Tampa Book Buzz

book buzz:historic photos of tampa, text and captions by ralph brower

Historic Photos of Tampa
text and captions by Ralph Brower

Remember those carefully-packed time capsules your fourth-grade class buried in the school’s playground all those years ago? The book Historic Photos of Tampa is a time capsule of sorts, a peek into Tampa’s history, carefully packed with a variety of photos from all walks of life.

In the book’s preface, publisher Todd Bottorff states that “this book seeks to provide easy access to a valuable, objective look into Tampa history.” Using photographs from the Burgert Brothers — some not often seen in other photo collection books — Historic Photos of Tampa presents local history in four parts:

(1) Beginning of Cigar City to the Turn of the Century
(2) Tampa at the Beginning of the 20th Century
(3) The Roaring 20s, Great Depression and Economic Recovery
(4) World War II and the Baby Boom

Each chapter gives a brief, one-page summary of the local history of that era and each photograph has a caption that gives additional historical information while explaining the photo’s origins, date and subject matter. The book’s photos are marvelous. There are pictures of famous buildings, waterways, horse-drawn carriages, store marquees, parties, industries, Ybor cigar factories, traffic, parades, carnivals, buildings under construction, and a variety of people: famous, not so famous, at work, at play and walking down the street.

I wish that the captions had received as much time and attention as the photograph selection process obviously did. The captions were oddly inconsistent: some gave a great deal of information while others were short and choppy; some were carefully written and edited, while other captions — too many of them, sadly — had grammatical and typographical errors.

Overall, however, the captions are a small part of the book. Beautiful, wonderful photos are
the center of Historic Photos of Tampa. The photographs are black and white, but the Tampa Bay area history is colorful.

Book Buzzometer: B+

(cross-posted at www.sticksoffire.com)

book buzz:darkness falls by kyle mills

Darkness Falls by Kyle Mills

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the world’s supply of oil was suddenly unavailable? Author Kyle Mills has, and it’s scary as hell.

In Darkness Falls, bioterrorists have discovered a way to quickly wreak havoc and panic on a world-wide level: using a nasty strain of crude-oil-eating bacteria to wipe out the world’s oil fields. High gas prices are nothing compared to not having gas or oil at all. The inconvenience of useless individual automobiles is minor. Think about delivery trucks, military vehicles, barges, planes, fire trucks and ambulances. Without oil, grocery stores have nothing to sell, factories can’t use plastic in their products and medical personnel can’t rush to victims’ homes. There’s nowhere to go, no way to get there, and nothing we can do about it. Society breaks down and chaos ensues. The terrorists win.

Unless the good guys can stop them first, of course. Because genetic engineer-turned environmentalist Erin Neal had previously used similar bacteria to clean up toxic spills, he is now the only person with the knowledge and expertise to thwart the bioterrorists’ attack. Neal is a reluctant hero, tucked away in his desert home, quietly mourning the death of his environmental activist girlfriend. He sets aside his personal demons, however, to work with Homeland Security to try to trace the source of bacterial infestation and to minimize its effects. Neal discovers a tangled knot of conspiracy, lies and madness that is far worse than any personal demons he has.

Mills has done some amazing things with this book. Sure, he’s created a suspenseful thriller that’s fun to read. But he’s also presented a powerful ecological argument for living a conscious, earth-friendly lifestyle without being preachy, whiny and judgmental about it. (Darkness Falls inspired me far more than all the current “Go Green” campaigns and Al Gore combined.) Mills examines both sides of important, complex issues — global warming, energy dependence, activism, the U.S. military, consumerism, large corporations, the environmentalist movement, dependence on technology, social constructs — in a thoughtful and respectful manner. His characters are flawed and conflicted, which makes them realistic and compelling.

Darkness Falls entertained me, freaked me out and even inspired me a little. Pumping gas in my car will never be the same again, that’s for sure.

Book Buzzometer: A

You can read an excerpt of Darkness Falls here.

book buzz:sharp teeth by toby barlow

Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow

Barlow’s debut novel is ambitious and daring. Sharp Teeth is a novel-in-verse about rival werewolf gangs in L.A. Gang members can transform from dog to man and back again at will, independent of the lunar cycle. Pack leader Lark struggles to replenish his gang’s waning numbers while monitoring the rival packs.

Against this backdrop is the love story between kind-hearted dogcatcher Anthony and the secretive woman who is carefully concealing her true nature from Anthony and everyone else. Throw in a gangster, a confused cop and some crystal meth labs and you’ve got Sharp Teeth. Barlow got the idea for writing in verse from years spent reading Homer, Milton and Frank Miller’s comic books. He uses the technique successfully, crafting rich, sensual descriptions of lycanthropic life.

Three steps into the house and he’s already seen
the two dead dogs in the living room.
The house is empty.
Sirens are getting louder.
There’s blood everywhere.
Like a Jackson Pollack valentine, he thinks,
quickly bolting the front door.
Moving through the rooms
with the fluidity of water,
he turns out every light.

I enjoyed the unusual format, once I got used to it. Unfortunately, Barlow’s story peters out towards the end of the book and collapses into a confusing storyline that’s much weaker that the beginning of the book. All in all, however, Sharp Teeth is a promising debut novel.

Book Buzz Barometer: B

book buzz:the birthday party by panos karnezis

The Birthday Party by Panos Karnezis

Karnezis has crafted a quiet, introspective look at a larger-than-life character.  Marco Timoleon was raised in a strict Greek Orthodox household in Asia Minor and worked his way up in the business and society worlds to become a globe-trotting billionaire.

The novel opens in the summer of 1975, on the day of Marco’s daughter’s 25th birthday celebration.  His daughter Sophia is pregnant, much to Marco’s dismay, and he plans to convince her to have an abortion while she’s on his island.  He’s even flown in his personal physician and set up a secret operating room. 

The book ends the next day, after the party is over and the guests have departed.  Interspersed with the present-day story are Marco’s flashbacks, as he reviews the successes and failures of his long life.

The Birthday Party is an enjoyable fairy tale that thankfully stops short of melodrama.

Book Buzz Barometer: A-

book buzz:rant by chuck palahniuk

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk is one deliciously twisted dude.  His latest book, Rant, is an oral history of Buster “Rant” Casey, recounted by Rant’s friends, enemies, doctors, schoolmates and others who knew him. Nicknamed for the gagging sound one makes when throwing up, Rant spent his childhood being bitten and stung by as many venomous animals and insects that he could find.  Unable to engage in sexual intercourse without the priapism caused by black widow spiders, Rant’s first act on a hot date was to take out a vial of spiders that he carried around with him.  Proof of Rant’s romantic prowess was evident by the number of local females — students and teachers alike — who contracted rabies through his saliva.

As an adult, Rant lives in a world where rabies is a worldwide plague and infected people are quarantined in a temporal, rather than physical, way.  As Nighttimers, those in quarantine were allowed out only at night and made to follow strict curfews.  One way for both Nighttimers and Daytimers to live vicariously without actually doing anything was through a “boosted peak” uploaded through the port in their necks.  Uploading someone else’s neural transcript was the prime method of entertainment.

For those more interested in real-life excitement, there’s the urban demolition derby Party Crashing.  Rant excelled at this late-night violent hunting game and became infamous after his fiery death. Well, and for that whole rabies thing.  And did I mention his time-traveling father?

Rant is inventive, warped, funny, odd, snarky, pessimistic, with a side order of boring bits and a hard-to-follow format.  You know, just your usual Palahniuk book.

Book Buzz Barometer: B

book buzz:brazen careerist:the new rules for success by penelope trunk

Brazen Careerist:The New Rules for Success by Penelope Trunk

There once was a girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good
She was very good
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

This nursery rhyme sums up how I feel about business self-help author Penelope Trunk. When she’s right, she’s right; but when she’s wrong, Trunk is way off-base. In Brazen Careerist:The New Rules for Success, Trunk proudly claims that this is “not your parents’ career guidebook.” She writes for Generations X and Y, twenty- and thirty-somethings who care less about retiring after forty years with a gold watch and care more about the successful integration of career and personal life.

Some of Trunk’s chapters that I agree with include “Detours Are the Route to Happiness,” about how exploring career and life options in one’s twenties is a smart move; “You Only Need $40,000 a Year To Be Happy,” a solid argument for living within your means and being satisfied with what you have; and “The New Workplace Currency is Training,” about how cross-training and constant learning will serve you well in all areas of life.

I disagree with some of Trunk’s advice, such as that found in chapters “When Writing Your Resume Don’t Be Too Honest,” which takes the standard resume advice “use strong action verbs” several steps further; “Getting a Promotion Is So Last Century,” a pessimistic look at what constitutes achievement in the workplace, and “Use Harassment to Boost Your Career,” where Trunk theorizes that “enduring sexual harassment can sometimes be a way to gain power to achieve your long-range goals.”

Agree or disagree, love her or hate her, Trunk is a good writer who breaks down important career advice into short, easy-to-read chapters (some of which are a little too short). By using bold chapter titles and making potentially-anger-inducing pronouncements, Trunk purposely creates controversy with her advice. And we all know that controversy sells, right?

Whether you vigorously nod your head in agreement at her advice or disagree vehemently, Trunk makes you think. Thinking for oneself is the ultimate path to success for all careerists, brazen or not.

Book Buzz Barometer: B

book buzz:the swap by antony moore

The Swap by Antony Moore

Have you ever given away an incredibly valuable object by accident?  Pudgy, lonely comic shop owner Harvey Briscow did.  When he was twelve, Harvey traded his Superman One comic book to “Bleeder” Odd for a really cool piece of plastic pipe.  Now an adult, Harvey regrets losing this priceless comic book and is obsessed with how different his life would be if he hadn’t traded it away.

Harvey reluctantly decides to attend his school reunion, where he encounters the now successful, well-adjusted Charles “Bleeder” Odd.  Harvey gives in to his obsession and breaks into Charles’ home to steal Superman One, only to stumble across a dead body.  This discovery puts Harvey in the middle of a murder investigation and disrupts his bland, orderly life.

Half thought-provoking black comedy and half entertaining murder mystery, The Swap is an entertaining read.  And then the ending pulls the rug out from underneath your feet.  Without giving anything away, I can say that The Swap ends without wrapping things up in a neat package (which drives me crazy!).  With the addition of one final “wrap-up” chapter, The Swap would have been perfect.  As it is, it’s pretty darn good.

Book Buzz Barometer: B+

(Columbia Pictures and John Calley Productions have already acquired the rights to adapt The Swap into a feature film.  Paul Giamatti would make a great Harvey Briscow!)

book buzz:dead girls are easy by terri garey

Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey

Nicki Styx was minding her own business — her eclectic, eccentric, free-spirited business — when a near-death experience puts her in touch with some of the recently deceased who have unfinished business in this life. At first Nicki tries to ignore them, but eventually gives in to the annoying, nagging spirits and tries to relay their messages for them so they can rest in peace.

But being a “dead chick magnet” isn’t as easy as one would think. Nicki is swept into a world even more eccentric and free-spirited than she’s used to, complete with voodoo rituals, murder attempts, a hot romance with her emergency room doctor, confrontations with an ex-boyfriend, shopping and chicken cacciatore. Not to mention the Shocking Secret that Nicki uncovers about her past, which I can’t tell you anything about except to say that you’ll swallow your gum in astonishment.

Garey has created a spunky, snarky supernatural/suspense series that you can’t put down. The Shocking Secret stuff could have come off as a bad soap opera, but Garey not only makes it work, she makes it hilariously fascinating. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Garey’s website is www.tgarey.com.

Book Buzz Barometer: A

book buzz:fangland by john marks

Fangland by John Marks

A travel diary written by TV news magazine The Hour producer Evangeline Harker chronicles her arduous trip to Transylvania to interview notorious crime lord Ion Torgu and describes her ensuing imprisonment, seduction and mysterious illness.

A series of email exchanges between someone at The Hour claiming to be Harker — although she’s been missing for months — and an easily influenced employee reveal the increasingly bizarre actions of infected Hour staff.

A network executive’s last will and testament describes the unexpected arrival of videotapes and large crates from Romania.  The videotapes appear blank, but with the continual malfunction of The Hour’s recording equipment, no one can be sure.  The ominous crates remain unopened in a back hallway of the office, but become objects of obsession among the TV news show staff.

An employee’s personal therapy journal documents the effects of the mysterious illness sweeping through the office: the insomnia, disturbing dreams, and words like “Nanking,” “Gomorrah,” and “Treblinka” constantly haunting one’s mind.

By presenting the story through personal email, journals and diaries, Marks creates a voyeuristic thrill for the reader peering into these multiple first-hand accounts.  Marks re-imagines the vampire myth and combines it with sharp commentary on post-911 media and office politics to create an unusual story.  To me, the ending didn’t quite live up to the promise of the rest of the book, but Fangland is still a worthwhile read.

Book Buzz Barometer: B

book buzz:resurrection angel by william mize

Resurrection Angel by William Mize

Denton Ward is a brilliant, gentle man whose psychic abilities and shattered childhood have changed him into an alcoholic recluse, grumpily holding on to his remaining sanity through cigarettes, alcohol and prescription medicine. Monty Crocetti is a punk-rock spitfire of a woman, a former prostitute who is now a private investigator with a big mouth and an even bigger heart. Denton and Monty are friends, lovers and partners. Together they investigate the case of Lisa Rappaport, a young heiress whose problems begin with amnesia and end with murder, with a possible virgin pregnancy in the middle.

This book is riveting. Most of the story unfolds through the main characters’ rapid-fire dialogue. This unusual technique gives Resurrection Angel a fast-paced vibrancy that makes it hard to put down. Mize brings two potentially unlikeable characters together to form an unique sleuthing team that readers will love. I have the sequel Everlasting Life on my bedside table and I can’t wait to dive back into Mize’s world.

Mize’s website is www.williammize.com.

Book Buzz Barometer: A  (Added 8/6/07 because I forgot to include in my original post; sorry about that!)