BOOK REVIEW: "Company of Liars" by Karen Maitland

Set in 14th century England, Karen Maitland's Company of Liars steals a page from the travel genre in literature made famous by Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, where seemingly random forces bring together extraordinary strangers with fanciful tales to tell. Where Maitland's novel deviates from the classic is in the characters' reasons for being on the road; the ties that bind the group are the lies that they tell, and with each subsequent tragedy, the characters are forced to reveal themselves. In doing so, the truth behind their journey becomes clear. Lurking in the background is the devastation wrought by what would eventually be known as the Black Plague. England is awash in turmoil, undone by a gruesome and painful disease, and escaping the deadly "pestilence" provides each character with a convenient excuse to flee from home. Until, of course, home becomes the conflict within them.

The band of pilgrims—Zophiel, the cynical magician; Jofre, the beautiful boy with the voice of an angel; Rodrigo, Jofre's master and protector; Narigorm, the seer, and her companion, Pleasance; pregnant Adela and her husband, Osmond; and Cygnus, the swan-man—is led by an ambiguous narrator named Camelot, who is smart, resourceful, and frighteningly precise in his observations of those around him. He serves as the obligatory pragmatist, the wisdom that comes with having experienced more misery than one human being ought. Unlike the others, though, he has spent an inordinate amount of time moving from town to town, but he, like the rest, is simultaneously running from his past and towards its inevitable reemergence. Through Camelot's eyes, the characters' life stories unfold into desperate lies, reluctant truths, and fruitless admissions of guilt.

Company of Liars is a smart read, rich with medieval history, social mores, and the religious dogma that undermines an entire country in exchange for immunity. Throughout her tome, Maitland deftly illuminates the Catholic Church's hypocrisy as the ruling institution during Plague-era England, peppering the novel with poignant commentary on the clergy's abandonment of its flock: "You'll be lucky to find a priest anywhere in these parts…. This time last year you couldn't piss without the blessing of a priest; now any Tom, Dick, or Harry, even a woman, can baptise you, marry you, shrive you, and bury you. Makes you wonder why we've been paying all those scots and tithes to the priests all these years, doesn't it?" That this question, representative of religion itself, has weaved its way through each character's story, makes Company of Liars a worthwhile adventure.



--Dianha Simpson
imagineatrium.com



Read the opening chapters of Company of Liars here.

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The Stock Market, The Bailout, and Economics for Dummies....

...or for mp3 lovers or Michael Jackson fans, or whoever you may be.

Confused about what on earth is happening on Wall Street? Don't know the difference between a bailout and out on bail? Fresh Intelligence from Radar Magazine skools all the kidz who want to look smart without having to buy a pair of prescription-free imitation Sarah Palin glasses.
Read on and rock on....


May we also recommend....

A great book that uncovers the myths of money and other misguided traditions in the world of finance. Someone send a copy to Barack Obama and John McCain fast!

Killing Sacred Cows

BOOK REVIEW: "Cross Country" by Tim Waggoner

Cross County, the new novel by Tim Waggoner, is an enjoyable read. It's partly a who-done-it mystery with a bit of surreal horror thrown in, but is blended quite well as to make it fairly feasible.

The two main focal points are Joanne Talon, the sheriff of Cross County, and the Cross Family itself. There are also colorful local townsfolk that add another dimension to the story. From its opening pages, the book starts out with an air of mystery, which Mr. Waggoner continues to evoke throughout the book. Joanne is the heroine, the youngest sheriff ever to be elected in Cross County. She is also well known in the county for an incident that happened to her as a child, where she was involved in a mysterious disappearance . She was rescued by local reporter Dale Ramsey, who over the years has become her assistant and confidant.

Also at the center of this tale is the mysterious Cross family, who oversee everything that happens in their county. No one seems to know or remember how they accumulated their vast wealth, and it's rumored that all the Crosses have varying degrees of psychic power. Other locals play a significant part as well. When one local woman, Debbie Coulter, is terrorized at her place of business and a seemingly unrelated murder takes place the same night, it turns into a strong battles of wills as Joanne attempts to do her job but has many obstacles to overcome in the collective body of the Cross family. Marshall Cross, the male head of the dynasty is closely monitoring the investigation and appears to know far more about whats going on than he should. As more murders take place it becomes a race against time to save the community and once and for all find out what lies at the bottom of this frenzied attack on the entire town.

Lately, I've read many books that, by the conclusion, are wrapped up too rapidly and leave a lot of questions pertaining to the story unanswered. Happily, this is not the case in Cross County. All things are explained --- perhaps a little too well, which makes the reader tend to think towards the book's climax that the author is targeting a decidedly more juvenile audience. For the most part, however I found Cross County an entertaining read, with multifaceted characters, an interesting setting, and a unique, if not a little confusing, ending.


---Jere Reyes
imagineatrium.com


Indiebound is the place to go to connect with readers in your community.

The Election from Hell: How the Ridiculous Electoral College Could Rob You of Your Vote for President

Professor Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia has run the numbers to come up with a variety of scenarios that could produce a tie in the electoral college in the upcoming American election. According to the BBC, if this happens, it will be able to be summed up in two short, not so sweet words: a mess.

And Nancy Pelosi will be our new president. Ha.

What Happens When We Die? The Science of Near Death and OBEs

Last week, Time Magazine did an interesting interview with Dr. Sam Parnia from the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York on the topic of out of body experiences (OBEs) among patients who were near death (or who actually "died" on the operating table). According to Dr. Parnia, 10 to 20% of patients who have been labeled as "clinically dead" by operating room doctors have reported that, while they were dead on the table, they floated out of their bodies and observed the details of the scene below.

Researchers at the Human Consciousness Project have just launched a 3 year experiment on the biology behind these experiences. The Human Consciousness Project is "an international consortium of multidisciplinary scientists and physicians who have joined forces to research the nature of consciousness and its relationship with the brain, as well as the neuronal processes that mediate and correspond to different facets of consciousness." The Project, composed of doctors and researchers from prestigious medical schools in Canada, the U.K., Holland, Austria, and the United States (including Weill Cornell, the University of Virginia, NYU, and many others) "will conduct the world’s first large-scale scientific study of what happens when we die and the relationship between mind and brain during clinical death."

Out of body experiences (OBEs) are, of course, not a new phenomenon. But until relatively recently they have always been relegated to the realms of occult nonsense, fantasy, and hallucination. Those having the audacity to share such an experience, believing that it actually happened to them, have usually been met with ridicule, disbelief, and disdain by most "normal" people.

Meanwhile, over 50% of Americans believe in things like guardian angels, according to a recent poll by the Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion. So if most of us believe that angels exist, then why don't we believe that we have the ability to float out of our bodies, fly, and be conscious without functioning brains?

Food for thought.


Some people do believe this, however, and claim that they have been doing it for years, albeit with some trepidation. In Adventures Beyond the Body, William Buhlman offers a step by step guide for intrepid explorers who want to....fly. It's a guide for those who want to experience the world free of the confines of the suits that we wear on a daily basis -- to explore, with a phenomenon called astral projection, the parallel realms and worlds that lie beyond our ordinary reality. And it's all done at night. While your "body" is asleep, "you" can be flying around your house or around the world. It's just a little matter of practice, ability, and will....oh, and maybe a dash of belief.

We shall see if the scientists at the Human Consciousness Project will be able to prove that the mind can live outside of the brain in three years' time. Until then, most of us will have to content ourselves with being grounded, get on with our normal day to day realities, and forego the out of body experience and its accompanying feelings of excitement, terror, and disbelief at what is happening ---unless we read Buhlman's book that is....

....OR unless McCain wins the White House, has his own permanent OBE and leaves us Sarah Palin as president.




--Garrad Bradley
imagineatrium.com

Out-body-experiences, parallell universes, and the continuation of consciousness...all the focus of an exciting, soon to be released fiction novel, "How to Overcome the World," written by Garrad Bradley.

For more information, and to download the free graphic novel preview edition of the novel, visit howtoovercometheworld.com

More info on consciousness:

Time Magazine "What Happens When We Die"

The Human Consciousness Project

Near Death Experience Stories from BBC News Web site readers

Adventures Beyond the Body: How to Experience Out-of-Body Travel by William Buhlman

BOOK REVIEW: "Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth: A Novel" by Xiaolu Guo

"I have always wanted to leave my village, a nothing place that won’t be found on any map of China . I had been planning my escape ever since I was little. It was the river behind our house that started it. Its constant gurgling sound pulled at me. But I couldn’t see its end or its beginning. It just flowed endlessly on. Where did it go? Why didn’t it dry up in the scorching heat like everything else?"

Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth is a novel written like a memoir. It is a gritty coming of age story set in China and takes you deep into the mind of its spirited protagonist, Fenfang.

Fenfang is a twenty something Chinese woman who travels one thousand eight hundred miles from the silence and monotony of Ginger Hill Village to the excitement and risk of urban life in Beijing . She doesn’t want to end up like her mother, picking sweet potatoes for the rest of her life. Instead, she longs to find success as an actress or a screenwriter.

This is a story of escape, of a woman courageously searching for her place in the world and trying desperately to lead a modern life. In Beijing , Fenfang finds “a city that never showed its gentle side.” She becomes a film extra to earn a meager living and is captivated by two young men. Ultimately she gains her independence in an unexpected way and gains the wisdom that only comes from living.

Xiaolu Guo’s voice is like a breath of fresh air in literature. Her narrative is alive and vivid. She succeeds in transporting you to a fragile world far away, providing an intriguing glimpse of daily life and its struggles in post Maoist China.


---Jennifer Rossi
imagineatrium.com


For more great reads, and to connect with independent minds in your community, visit Indiebound.org.

BOOK REVIEW: "Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life" by Kathleen Norris

This thoughtfully written part memoir/part meditative essay centers on the idea/term "acedia," a complex and interesting word imbued with layered meanings, which traces its origin back to the early and medieval church texts, in which it is described as a "noonday demon."

Norris, through a series of personal and poignant narratives, defines this timeless concept as a kind of modern-day spiritual torpor characterized by apathy and slothfulness (both on the level of the individual and society). She explores the word by relating it to many facets of her life, in particular to her personal struggles with respect to her marriage (including seeing her husband through illness and subsequently to death) and her writing life, as well as other episodic biographical sketches.

To help clarify and demystify the concept, Norris weaves select etymological and historical accounts of acedia into the fabric of her own personal contemplations on her struggles, while at the same time illustrating the trying nature of coping with this modern-day spiritual indifference and the negative after-effects of it that permeate our culture. In the end, what we get through her search for meaning is the realization of the need for a balancing act. Whether it be through reciting the psalms in silence, or finding a spiritual connection inside an ancient religious text by Evagrius (or a modern-day thinker like Kierkegaard), or through counseling and treatment with or without drugs, the balancing of all of the options one has at his or her disposal in managing acedia or depression is ultimately a personal choice.

Through the various accounts she gives of other people's experiences in dealing with acedia, Norris illustrate how important is is to pick and choose the right support system that works. Religion, psychiatry, and psychology ultimately support this idea of balance, which leaves much room for a broader exploration into this important topic.

Norris' prose is direct and honest. This, along with the inclusion of many insightful quotations from thinkers across the centuries, makes Acedia & Me an enjoyable, worthwhile read.

--Jung Hae Chae
imagineatrium.com

For more recommendations on great books, check out Indiebound.org, a place where local businesses and communities thrive.

BOOK REVIEW: "The Lace Reader" by Brunonia Barry

The Lace Reader

Synopsis:

In Barry's captivating debut, Towner Whitney, a young woman descended from a long line of mind readers and fortune tellers, has returned to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, for rest and relaxation. Any tranquility in her life is short-lived, however, when her aunt drowns under mysterious circumstances.

Take a trip to the the still point at the center of the lace. Take a trip with Sophya (or Towner) Whitney as she travels back home to Salem, Massachusetts and her troubled family when her Great Aunt Eva disappears. It’s a trip in time and space and thought. For the women of the Whitney family are all . . . different, perhaps disturbed, perhaps strangely psychic. Watch as you slowly understand what happened years ago, and see the picture emerge.

This is a tale of the victory of the human spirit over adversity, of coping with difficult and horrifying realities. Ultimately it is a tale of love, the love one family shares. It is filled with wonderful and strange characters --- witches, abused women, the Red Hat ladies, a has-been policeman, the Whitney family, born-again Christians, wild dogs, and Towner. It weaves back and forth through time and memory forming an intricate lace pattern of its own. We are drawn into that pattern and read it more with each page.

The author, Brunonia Barry, lives in Salem, and the love she has for her hometown shines through. Both the Salem of today and yesterday and its troubled history are drawn with an amazing sense of time and place. This story could not have been as real set in any other place. The language and voice border on poetic, while the story is stark and frequently frightening as the pattern slowly emerges and you find yourself bemused and wanting to know more. I read it slowly because I really wanted to devour it, but sensed that it was deeper than a fast read should be. It was worth savoring. I spent a time living with the characters and am still haunted by the beauty I found in the pages of this book.

A GREAT read.

--Mary Cremen
imagineatrium.com



Find more great fiction recommendations from independent bookstores at Indiebound.org!

Experience the mystery of The Lace Reader online here.

How to Die Happy (and Probably Instantly)...

....Just prepare this burger and you're on the road to glory.

I heard Paula Deen on the Food Network today utter the phrase "That's music to a cracker's ears!" when sinking her teeth into a succulent piece of amazingly prepared mouthwatering meat, which made me do a double take since I wasn't totally paying attention to the television. Later I decided to Google Paula cuz she was on my mind and what on earth do I come across but her "Lady's Brunch Burger," a monstrously solid concoction of hamburger, two strips of bacon, a fried EGG, and (cover your eyes kids)...two WHOLE glazed donuts!

Yes, yes, OMG. But hey y'all, any good southerner surely wouldn't bat an eyelash at this. And those in the know have probably already seen this wonder in it's previous life as the Luther Burger (the Luther, however, never dared to garnish itself with TWO whole glazed doughnuts, or an EGG, good Lord). To people who have daintier palates and who had mental heart attacks at Imagine Atrium when we started selling Mo's Bacon Bar, the Lady's Brunch Burger is a true misnomer and may be liable to cause convulsions or throwing up inside the mouth.

Paula Deen is so darn cute and arguably the most entertaining and likable TV chef on the air today, so I forgive her for trying to kill us with her food, the majority of which I'm sure tastes delectable. Although she is known for casually dropping two and three whole sticks of butter into cheese and dessert sauces at one time, not all of her recipes are completely death inducing.

In fact, her new cookbook is for kids. Paula Deen's My First Cookbook is aimed at teaching kids how to whip up tasty dishes that mom and dad will absolutely love. And it's guaranteed not to contain any Lady's Brunch Burgers.

"For KIDS?" you say. I know, I know. You don't want your children's culinary habits being influenced by someone who puts hamburgers on glazed doughnuts. But kids are smart. They are well aware that glazed doughnut burgers are only for old ladies on Sunday afternoons. Kids also like to have FUN, and if there's one thing we can all learn from Paula it's that we really should enjoy life, love people, and have as much fun as possible...and that includes laughing and playing around in the kitchen while cooking mom or dad something weird, interesting, and tasty.

Pick up a Paula Deen cookbook today and smile. Live a little before you die. She'll help you get there faster, but you'll be grinning, belly laughing, and licking your lips all the way.


-Garrad Bradley
imagineatrium.com



-Pre-order Paula Deen's My First Cookbook at a 20% discount from Imagine Atrium.

-Or check out her best dishes for every holiday on the calendar in "Paula Deen Celebrates" - 40% off for our blog readers for a very limited time only!


***See Paula with Michelle Obama at pauladeen.com!***

-Find your local, independent bookstore and local, independent cafes at Indiebound.org

BOOK REVIEW: "The Homeowner's Handbook to Energy Efficiency" by John Krigger and Chris Dorsi

With energy issues at the forefront of our minds and of the media lately, The Homeowner’s Handbook to Energy Efficiency couldn’t have come at a better time. No matter where you live – in a brownstone or single-family, apartment building or condo unit – The Handbook offers all readers practical suggestions on ways to save a few dollars while doing their part for the environment. Well-research and thorough, this book easily moves into the ranks as one of the “go-to” books for reference and information on home energy efficiency.

One of the books strengths is its thoroughness. There are full chapters dedicated to lighting and heating, doors and windows, insulation, landscaping, and much, much more. The Handbook offers practical suggestions on ways to improve your home's efficiency. Some of the many projects that are specifically mentioned in the book include:

• Details on how to better insulate your home - or what to look for when you hire someone to insulate your home
• How to figure out and, as needed, adjust your hot water heater to maximize its efficiency
• The best way to landscape your home in order to create a cooler home in the summer and a warmer home in the winter
• Simple ways to maximize the use of low-energy lighting both inside and outside your home

Another great thing about the book is that it is well-organized. Its chapters flow in a logical fashion from one from the other, discussing each part of your home. A detailed table of contents helps readers find their topic of interest quickly and easily, and enable this book to be easily used as a reference manual.

A recent homeowner myself I can appreciate that this book addresses all scales – no project is too big or too small. Renters certainly have different concerns than homeowners, and this book will help you, no matter what your position. Whether you are interested in upgrading an existing item or system in your home that is already in use or replacing it completely, The Handbook is a valuable tool. For example, the authors walk you through options for making your doors and windows more energy efficient through weather-stripping and other techniques, but also offer great information should you be looking to replace your doors and windows completely.

Homeowners and renters alike benefit by having this book on their shelf. I highly recommend it as a great reference tool to help make you green… and help save you green!

---Kris Ohleth
imagineatrium.com


For a multimedia tour inside The Handbook, click here.
Click here to listen to the authors discuss the book.

STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! You don't have to buy this book from a huge corporation or mega retail chain. Support and sustain your LOCAL economy buy purchasing this (or any other) book right in your own community. That way, dollars stay in your community. Find your local, independent bookstore at Indiebound.org

Picture of the Week

How to Solve Marriage Problems: Cat Edition

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Worried your man's cheating? You might wanna check his genes!

Scientists in Sweden have recently completed a study that links a gene, apparently one that 40% of all men have, to a man's ability (or inability) to be interested in monogamy and have a successful, long-term relationship. The presence of this cheating gene, called an "allele," also seems to predict the likelihood of a man getting married or simply living unmarried with a woman, as well as how happy or unhappy the woman is in her relationship with the man.

The allele regulates the activity of a hormone in the brain called vassopressin. In earlier studies, other scientists studying voles found that certain species of male voles were monogamous and mated with the same female for life, while others were dirty rats...or let's just say more promiscuous. The scientists found that by experimenting with vassopressin and receptors in the brains of voles, they could change the males of the promiscuous species to faithful husbands (and vice versa).

Ethics aside, maybe one day you too can know at the start of a relationship whether your guy's gonna be good to you by making him take a simple test to check for a promiscuity gene. Then you can decide if he's worth the inevitable drama to follow. If you find the gene, and are hell-bent on garnering his affection, it may just be a simple matter of cutting his head open and rearranging things a little until he's perfect!

Ladies, don't act like you weren't fantasizing about this already.

Read the full story from The Washington Post.