The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger

The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger tells the story of how Hollywood movie studios produced stars from the 1930s through the 1950s by running them through a machine of sorts. Stars were assigned a type: star, character, or supporting, and then placed in movies that fit their type. Names were changed, teeth capped, hair cut, bodies shaped, biographies written, articles planted in the papers, and stars were born. I cannot gush enough about this book. Basinger fills it with over 200 photos of the stars that capture the era with their soft lighting and fabulous fashions. She picks specific stars and follows their journey through the star machine to show how it succeeded and how it just as often failed. She also uses stories of stars who broke the mold and made the machine unnecessary. The book feels decadent, like a box of good chocolate or fluffy slippers. But the way Basinger talks about movies is anything but fluffy. She's the chair of film studies at Wesleyan University, and reading the way she describes films, I would absolutely pay money to hear her teach a class on the subject. She gives even the flimsy, frothy comedies of the 1930s depth by discussing how a character is developed before they even walk onscreen. This is a book that demands a class or TV special filled with clips. I discovered stars I'd never heard of and fell back in love with long time favorites. My too see list has expanded exponentially.Two small notes: Johnny Depp's singing was dubbed in CryBaby, but he's proven he can sing since in Sweeney Todd. And, why the hatred toward Abbot and Costello? They are two of my family's favorites! Those points aside, if you are a fan of old movies, this is a must read. Charmingly written with insight and witty asides, Basinger's love for film shines on every page.

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite is the story of 13-year-old Penny Entwistle whose mother Anne-Marie runs an unusual bed and breakfast: heroines from classic literature come there to recharge their batteries and rest. The heroines have been a part of Penny's life as long as she can remember, and keeping them a secret is starting to wear on her relationship with her mother. When a heroine named Deirdre shows up with her hero following her, the lies to protect them get Penny in deep trouble. First a warning: this book is NOT the chick-lit the back and cover would lead you to believe. Second, it's a frustrating read. Favorite's premise is fascinating and would have made a terrific book (and possible series) had she focused on the heroines and their interactions with Penny and Anne-Marie. Instead the book takes a very dark turn when Penny is institutionalized, and Anne-Marie does nothing to save her daughter. Anne-Marie is frustratingly passive throughout the story; she seems more like the pothead than her daughter with her inability to deal with situations constructively. Penny, like most confused early adolescent girls, pushes her mother away while craving her attention, and Anne-Marie seems incapable of taking care of anyone but her heroines. The time in the mental institution is an odd interlude and goes nowhere. Several interesting characters are introduced and then dropped. A police officer believing Anne-Marie and then making the trouble all go away seems too convenient and while I can suspend my disbelief about the heroines visiting the inn, the neat resolution is beyond credibility. The secret behind Penny's father is no secret and is told an another oddly placed segue way. The last chapter skips forward fifty years and leaves more questions unanswered than resolved. Penny seems to assume her mother's role of secret passivity. A dissatisfying ending. If Favorite had split up these major issues into separate books: Penny in the asylum, Anne-Marie's romance, etc. I would have read and probably enjoyed this as a series. Instead too much story is packed into a slim volume with frustrating results.

Vulture View

When I see books like Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre, it gives me hope that the mothers of the world are out there writing and publishing up a storm. Only a mother could understand the need for a picture book that answers probably the most common question a kid asks in the car---"Gross!!! What is that bird eating?!!?" Although the narrative is funny (a cute little ditty about how vultures only like to eat things that REEK), the pictures are even better, handling a pretty disgusting topic with a wee bit of class. So, if your looking for something a little different to read to your curious and rambunctious child, come to the library and page through Vulture View. It might not win any popularity contests with the parents, but it is definitely most interesting to your kid.

The Beats

I have to admit that I am a fan of the Beat writers, and have read nearly every book by and about them. So, I was happy to hear that a new illustrated book would be released in late 2007. Mike Evans's book, The Beats: From Kerouac to Kesey, an illustrated Journey Through the Beat Generation, is definitely true to its title. Made up of mostly pictures, the text is broken down into manageable chapters and little bits of information. I was able to finish the whole book in one afternoon, which is impressive considering what a chaotic household I live in. Even though much of what was covered in the book was pretty general and well known, it had some beautiful and haunting pictures that were interesting to look at for the casual reader and for geeks like me who read it cover to cover. Once you've ordered this book and are feeling motivated about our literary history, make sure to stop by our writer's club at the library on Monday night at 5:30pm. We'd love to have you, whether you write like Kerouac or not.

Other People's Love Letters by Bill Shapiro

Other People's Love Letters by Bill Shapiro is a fascinating peek into love: its beginnings and endings, and the twisted path between. Shapiro, whose website has many more of these letters, asked his friends and exs for old love letters. They, in turn, asked others giving Shapiro a huge range of letters to choose from in making this book. From sweet text messages, to post divorce rants, these letters are enjoyable and insightful. It's amazing how similar letters written in the first throes of love are: you're amazing; I can't live without you. But Shapiro tried to pick letters that said something deeper and love and the human condition. It's not a book you want to read in one sitting; reading too many back to back makes them lose their potency. But taken in small doses, it's a great way to remember how good love feels in the beginning and how sweet it can be after many years. Some of my favorite letters were the ones written by married couples several years in. Shapiro includes a short epilogue with brief stories about some of the couples who wrote the letters. Reading these made the letters even more powerful, especially the one from a husband serving in Vietnam in 1969. A great read, perfect as a Valentine's Day gift; give it with your own love letter!

Little Face by Sophie Hannah

Little Face by Sophie Hannah has an intriguing premise. Alice Fancourt calls the police in a panic; she insists that her newborn daughter Florence has been kidnapped and a different child put in her place. Her husband David insists that the baby is Florence, but her mother-in-law Vivienne, the family doyenne, isn't so sure. Det. Simon Waterhouse sees no evidence of kidnapping, but he feels drawn to Alice and wants to believe her strange story. Hannah's pacing and dialogue is excellent, and as we start to see the horrors taking place in the Fancourt family home, the tension level ratchets up considerably. David's first wife was murdered, and Alice can't help but wonder if she's next. Vivienne holds her son in her iron grip, and Alice is expected to fall just as neatly in line. The first two thirds of this book was fantastic, but then Hannah pulls the rug out from under the reader. An author walks a delicate line when using a narrator to deceive the reader. Some have pulled it off with aplomb: Agatha Christie and Louis Bayard come to mind. Unfortunately, Hannah isn't talented enough to succeed in her ploy, and after reading, I felt manipulated and used, much like poor Det. Waterhouse. Skip this book; don't waste your time.

Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon

Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon is a shockingly good historical thriller. In 1699 in colonial Carolina, judicial clerk Matthew Corbett travels along with his guardian and magistrate Isaac Woodward to the small village of Fount Royal to investigate the case of a witch. Rachel Howarth, a young widow of Portugese descent, has been blamed for murders, crop failures, and a rash of fires in the town, and everyone is looking forward to seeing her burn at the stake. But Matthew has questions about the enigmatic beauty, and the more he digs into the town's secrets, the more his life is in danger. I read the review of The Queen of Bedlam in Publisher's Weekly and saw that it was a sequel to this book, so I ordered it. I was intimidated at first by its 700+ pages, but once I cracked it open, it was nearly impossible to put it down. McCammon carefully lays the foundation for the suspense, so that when it starts to build, each page feels like another stick thrown on Rachel's pyre. McCammon doesn't make her innocence or guilt immediately obvious, so as Matthew falls for her despite the testimony about her midnight indiscretions with imps and Satan himself, fear is palpable. But where McCammon really shines is in creating the suffocatingly claustrophobic atmosphere of this isolated community. Everywhere villagers are calling for Rachel's death, and with each of Matthew's questions, they start to raise accusations about him as well. The book feels hopeless, and yet as long as Matthew believes in Rachel, there is hope. The dialogue is vibrant, especially the exchanges between Matthew and Bidwell. There are multiple forces at work, and McCammon does a terrific job of making them work together to make a piece of classic horror literature. Nearly every page made me catch my breath in horror, fear, or surprise. It's a book I'll be recommending to everyone for the next few months. I've already reserved The Queen of Bedlam in which Matthew returns!