New paperback releases offer good choices for reading groups

REVIEWS BY JULIE HALE

The intrepid chef follows up his best-selling book Kitchen Confidential with a narrative that blends travelogue, history and roughneck humor into a recipe for success. Journeying to exotic locales in search of the ideal meal, the globetrotting author makes stops in Japan, Portugal and Vietnam, among other places, risking life and limb along the way for the sake of sampling indigenous cuisines. In the name of gastronomic inquiry, Bourdain braves all, eating the heart of a live cobra and snacking on Fugu, a poisonous fish only licensed cooks can serve. The stories surrounding these acts of culinary daring are filled with all the humor, irony and reporterly expertise readers have come to expect from the king of cuisine. A reading group guide is available at www.harpercollins.com.


Famous for her personal indulgences, as well as her vanity, France's controversial queen gets a break in Fraser's best-selling biography. Clearing up some misconceptions about a woman who was, in reality, surprisingly compassionate, Fraser paints a compelling portrait of an unwilling monarch trapped in a loveless marriage and ill -prepared to handle matters of state. Married at the age of 14 to Louis XVI—an act of diplomacy between Austria and France rather than a matter of the heart—Marie Antoinette entered into a life at court marked by scandal, tragedy and violence, as political upheaval swept through France. With unforgettable incidents, some of which have become the stuff of myth, this is the surprising story of a queen capable of pity and remorse, whose heart went out to her suffering subjects. A reading group guide is available in print and online at www.anchorbooks.com.

This mesmerizing debut novel from Gold (who is the husband of author Alice Sebold) recounts the non-stop adventures of real-life magician Charles Carter. Set in the 1920s and '30s, when Carter outperformed every illusionist in America, including the great Houdini, the novel follows his rise to international fame during a career marked by risk and romance, sacrifice and danger. Filled with historical figures, including President Warren G. Harding and inventor Philo Farnsworth, as well as an unforgettable cast of crooks, bootleggers and glitzy dames, the novel conjures up the spirit of the Roaring Twenties through jazzy banter and fast-paced action. Gold writes with the expertise of an old pro. Recently optioned by Paramount for Tom Cruise's production company, Carter is an act of magic from a literary whiz. A reading group guide is available at www.hyperionbooks.com.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Kennedy returns with another first-rate entry in his classic Albany series. Set in 1945, this boisterous period piece is the story of Roscoe Conway, an energetic New York lawyer and politician. After nearly 15 years of using his influence to ensure the dominance of the Democratic party in Albany, Roscoe—who's connected to everyone in town, from the police to the mob, from socialites to call girls—is ready to retire. But when a series of mysterious deaths occurs, including the murder of his friend Elisha, he decides to stick around a little longer. Passion, scandal and suspense follow for the good-hearted political boss, including encounters with Veronica, his lifetime flame, who just happens to be the widow of Elisha. Kennedy is in top form in this national bestseller.


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