Lisa McLendon

Charles Duhigg book probes what drives habits

"THE POWER OF HABIT: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IN LIFE AND BUSINESS." By Charles Duhigg. Random House. $28.

The cue: The "thwack" of the Sunday newspaper hitting the driveway.

The No. 1 girls' detective agency

"THE GREAT CAKE MYSTERY." By Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor Books. 7 and up. $6.99.

For all the fans of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's No. 1 lady detective -- and there are legions -- and for all the kids who think it would be fun to solve mysteries, "The Great Cake Mystery" delivers a sweet, fun story about how Precious got her start detecting.

'The Odds' explores a broken marriage and desperate choice

"THE ODDS." By Stewart O'Nan. Viking. $25.95.

Stewart O'Nan doesn't write sweeping epics, doesn't delve into places far away or times long past. Instead, he peers deeply into the personal -- the real lives of real people, their dreams and fears, their triumphs, however small, and their failings, however petty. In these lives, he teases out larger truths, the truths we can all relate to, even if we haven't shared the experience.

'Running the Rift' finds hope amid horrors of war

"RUNNING THE RIFT." By Naomi Benaron. Algonquin Books. $24.95.

When a book wins an award for promoting social justice -- in this case, the Bellwether Prize, established by writer Barbara Kingsolver -- one might expect it to be heavy-handed or preachy.

'Wicked' author takes final trip to land of Oz

"OUT OF OZ." By Gregory Maguire. William Morrow. $26.99.

Until a couple of months ago, I hadn't read "Wicked." I haven't seen the musical, either, which apparently differs quite a bit from the book.

When I picked up "Wicked," I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I got -- and that was a delightful surprise.

'The Curfew' gives a brief peek into a dark future

"THE CURFEW." By Jesse Ball. Vintage. $14.95.

Some books get described as "rich with detail." "The Curfew" is not one of those -- it's the opposite.

Advertisement
  +

Recent Comments

Latest Blogs

Blogging the Rambler
Bill Maher is a jerk
By: Charles Trentelman

Monday, May 21, 2012 - 5:48pm

The Political Surf
Book on ‘Mormonizing’ of America is Bible-bookstore...
By: Doug Gibson

Monday, May 21, 2012 - 3:22pm

Me, myself... as mommy
Is addiction to Adderall really more appealing than...
By: MeganSanders

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 - 12:26am

Why Are You Crying?
Defeated zombie campaigns remain to haunt Romney
By: Mark Shenefelt

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - 4:24pm

Standard-Examiner Sports Blogs
Tyrone Corbin just loves watching basketball, would...
By: Jim Burton

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 - 4:20pm

Latest Tweets