Reza Aslan concludes in 'Zealot' that Jesus was a radical
The old adage of not judging a book by its cover holds true for Reza Aslan’s latest work, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.” The cover, with its dark hues and half-portrait of Jesus perched above the large font ZEALOT screams controversy, and possibly, the inflaming of passions. Some people will be turned away , and some will even step away from this work because it is
‘Brave’ is enjoyable but doesn’t offer answers
Toward the beginning of Polly Morland’s “The Society of Timid Souls, or How to Be Brave,” the author recounts an experiment that scientists had concocted to determine neurologic factors of bravery. Volunteers’ heads were placed near a conveyor belt that they could control with a simple stop/start switch. On the conveyor belt would be either a snake or a teddy bear (oh, to read that grant application!). Scientists then observed
A heroine’s appealing journey as she travels light
Near the end of “Traveling Light,” Andrea Thalasinos’ second novel, the narrative provides us with its fundamental theme: “There was nothing to lose because, in a way, she’d already gained everything by having lost it all.” Thalasinos, a professor of sociology at Madison College in Wisconsin and native New Yorker, creates an engaging story, a good summer read, about Paula Makaikis’ journey of personal discovery. Stuck for 10 years in
Fun summer fare a nod to ‘Frankenstein’
“The Curiosity,” Stephen Kiernan’s debut novel, raises more questions about humanity than the morality of its subject, cryogenics. Certainly, Kiernan addresses the themes of scientific “God-playing” with the same vitality as his predecessor Mary Shelley, but Erastus Carthage lacks the tortured ambivalence of Victor Frankenstein, and Jeremiah Rice proves far more human than Frankenstein’s monster. Kiernan’s task is ambitious. He invites the reader to question the extravagance of ego in
Early Tudor court full of factious family in Philippa Gregory's latest
It’s one of history’s biggest mysteries: Who killed the princes in the Tower? In “The White Princess,” Philippa Gregory introduces a new mystery: Who was the boy who resurfaced claiming to be Richard, the prince who may have been spirited away and is heir to the England’s throne? Gregory’s latest novel is set just after the Wars of the Roses. Henry Tudor has won and claims Elizabeth of York as
Is Roanoke the 'scare city'?
If you believe in ghosts, this is the book for you. L.B. Taylor Jr., author of 25 books on ghosts throughout the state, says Roanoke may be one of the most haunted cities in Virginia, “if not the entire southeastern United States.” Taylor claims that “ disembodied entities seem to abound here: in old mansions; on the grounds of long-abandoned plantations; in hotels, restaurants and bed-and-breakfast inns; in vintage theaters
Dangerous days for a young country during the American Revolution
“Through the Perilous Fight,” by Steve Vogel, is a day-by-day account that begins with the events of Aug. 9, 1814, and the eventual burning of the nation’s capital. All of the major figures on both sides of the battle lines are given life in this meticulously researched book. While the British were motivated to suppress new acts of rebellion on a distant shore, the former Colonists saw the War of
Bio blows up image of Wild West legend Wyatt Earp
In all of mankind’s dark and dreadful annals, from the merciless slaughters of biblical times to the present, no more dismal a scene of lawlessness, rapine, robbery and casual murder was ever presented than of the American West, in the period following the Civil War to the end of the frontier in 1890, or perhaps a bit beyond. And the tale of Wyatt Earp, by turns lawman and lawbreaker, was
Language, imagery shine in debut novel
Ethan Hauser’s debut novel, “The Measures Between Us,” explores the emotional space between human intimacy and detachment, the riddle of what brings humans together and what keeps them apart. He describes with depth and narrative subtlety how love not only unites people but also separates them. This excellent novel reminds us on many levels of another important debut novel, Carson McCullers’ “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.” At the end
‘Drift’ suffers from promoter’s touch
Jon McGoran’s “Drift” is described in the promotional literature as a “mesmerizing ecological noir thriller with a foodie twist.” In other words, McGoran has a balancing act to manage, and, in a few places, he does succeed. Ironically, what makes “Drift” work in some places is when McGoran steps away from the marketing angle of selling a novel and instead focuses on the novel itself. This, unfortunately, does not happen
A hairy-chested debut novel
British Columbia’s remote Kootenay Valley, as portrayed by native son D.W. Wilson, is a mighty hard and dangerous place. His male characters — they’re the only ones who really count — spend much of their time drinking, uttering macho platitudes, beating one another bloody and even taking up a firearm if one is handy. And they rarely rely on a doctor for repairs; they stitch their wounds with cat gut
A warrior comes home
Roxana Robinson’s “Sparta” is an insightful and penetrating look at the readjustment wartime soldiers have to make upon returning to the United States. Unfortunately, “Sparta” also suffers from some missteps that sometimes mar the narrative. The book follows Marine Conrad Farrell’s return from Iraq; his efforts to reconnect with his family and with himself form the crux of the work. “Sparta” starts on the plane ride home, and the reader
A lot to chew on
Food exists for us to eat, yet it consumes us. We make food the centerpiece of our holidays and vow to work off the calories later. Fast-food restaurants cater to our desire to be healthy with salads and wraps, but gratify our greater lust for crisp, salty fries. Gyms remind us that money we spend on snacks could easily go toward organic chicken breasts. We silently agree as we head
A search for self at The New Yorker
Memoirs appeal to us primarily for two reasons. They provide first-hand accounts of events and places, a form of history. They also reveal the author’s thinking, a type of self-analysis and personal history. Janet Groth’s memoir, “The Receptionist: An Education at The New Yorker,” by title suggests a bit of both. However, we are left disappointed by her descriptions of life at The New Yorker, while the depiction of her
Food, religion, family at center of ‘Table’
Three individuals search for a sense of belonging in New York City. The first, the gay son of a Baptist preacher father and the quintessential Southern homemaker mother, flees to New York to escape the oppression of the Deep South and of his own family. The second, a middle-aged housewife from Connecticut, coming to terms with an empty nest and a loveless marriage to a borderline-abusive husband, seeks the refuge
‘The Child Thief’ one of the year’s best thrillers
“The Child Thief” is a good novel; let’s just get this out of the way first. Dan Smith has written a good story, and it definitely is worth the time of any reader remotely interested in a historical thriller. In “The Child Thief,” which is Smith’s first novel distributed to the United States, a Russian man and his family encounter a refugee, who is dragging behind him the mutilated bodies
Diva of the big top
There is no entertainment as mesmerizing as the circus. Author Dean Jensen calls the circus “a church of gaiety.” His “Queen of the Air” is a portrait of Lillian Leitzel, the star celebrant in that church’s cathedral, The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. “Queen of the Air” exceeds expectations of a biography; it functions more as a work of fiction. Certainly, the subject would be an apt one
Beyond the parlor tricks
Peter Parker as Spider-Man stops a speeding train by shooting out webs that attach to some trackside buildings. The train continues for an improbable distance ; all the while the web material stretches without thinning, the attachment to the buildings remains intact, and Parker himself is not torn apart by the momentum of the speeding train. It’s great theater, but we understand Newtonian physics well enough to know that such
A blueprint for fatherhood
Deployment to a battle-forward area creates a need to have family discussions. Among those items discussed are the management of the family during your absence, and what will happen if you don’t return. Lt. Col. Mark Weber faced just such a discussion when Gen. David Petraeus “invited” Weber to become part of his team in Afghanistan. While preparing for his trip to Afghanistan, Weber discovered he had stage 4 cancer.
Unengaging story tangles ‘Tapestry’
Opening the mail and finding a new book by a favorite author is a simple joy to an avid reader. And yet, few things are a bigger buzz-kill than settling in for the promise of a good read only to find yourself sloughing through it, wondering if you will ever care about these characters. That was my experience reading the novel “Tapestry of Fortunes” by Elizabeth Berg. It took weeks
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
7. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
8. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
THE ROANOKE TIMES
