled off her gloves, she turned to face him.

Although both phrases are grammatically correct and express the action clearly and ambiguously.  They write:

Both of these constructions take a bit of action and tuck it away into a dependent clause. This tends to place some of your action at one remove from your reader, to make the actions seem incidental, unimportant. And so if you use these constructions often, you weaken your writing.

Guilty as charged!

It’s advice like this that makes Self-Editing one of the best books on the market, and a valuable one to revisit often (note to self: practice what you preach). Now for those who have finished manuscripts, get editing with Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

Bang the Keys
by Jill Dearman
Alpha Books, 2009
238 pages
List price: $16.95; Amazon price: $11.53

I received this book last summer and it was in my ever-growing backlog of books until I managed to dig it out from the pile this past January. I was in a rut and I thought perhaps Jill Dearman’s Bang the Keys might help me jump start my novel.

Described as “a writing workshop in a book for the concentration-challenged, twenty-first century writer,” Bang the Keys is a four step program based on the word “Bang, ” and each chapter offers a series of exercises to get the writing juices flowing. The first step “B” is for begin, and to begin with your strongest idea. She strongly advocates the use of writing and journals and recommends keeping two–one to keep track of your ideas and thoughts on your current writing project; the other is more of a personal diary. Other chapters in this section include meditating to help with focus, and using writers that you admire as muses.

Step two or “A” is for arrange or arrange your story into concrete shape. It’s in these chapters that Dearman writes about choosing the medium you want to tell your story. Is it a novel, play, screenplay, epic poem. Once you’ve determined the vehicle then it’s onto character development, structure, and what she calls PLOTWICH that include:

• Premise
• Links
• Obstacles
• Transformation
• Wants
• Impediments
• Conflict
• Heat

The last chapter in this section is an important one. It’s about making the time to write, setting goals, and avoiding distractions. Dearman offers ideas to help with ongoing interruptions (in my case barking dogs, incessant email checking, and just plain putzing about) and they work as long as you stick with them.

Step three is “N” for nurture or nurture your project with love so others may love it, too. Reaching this point for me has been difficult, and here Dearman provides a game for writers who are on the third or fourth draft of their stories and who have lost their way or vision ( oh, that is so me at the moment). Called the Fishbowl game, Dearman instructs the writer to do a quick and dirty character sketch and then ask pertinent questions about the character. The point of the exercise is that it helps the writer he’s uninspired, tired, or facing a blank page.  This can also work with plot and you might discover a golden nugget hidden in the answers. Other chapters include exercises that play on your unconscious. Dearman suggests keeping a dream journal and keeping track if your dreams. She also discusses anxiety and how to overcome it.

The last step “G” or finish your project and let it go, so it can exist in the real world. The theme of the first chapter is to do the opposite. This section neatly ties up the loose ends of your projec by staying and keeping organized.

Dearman writes in a very breezy enthusiastic manner that some readers might find a bit overwhelmingly peppy. Especially for those of us who are currently struggling with writing projects. However, her exercises are helpful and are worth repeating when lack of inspiration or doubt looms.

Bang the Keys is a must-have for writers of all types. Read it. Learn from it, and go write!

Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of India Handicrafts
Edited by Aditi Ranjan and M.P. Ranjan
Abbeville Press
579 pages, 3500+ color photographs; 140 maps
List Price $65.00; Amazon Price: $40.95

[Editor's Note: This is a review I wrote for HAND/EYE Magazine. Below are the first two paragraphs.]

Clueless about the difference between a namda and a gabba?

Do you know how to identify sujuni and chinkankari (hint: they are not on the menu at your local Indian restaurant).  If not, fret no more because Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts provides succinct accounts of just about every handmade category in India. Anyone with a keen interest in craft—collectors, art students, academics, craft enthusiasts, and even writers—will be drawn to this mesmerizing and comprehensive guide to the art and crafts of vast India.

Originally published in 2007 by The Council of Handicraft Development Corporations (COHANDS) in New Delhi, Handmade in India is part reference book and part lavish coffee table book, celebrating centuries of Indian artisans’ mastery of technique and creativity. Surprisingly enough, it’s a real page-turner.

To read the rest of the review please go to HAND/EYE Magazine.

Gemma
By Meg Tilly
St. Martins Griffin
210 pages
$13.99

After quitting acting some years ago, Meg Tilly (Agnes of God, The Big Chill) turned to writing novels. Tilly who was a very good actress proves to be an even better writer, but let’s first get the unpleasantness out of the way: Gemma is disturbing; Tilly doesn’t pull any punches with any of the details, but that’s what makes Gemma such a gripping story.

Told from Gemma’s point of view, readers first meet the 12 year-old while she is still at school, telling us that  Buddy, her mother’s boyfriend, has arrived to pick her up. She’s surprised and says that it’s out of context for him to be there. From there we learn that Gemma enjoys going to school and studying. She likes learning new vocabulary and using the words. Although she has a bit of an edge to her, Gemma is a charming little girl.

However like most tweeners who like to talk, Gemma has a tendency to say too much; the reader discovers early on that Buddy has been molesting her since she was eight years old, telling her that if she says anything she will be going to jail. So Gemma has kept quiet, wondering if her mother even suspects of these nightly visits. Now Buddy feels that he can make an easy $100 and sells her for the afternoon to his friend Hazen Wood, who becomes obsessed with the girl.

A few days later, Wood kidnaps Gemma, throws her in the trunk of the car and embarks on cross-country trip a la Lolita. But Hazen is by no means the sophisticated and non-violent Humbert Humbert. Wood is a monstrous beast. He repeatedly rapes and beats Gemma, yet deludes himself to think that Gemma will eventually love him.

Tilly skillfully switches narratives often. From Gemma’s point of view, we read how she copes through “Gemma Travel,” imagining safe beautiful places where she’s far from the reaches of men like Buddy and Hazen, while Wood’s thoughts are twisted dreams of a child bride and family (Tilly includes a chilling passage that harks back to Lolita about fantasies of incest).

By the time Hazen and Gemma reach Chicago, the nightmare ends for the girl. Wood is taken into custody and Gemma goes to live with a sympathetic foster mother who was also sexually abused as a child. Tilly ends Gemma on cliff-hanger with Wood going to tria,l and Gemma telling her story to the jury.

Some readers will probably want more psychological drama, angst, and backstory, but there is no doubt that Gemma will leave readers raw, angry, and even dazed. Tilly’s characters jump from the pages in a realistically and frightening manner that overly sensitive readers might find the first half the book difficult reading, but given that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys are sexually abused (U.S.Department of Justice Statistics, 2002) it’s a story that needs to be told often and read by many. Kudos to Tilly for writing such a heartbreaking book.

On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
By William Zinsser
Collins Reference, 2001
308 pages
$14.00

About four years ago, I took a fabulous writing class to break into magazines and newspapers at the New School in Manhattan taught by Sue Shapiro. Sue is a prolific writer: She’s written five memoirs, a novel, hundreds of book reviews, and thousands of essays.If you take her class, she’ll give you realistic assignments that possibly can lead to publication in major newspapers or magazines like The New York Times or Newsweek in the sections that publish essays. Most of the reading assignments are in those sections, Sue’s published articles, in addition to what I consider an important book–On Writing Well by William Zinsser.

When we were told this was required reading because it would answer all our questions of how to write nonfiction, I was skeptical. However, good student that I was, I ordered it on Amazon. As soon as the book arrived in the post, and I started reading, I was hooked.

Zinsser offers clear and to the point advice on sharpening your writing style. Divided into four parts, Zinsser kicks it off with writing principles. Chapters include: how to simplify your prose, develop a style, get to know your audience etc. Part two concentrates on writing methods: How to construct a lede and conclude your piece, how to make your story cohesive. Part three is about the different forms of nonfiction: intervews, travel, book reviews, sports, humor, science and technology and so forth. The last part is about attitudes and these chapters include the sound of your voice, decisions you make as a writer, writing as well as you can, and the emotions and phases all writers experience–enjoyment, fear, and confidence.

After On Writing Well, Zinsser published Writing to Learn and this book has also been invaluable to me. Once again, he teaches you how to write clearly about any subject and how to use writing as a means of learning.

For anyone who wants to write non-fiction, On Writing Well is a must have. Buy it, read it, and refer to it often. You won’t regret it

Crime and Drugs on Trip City Street
By Timothy Louis Baker
Strategic Book Publishing 2009
103 pages
$21.50

 Reviewed by Randall Radic

Not too long ago, Cormac McCarthy wrote The Road.  It was a great book and McCarthy is a genius.  In 2006, Vintage Books – which is a part of the Random House empire – published McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited.  The publisher described The Sunset Limited as “a novel in dramatic form.”  Translation:  it was written in dialogue as if for the theater.  Whatever one cared to call it, the technique was effective.  Especially in the hands of someone as gifted as Cormac McCarthy. 

Timothy Louis Baker did just the opposite in his new novel.  It’s called Crime and Drugs on Trip City Street.  And to all intents and purposes Baker has – in effect – taken a dramatic screenplay and turned it into a novel.  And like McCarthy, Baker is neat-handed as he weaves a story of domestic terrorists plotting to take over the government. 

The terrorists finance their conspiracy by means of a continual criminal enterprise – the manufacture, distribution and sale of illegal substances.  Drugs.  To reveal much more of the story would spoil it.  So what happens and how it all turns out won’t be mentioned.  However, the plot is tightly wrapped and rockets along to an explosive ending.

If you want something to compare it to, think Reservoir Dogs, the bloody, intricate and action-packed movie made by Tarantino some years ago.  Which means that Crime and Drugs on Trip City Street would make a hecka-good movie.  In fact, the reviewer suggests Jean Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert and Rutger Hauer would be perfect as the principal bad guys.  Ridley Scott or Tarantino or Rodriguez could direct, adding their personal chromatic touches to an already dark story.  The interplay between directorial coloration and thematic blackness would produce a subtle turbulence. 

Baker’s growth as a writer is evident in Crime and Drugs.  He’s gone from the charm of miscellaneous stream-of-consciousness to the sharper images of a more traditional style of writing.  And his ear for dialogue is skillfully displayed in this latest effort.  Which means it’s an easy book to read, because it resonates with action and a linguistic sartorial flair.  Which means it’s all dressed up and it has someplace to go.  

On the Read-O-Meter, which ranges from one star (pitiful) to five stars (startling), Crime and Drugs on Trip City Street comes in at 5 stars.

Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen
Edited by Ruth Reichl
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009
1,009 pages
$40.00

When the news broke that the magazine Gourmet Today was going kaput I was heartbroken. This was one cooking magazine that I always meant to subscribe, but never got around to it. For 2010, I vowed that I would give myself this relatively inexpensive gift and then, well, Gourmet Today is no more.

However, I was easily consoled that Ruth Reichl, the editor-in-chief, had just put out a 1000+ page cookbook and even at the pricey $40 I thought I would get it and add it to the cookbook collection. The recipes in the magazine never let me down and I doubted the cookbook would, but prior to buying it I was able to preview it thanks to my wonderful local library. As soon as I opened it and went directly to the dessert section, I knew that I had to have this book. 

Apart from the sweets section what makes this cookbook so good? Well, if you’re like me at all and wonder why a recipe calls for sea salt, table salt, and kosher salt, Reichl provides a great sidebar about the differences right from the very get-go, and now I have all three. It’s information of this nature that makes reading a cookbook fun, interesting, and, hopefully, makes one a better cook.

Typically, I like to review a cookbook after I try three recipes and then give it my stamp of approval, but so far I’ve tried only one. Here, at chez moi, we’re trying to eat less meat and more vegetables and soy products. The one recipe we’ve tried so far was Grilled Tofu Sauteed with Asian Greens. It’s a simple dish to prepare. The only labor-intensive part of the recipe is making sure that you’ve pressed all the moisture out of the firm tofu (keep a full roll of paper towels on hand, you’ll need at least half a roll).

The first time I made this, I didn’t have enough paper towels and the tofu was a little springy. The second time, I followed the directions to the letter and the tofu seemed to better absorb the marinade’s flavor, plus it had more of a consistency or bulk to it.

What’s next on the menu? Tough question. There are too many recipes and I want to try them all. Maybe sometime this week, we’ll have Wuxi Spareribs, Hunan Scallion Pancakes, and Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (Millennium Trilogy, 3)
By Stieg Larsson
Quercus
602 pages

Note: American release of the book is scheduled for May 2010.

Lisbeth Salander fans who can’t wait for the American publication of the final installment of the Steig Larsson’s Millennium trilogy can order the book via Amazon.uk or the Book Depository, and for a few dollars more readers can find out what happens to her and Millennium’s publisher Mikael Blomkvist.

In the second book, The Girl Who Played with Fire, Larsson played a cruel joke on readers, leaving them with a horrible cliff hanger that some (including this reviewer) thought a page was missing. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest immediately follows up with Salander and the evil Alexander Zalachenko flown in by helicopter to the hospital. Salander, with bullets in her hip, shoulder, and head, is barely alive and is rushed into surgery. From there the story evolves more of Blomkvist’s attempts to proves Salander’s innocence, who is  still suspected of the murders of two Millennium journalists.

However, this story is more about a covert operation run by Säpo, the Swedish secret police, and how Salander inadvertently  became a victim of the Swedish welfare system in order to hide and protect Säpo’s secrets. In this last tome, Larsson spends more time with the inner workings of Säpo and its bureaucrats—characters who seem to be stuck in an antiquated cold war mode. It’s in these sections that slows book’s pace, but to speed up the story, Larsson includes a subplot concerning Erika Berger, the editor-in-chief of Millennium and Blomkvist’s occasional lover. In the second volume, Berger has accepted the editor-in-chief job at Svenska Morgon-Posten. Right from the very start, she is seen as the enemy by many of the old-time staffers, who make life difficult for the forward thinking editor, but as days go by Berger begins to question about having left  Millennium for this new job. Life becomes even more complicated for her when she starts receiving sexually explicit emails.

There is more meat to the story and Berger has an out thanks to a story that Millennium plans to publish concerning the newspaper’s chairman of the board, but overall this secondary story seems gratuitous and really doesn’t add much to the overall plot of proving Salander innocent.

And that’s Blomkvist’s mission—to prove that his friend is not a murderer and to show that she’s been a victim of an illegal government conspiracy. Blomkvist convinces his sister–a woman’s rights lawyer with little trial experience under her belt–to help Salander with her defense. It’s in these scenes that feature Lisbeth that Larsson’s writing shines and  keeps readers turning the pages. Once again, he outdoes himself into bringing this fabulous character to life.

Although this final installment of the Millennium trilogy has sections that seem unnecessarily long, and some readers might be confused with the who’s who of Säpo’s cast of characters, it’s the ending that’s important. Larsson, before he died suddenly, had started a fourth volume and originally had planned a ten book series about Millennium. The question for most readers was whether Larsson would satisfactorily resolve the Salander and Blomkvist broken relationship. Without offering any spoilers, readers will be pleased with it how it concludes and it will leave them more than satisfied and  perhaps smiling.

Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day
By Diana Henry, photography by Jonathan Lovekin
Ten Speed Press, 2007
192 pages
$21.95 

Yes, the cookbook reviews are back and with one little treasure that we discovered at our local library: Diana Henry’s Pure Simple Cooking! 

The title says it all. There’s no doubt that you will love how easy the recipes are to prepare, how tasty they are, and how beautiful the finished meal looks.

After testing out four recipes, I knew that this book was a keeper and I had to get my very own. So off I went to Amazon, bought it and I’m expecting my copy to arrive in the mail any day now. In the meantime, I am hoarding the library’s copy.

What’s to like about Pure Simple Cooking? Is it Jonathan Lovekin’s photography? Oh yes, and everything I made looks just like his photographs! This is a great feat for me because whenever I make something from a recipe it tastes good, but it always lacks the pretty factor.

For those not familiar with Diana Henry she is the food columnist for Britain’s Sunday Telegraph and the author of five cookbooks. In addition she co-hosts a popular UK television show and was also named Cookery Writer of the Year in 2007. Not too shabby, eh?

Pure Simple Cooking consists of 13 chapters that cover chicken, chops, sausages, leg of lamb, fish, pasta, greens and herbs and a good variety of the seasonal fruits and vegetables.  For the most part, it appears that Ms. Henry’s palate is inspired by cuisines of the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Levant and that is fine here at chez moi since we do have a predilection to those types of recipes.

If you like sausage, specifically Spanish chorizo, then you’re in luck. Ms. Henry section on sausages has a handful of recipes that include this savory and smoky sausage. The one recipe that I we tried Spanish Sweet Pototato with Chorizo, Peppers and Fried Egg.  This was the perfect meal for a coldish night and because we had so much of it leftover, I discovered that it’s just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner.

Our actual first venture was an evening that we really wanted something light, but savory and healthy. I’m a big zucchini fan and so we decided that Zucchini with Ricotta, Mint and Basil would be the perfect dish. The mild flavor of the zucchini along with ricotta salata were perfectly combined along with a drizzle of olive oil and the juice of a lemon. Paired with some crusty bread the meal left you feeling more than satisfied. 

We’re big pasta eaters and so far we’ve repeated one dish: Trofie with Shrimp, Feta, Parsley and Lemon. Trofie is essentially gemilli—tight and thinner corkscrew pasta. The pairing of the shrimp and feta make a great combination and play off each other in a delightful way. There’s also enough garlic in the recipe to give it some bite, but it doesn’t overwhelm or upstage the feta’s flavor.

As someone with a notorious sweet tooth and a penchant for brûlée, I couldn’t resist the Summer Berry Brûlé. Easy as pie to make this dessert only required cream, Greek yogurt, berries and sugar. Combining the yogurt with the cream gave the dessert a wonderful consistency and cut down (a tad) the richness of the two ingredients. To get the sugary sheet that all brûlées share the only thing you need to do is to carmelize the sugar. One thing to note: make sure your broiler is very hot; if it isn’t you’ll have cream/yogurt soup.

As we wait for our copy to arrive, we’re already checking off what we want to try next. I’m already eyeing the Roast Lamb with Prosciutto and Garlic while my husband is making noises about Lamb Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, and Basil.

Tonight’s menu is the leftover Trofie, but maybe tomorrow’s dinner will be one of the lamb dishes.