(USA) BOOK EXPO AMERICA: Books, books, books and again books… (part 3)

Our trek through the book jungle at Book Expo America continues… The Deliverance of Evil, an intricate and ambitious thriller, which is supposed to be the first of a trilogy on Commissario Michele Balestrieri. Even though the book has 576 pages, the reading is smooth (also thanks to the translators) and captivating, as any police story should be, and you will forget its length after few pages. Translated from the Italian, this is the first book by Roberto Costantini and it deserves all the respect it has been shown by the reviewers.

Ed Wright’s History’s Greatest Scandals is a perfect coffe-table book but it also offers a great reading experience. The stories highlight famous names and often share selfish desires, yet each tale will shock the reader, sometimes for their audacity, sometimes for their complexity, and sometimes for their pure idiocy. The sections’ names say it all: Political Misconduct, Murder and Mystery, False Prophets, On the Lam, Double Lives, Private Perversions. Kings, movie stars, composers, preachers, artists and billionaires are all there with their flaws and idiosyncrasies, offering a clear and undisputed view of the scandals that took them down, or sometimes made them even more famous!

If you are a history buff, two books that were presented at BEA would certainly catch your interest. The first, The Genius of Venice, Piazza San Marco and the Making of the Republic, is an ideal book for lovers of Venice and architecture aficionados alike, combining in-depth history of this unusual city with more than 100 color photographs and maps. The view of Venice that is shown is a heroic one. From their lagoon, the bold and calculating Venetians forged a city that stands today not merely as an attraction to millions, but as a testament to architectural genius. This is the first book for Dial Parrott, who has worked as a journalist, teacher and lawyer. The second tome is an exceptionally well redacted history of The Conquest of the Oceans, by Brian Lavery. From the First Ocean Sailors to the Age of Exploration, and then to The Age of Empire, the story flows among marvelous images to bring us to the sections Steam and Emigration, The Wars on the Oceans and The Global Ocean, analyzing how each conquest, battle, war, voyage and navigator or explorer influenced other events and brought forward the actual conquest of the oceans. This is a fine-looking volume to have and great book to read.

Before touching the food sector, I feel it is necessary to congratulate the editors of the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series of books, which humbly keep readers satisfied with trivia even when sitting on a throne. Their books seem to retain their freshness of topics through the years.

Naturally Sweet & Gluten  Free, by Ricki Heller, contains 100 recipes without gluten, dairy, eggs, or refined sugar, a perfect allergy-friendly vegan desserts book. Also on that topic is Leanne Campbell’s The China Study Cookbook, a straight-talk book with 120 whole food, plant-based recipes. Refreshing food pictures and a helpful introduction with a comparison of the nutrient content of three lunches, meant to show the reader how distorted our outlook on food really is. This very interesting book examines all different contents of animal and processed foods so as to offer the possibility of a more balanced and serene decision-making regarding our eating habits.   Hampton Weekends is a splendid coffee-table volume that offers a year-round option of recipes for complete dinners accompanied by stunning photographs of the food and of the Hamptons, mixing the images so as to create a relaxed feeling of awe for her cooking choices. Hamptons’ lovers be aware: this book could make you fall in love even more with that area! And for the lovers of alcohol, there is a refreshing Guide to Urban Moonshining, How to Make and Drink Whiskey, by Colin Spoelman and David Haskell. Written by the owners of a Kings County Distillery, a real and legal distillery, the first to operate within the borders of New   York City since the Prohibition. The title may seem to say it all, but the book also contains many cocktail recipes for moonshine whiskey, a true delight.

Jim Carrey’s visit and autograph section was very well organized and controlled, and his calm demeanor, coupled with open smiles, made it a day for everyone present.

You can view him on our channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpD60E_hv6w 

Kudos to the publishers and the author of a marvelous (yes, it will marvel you) book for  displaying a great sense of marketing with their robot, walking Yoda and other similar gadgets. It made everyone smile. With Tom Angleberger’s goofy sense of humor and accessible art style, Art2-D2’s Guide to Folding and Doodling is sure to satisfy and inspire the millions of Origami Yoda and Star Wars fans. May the doodles be with you and see you next year!