Book 10: Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter

This review for Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave is a long-time coming. The reason being that it took me several months to read it from cover-to-cover.

It is my experience that this is not a book that lends itself to being devoured. The content is too dense and just a bit too dry.....the literary equivalent of Shredded Wheat. This isn't to say that it isn't worthwhile. The subject matter is fascinating, and you'll step away from this book wondering if any attempts to thwart your inner biases are anything more than futile. If you like the work of Malcom Gladwell, you'll enjoy this book that is chock-full of facts and cutting-edge experiments. 

A few quick thoughts on some other books that I've read in the past few months:


1. The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne: While this book did get decent reviews owing to its criticism of the fame machine, I thought it was pretty tame. There is nothing new here. Jonny Valentine's career seems to be very closely modeled after Justin Bieber's career even down to the small details. Ultimately, this novel is a missed opportunity. 

2. Summerland and The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand: I picked up both of these novels because I needed a break from heavy reads. I'm so glad that I did. Hilderbrand writes stories full of scandal (everyone's a cheater and everyone has secrets) and sets them in the beautiful Nantucket Bay area. The bottom-line: Hilderbrand is a quality writer. While her content won't win her any Nobel Prizes, she knows how to tell a tale.

3. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan: I loved this book. I was hooked after the first four pages. Google worship, ancient cults, conspiracy, and booklove - what more could you ask for? This will feed your inner tech geek/bibliophile (and the cover glows in the dark)!

4. Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates: A young boy is abducted and "raised" by a serial-killer/pedophile. This is a story of horrifying abuse and depravity. I could say that I enjoyed this book but that would be misleading. This isn't a book that you enjoy- it's a book that shakes you up inside and makes you uncomfortable. It is raw and disturbing. JCO is a master at her craft. 

5. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: I waited entirely too long to read this hilarious, brilliant work of fiction! Seconds before the destruction of the earth, the unsuspecting Arthur Dent is saved by his friend Ford Prefect, an extraterrestial who has been posing as an out-of-work actor on Earth for the past fifteen years. The two go on a wild adventure through the Universe with the help of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Adams has an insight into existence that will blow you away. I found myself laughing out loud and dying to share his book with all of my friends. 

6. The Dinner by Herman Koch: Koch explores the ever-intriguing question: how far would you go to protect a loved one who has committed a terrible crime? This has been touted as a European Gone Girl. While both authors explore the dark side of society, Koch's writing is less action-packed and his characters are not as well-done. 

7. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline: The story shifts between the perspective of Molly, a troubled foster teen, and Vivian, a 91year old woman who was an orphan train rider in the early 1900s. The best parts of this novel are the ones that include descriptions of the orphan train movement. Kline did her research, and it shows. The present-day story, which details the blossoming friendship between Molly and Vivian, is one that has been done many times over. Kline is not a brilliant writer, but this book is worth the read if you're a fan of historical fiction. 

8. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler: What a doozy. I couldn't put this book down. Fowler's narrator is witty, engaging, and believable, and the family issues dealt with in this novel are familiar but refreshingly unique. 

9. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer: This is a hefty novel- in size, not in scope. The reader is subjected to a main character whose unabated jealousy of friends of higher socioeconomic status will make you cringe...over and over...and over...and over again.

10. Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas: This is a work of nonfiction that begs to be talked about among friends. The author is a diagnosed, non-criminal sociopath. Her intent is to convince the reader that sociopaths can be productive, successful members of society. To do this, she uses her life and the lives of other noncriminal sociopaths as examples. I was blown away by the layer of delusion and mental illness that is readily apparent in her writing. This memoir will make you question whether anyone can really KNOW another person. 

Happy Reading!

Sharlene Edwards

Banned Book Week

From our dear friends at Better World Books, who truly make a better world by selling and donating unwanted books: 

It’s Banned Books Week, a time to celebrate the freedom to read. As readers, we are thankful to have access to lots of books. (Our warehouses in Indiana and Scotland have around 5 million between them!) The American Library Association keeps an eye on books that are challenged in the U.S. for removal from a school curricula or a library, or even banned. Here are their top 10 books that have been challenged or banned in the US in 2012—you might be surprised at what titles made the list! - 

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey.

Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.

Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group

3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.

Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group

4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James.

Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit

5. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.

Reasons: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group

6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.

Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit

7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green.

Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group

8. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz.

Reasons: Unsuited for age group, violence

9. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls

Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit

10. Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence

Listen to Your Uncle Mark

Were you lucky enough to have a favorite uncle who could tell you what it's all about? Among all the family hubbub, his take on things seemed so same and simple.

That's how I felt about Mark Bittman's new book:

He describes the middle way of good health and diet: eat like a vegan during the day and have whatever you want at night. 

If you succumb to temptation and eat a cheeseburger for lunch, no problem; eat a healthy dinner and try again tomorrow. 

Over time, he came to crave the healthier beans, grains and vegetables that he ate during the day, his cholesterol went down and he lost weight. Best of all, the "diet" was easy to maintain -- even for a food writer -- because it is so flexible and wide-ranging. 

It's an enjoyable read and the recipes are delicious. Thank you Mark Bittman (and a shout out to my dear Uncle Phil). 

The Joy of Growing Older

I hate to start on a shallow note, but Oliver Sacks is adorable:

And while I didn't like his newest book as much as some of the old favorites (like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat), it is illuminating and beautifully written.

He created a sensation over the 4th of July weekend with his New York Times op-ed piece, "The Joy of Old Age (No Kidding)." Here's a link to the article.  Enjoy!

PS. Samuel Beckett was also adorable, and liked to wear his glasses on his forehead, but considerably less joyful about aging.

Guest Review: Eve, Quinn, and Bonnie Iris Johansen

Guest Review by Shirley Ayres! Thanks, Shirley!

1. Eve by Iris Johansen (2011)

When Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor went to Colombia, South America, to identify a skull for arms dealer Luis Montalvo, his payment was to find and name the killer of Eve's seven year old daughter, Bonnie. Montalvo, true to his word, gives Eve three names of possible Bonnie killers. Eve's long time lover, Atlanta Police Department Detective, Joe Quinn and CIA Agent, Catherine Ling find evidence that Eve's former boyfriend and Bonnie's father, John Gallo, may be the killer. At the same time, Montalvo's third name, Paul Black, is being investigated for Bonnie's murder. 

Gallo comes back into Eve's life and she is sure he is innocent and tries to prove it. Quinn, of course, is jealous of Eve's connection to Gallo. Eve tries to keep Quinn out of harm's way by excluding him from her investigations. Eve's teen years with Gallo are told in detail and set up the characters in a different light. 

Plot twists. Murder. Romance. Hot stuff!

2. Quinn by Iris Johansen (2011)

Part two of the trilogy takes up where part one (Eve) left off. Quinn was stabbed in the back by murderer Paul Black and is on the edge of death. Eve, watching Quinn from outside the ICU, sees her daughter Bonnie's ghost standing next to Joe and Eve suspects that Joe will die. 

Not this time. Joe's recovery is long and hard for him and Eve. New friend, CIA Agent Catherine Ling, on the hunt for John Gallo, convinced that he murdered Bonnie. Ling catches up with Gallo but winds up his prisoner and almost his lover. Meanwhile, Quinn is getting stronger and wants to find Ling to help her catch Gallo. As Quinn recuperates, the story of his entrance into Eve's life is told in detail. 

More intrigue. Romance. Lots of killings. Good stuff. 

3. Bonnie by Iris Johansen (2011)

Although the main character in these books by Johansen is Forensic Sculptor Eve Duncan, her kidnapped and murdered seven year old daughter is the "glue" that holds these stories together. The whole purpose of becoming a Forensic Sculptor is because Bonnie is missing. Eve wants to bring closure to other families of lost children by identifying the remains of long buried bodies. 

Bonnie has always appeared to Eve and talks to her. Then, she becomes known to other characters in the books. Quinn and John Gallo, Bonnie's father, have dreams about Bonnie. Soon, more and more people claim to have had contact with the little, red-headed ghosts in her Bugs Bunny t-shirt. Will Eve find out who killed Bonnie? Will she find Bonnie's grave and bring her home? Will any one confess to killing Bonnie? Stay tuned. Murder, mayhem, romance, and ghosts. Oh my!

Althought I like the stories Johansen writes, the narrative is repetitive and, dare I say, boring at times. Sometimes it seems like the characters stand around and talk to each other a lot. But, there is a lot of action and mayhem. So I guess the boring parts are out numbered by the gory parts. All in all, I liked the Eve Duncan series. It was always interesting to see what challenges would present themselves to Eve. But, with every new skull reconstruction, came another lead to the mystery of what happened to Bonnie. 

Guest Review: Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan Series

Guest Review of Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan series by the fabulous Shirley Ayres: 

"Eve Duncan is a survivor, still tortured by the kidnapping and murder of her seven-year-old child, Bonnie. Years after this tragedy, Eve is one of the world’s foremost forensic sculptors and tries to bring closure to other parents who have lost their children. Iris Johansen's bestselling and critically acclaimed suspense thriller series will keep you turning the pages—and will chill you to the bone." (Goodreads)

1. The Face of Deception (1998) 

Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor helps to identify missing and unknown dead people by rebuilding their skulls. From her reconstruction, the dead can be named and, as Eve puts it, "brought home for rest." Several years ago, Eve's seven year old daughter, Bonnie was kidnapped and murdered, but Bonnie's body was never found. Throughout the series, Eve is searching for Bonnie, trying to bring her home, but it just never happens. When Bonnie was kidnapped, FBI Agent Joe Quinn was assigned tot he case but soon became infatuated with Eve Duncan. After a while, Joe quit the FBI and joined the Atlanta, GA Police Department to be closer to Eve.

In this book, Eve is hired by billionaire John Logan to identify a skull. Logan contributes to politician's campaigns to help elect the candidates of his choice. John and Eve spend a lot of time in Virginia while she sculpts the skull of what may be an American President. Serial killers, murder, and mayhem are the givens in this series. Exciting plot twists, too. Very good reading. 

2. The Killing Game (1999)

Eve Duncan is called upon by the Atlanta Police Department to identify a child's skull. A number of murdered people were at a Talladega Fall landfill, and one is the child assigned to Eve. Atlanta Detective Joe Quinn is on hand to make sure Eve is safe and to help catch the serial killer responsible for all the bodies. 

Meanwhile, the killer has focused on foster child ten year old Jane MacGuire as his next victim. Jane, wordly beyond her years, is helping a homeless six year old boy, Mike, stay away from his abusive parents. Rescue team, Sarah Patrick and her golden retriever Monty are hired by John Logan to find the killer's victims. Twisted relationships and blood and gore are again themes of this novel. 

3. The Search (2000)

Once again Sarah Patrick and Monty are hired by John Logan to search for survivors in Columbia, South America. Sarah and Eve Duncan remained friends and, when Eve adopted Jane MacGuire, one of Monty's pups is given to Jane.  ****Spoiler Alert****At last, Eve's murdered daughter Bonnie's bones were found and buried in Atlanta ****End of Spoiler****. Logan's right hand man, Sean Galen is introduced to the mix of characters. Now, despite all the murder and mayhem, LOVE rears its head and two couples hook up. Which ones? You will have to read the book to find out. 

4. Body of Lies (2002)

Eve Duncan is hired to go to Baton Rouge, LA to identify a murder victim. Her lab is set up next to a church out on a plantation. Inside the church is the victim's coffin. As soon as she arrives, Eve is poisoned and ends up near death in the hospital. John Logan and associate Sean Galen are called in to protect Eve, but despite their efforts, people begin to be murdered and Eve is in the thick of things, again. 

5. No One to Trust (2002)

Elena Kyler, trained at an early age to be a guerrilla by her father in the hills of Columbia, was captured and tortured before she was able to escape from prison. Sean Galen is sent to Columbia to help Elena and save her from the Cali drug lord, Chavez. As in all Johansen's books, there are lots of murders and plot twists and some romance. 

6. Dead Aim (2003)

Celebrated photojournalist, Alex Graham, is assigned to take pictures of a dam collapse at Araphoe Junction, CO. Alex was working with Sara Patrick Logan and her rescue dog, Monty. Alex uncovers a conspiracy in her investigation of the so-called natural disaster. John Logan's associate, Judd Morgan, is hired to protect Alex as she is surrounded by murder. Eve Duncan is not the central character in this book, but these characters are connected with Eve Duncan in the past and will be in future books. 

7. Blind Alley (2004)

A serial killer is slicing off the faces of his murder victims and Eve Duncan is once again called in to identify the dead. A link is discovered between Eve's seventeen year old adopted daughter, Jane, and the killer. Scotland Yard Inspector Mark Trevor and associate John Bartlett are on the trail of the killer and connect with Eve and Jane. Lots of blood, murder victims and some fantasy. The book moves fast and has an intricate plot. 

8. Countdown (2005) 

Eve Duncan's adopted daughter, Jane MacGuire meets up again with Mark Trevor. Jane is now twenty-one and a student at Harvard University and the problems of Herculeneum, Mount Vesuvious, and Cira's Gold come up again. This time with different villains and different motives, but all seem to involve Jane's uncanny resemblance to Cira, who died over two thousand years ago. 

9. Stalemate (2007)

Eve Duncan reluctantly agrees to go to Columbia to do a reconstruction job for arms dealer Luis Montalvo. She goes without telling Joe Quinn, and when Joe realizes the fact, he and Sean Galen follow. Montalvo promises Eve that he can find her murdered daughter Bonnie's body and her killer. Montalvo's enemy, Ramon Diaz tried to kill Eve to stop her from doing the reconstruction on Montalvo's wife, Nalia, but winds up wounding Joe instead. Eve finds herself attracted to Montalvo but fights it because of her love for Joe. Lots of mini wars, gunfire, explosions, and, of course, murder. Another exciting page-turner from Johansen. 

10. Blood Game (2009)

As part of her payment for a reconstruction job for Luis Montalvo, Eve Duncan is given a list of three names of possible murderers of her beloved daughter, Bonnie. Soon it is clear that Eve is the target of a self-named Vampire, Kevin Jelak. Lots of blood and many murders keep readers in suspense. Good characters. 

11. Eight Days to Live (2010)

Once again artist Jane MacGuire is the target of a sadistic killer. Jane's adopted mother Eve Duncan and Atlanta Detective Joe Quinn are also involved as well as Scottish Laird John McDuff and his ward, Jock Gavin. They take over Jane's protection and want to take Jane, Eve and Joe back to Scottland where they will be safe from the killer. Seth Caleb, a strange hunter of men, joins the group and revives Jane's attraction to him. A cult, which reveres Judas Iscariot as a wronged martyr, concentrates on Jane for a blood offering. She has only eight days to live. 

The Bradley Beach Top Titles

Have you been wondering about which books are most popular at your Library?

Wonder no more!

Here's the list of the top tiles (based on checkouts) in the last year:



Gone Girl
Catching Fire
The Racketeer
Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades Darker
Stay Close
I, Michael Bennett
The Innocent
The Language of Flowers
Mockingjay
Low Pressure
Winter of the World
The 11th Hour
The Last Boyfriend
Winter of the World
Black Box
The Bone Bed
Fifty Shades Freed
Guilty Wives
Notorious 19




What's your favorite book so far this year?

I'm still floored by Vampires in the Lemon Grove.