Book Beat: Ladies on the Case

By Jenniah Caldwell

Long gone are the days when world-hardened male gumshoes ruled supreme in the world of contemporary mystery novels. Two NJ authors are breaking those molds with their smart, strong-willed female protagonists.

Plum Lucky, the latest novella in Janet Evanovich’s best-selling Stephanie Plum series, finds Trenton’s favorite bounty hunter on the trail of a bag of stolen mobster money. Only it isn’t so much missing as it's with her Grandma Mazur in an Atlantic City casino. Throw in a couple of trusty sidekicks, a racehorse, and a heart-breaker named Diesel, and you are off on the latest madcap Plum adventure.

This 176-page novella is the perfect length to hold over Evanovich fans until the next full length Stephanie Plum novel Fearless Fourteen is released in June 2008.


Valerie Wilson Wesley has created a compelling main character in her African-American, ex-cop turned Newark detective, Tamara Hale. In Blood and Sorrow, the 8th novel in the Tamara Hale series, finds Hale fighting to protect her son Jamal from a murder charge, all the while becoming entangled in a complex search for a missing child. Hale faces all challenges with the trademark, down-to-earth wit and clear thinking that have insured Wesley's character success not only in several niche genres but on the mass market as well. In Blood and Sorrow will be released in hardback on January 29th, 2008.

Valerie Wilson Wesley will be appearing at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair on Feb. 3rd from 2 to 4 p.m. and at the John F. Kennedy Library in Piscataway on Feb. 23rd from 2 to 4 p.m.

Book Beat: The Lost Ravioli Recipes

By Jenniah Caldwell

Long before it became a night for cocktails and kisses at midnight, New Year's Eve meant only one thing for my Italian family: Pasta. After hours of hearing the rhythmic thumping of dough from the kitchen, we would all sit down to a venerable feast of Grandma Anna’s home made pasta. Plates of ravioli, gnocchi, and tortellini made their way around the table and we would all eat until we thought we would burst.

James Beard Award-winning author Laura Schenone understands the strong links between the past, pasta, and family. In her newest book, The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family, Schenone takes her readers from urban New Jersey to the Italian coast of Liguria, while on a search for the roots of her great-grandmother's ravioli recipe, connecting with lost relatives and places in her five-year journey. Along the way, she learns that tradition, recipes, and family dynamics evolve into their own complex flavor over time. Not just a memoir, the book also offers over 50 pages of authentic Genoese recipes.

The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family by Laura Schenone is available at all major bookstores. For an author autographed copy, order directly from Watchung Booksellers (973.744.7177), watchungbooksellers.com. Copies are limited.

Book Beat: Historic Photos of Jersey Shore

By Jenniah Caldwell

There is no denying that winter is here. The skies are gray, the wind is frigid, and snow is no longer just a vague threat. During the dreary days of the season, the minds of many New Jerseyans will fast forward to the upcoming dog days of summer and of time that will be spent "down the shore" at one of our state's many beach towns.

Instead of daydreaming of summers yet to come, NJL recommends curling up beside the fire with Historic Photos of Jersey Shore. Over 200 rare black and white photographs, culled from national and local archives, showcase over 100 years of the storied history of NJ's beach resorts. The book covers a large range of topics, highlighting images from Victorian Cape May, the golden era of AC's steel pier, cranberry harvests in the 30's, New Jersey's WWII effort, to the Civil Rights struggle.

The author Joe Czachowski, an adjunct History professor at Kean University, uses his vast knowledge of New Jersey history to breathe new life into some of The Shore's forgotten moments. Pick up your copy for $39.95 at Turner Publishing.

Book Beat: Upcoming Book Signings

By Jenniah Caldwell

What is the perfect yuletide gift for the bibliophiles on your holiday shopping list? A signed copy of one of the holiday's hottest books, of course! Here's a listing of upcoming book signings that are sure to make your (and their!) season bright.

Sopranos: The Book: The Complete Deluxe Edition by HBO

Did the ambiguous ending of the Sopranos series leave you feeling bewildered and wanting more? Sopranos: The Book contains 225 pages packed with cast photography, episode guides, and behind the scenes gossip, which will definitely help fill the void. It may even answer some burning questions about the finale -- like, will Meadow ever get her car parked?

Actor Vince Curatola, who played Johnny ‘Sack’ Sacramoni on the mega-hit, will be signing copies of Sopranos: The Book on December 15, 2007 at 1 p.m. at Bookends, East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ.

Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon by Garrison Keillor

Pontoon is author Garrison Keillor's latest addition to his Lake Wobegon tales. Lake Wobegon, a fictional Minnesota town made famous by radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, is peopled with a cast of campy and heartwarming residents like Evelyn Peterson, whose secret life and comical adventures are revealed to her family only after her death.

Garrison Keillor will be signing copies of Pontoon on December 16, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at Mendham Books, East Main Street in Mendham, NJ.


No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach by Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain, New Jersey’s own bad boy of all-things-epicurean, has taken his taste for exploration and adventurous food on the road on his hit Travel Channel show No Reservations. Around the World on an Empty Stomach is the illustrated companion book to the series, recording Bourdain's travels from the exotic ends of the earth and into his own New Jersey neighborhood. Brash, outspoken, and humorous, Bourdain is considered one of America’s best food writers.

He will be signing copies of Around the World on an Empty Stomach on December 15, 2007 at 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Tribeca, 97 Warren Street in New York City.