Books

ReadOut Shorts: July 2008

Incognegro Incognegro
Mat Johnson

DC Comics (www.vertigocomics.com)
The shooting death of a cross-dressing deputy sheriff is a focal point of this mystery set in America’s Deep South in the early 20th century when Ku Klux Klan lynchings were commonplace. Author Mat Johnson and illustrator Warren Pleece elevate the graphic novel to a level of page-turning suspense, with a surprise twist at the end worthy of its characters’ duplicitous disguises. — Review: Donalevan Maines

TTriangleTwisted Triangle
Caitlin Rother
Jossey-Bass (www.josseybass.com)
Twisted Triangle is a true crime story about an FBI agent husband’s revenge against his FBI agent wife.   Although the cover leads one to believe his revenge was motivated solely by the wife’s affair with out author Patricia Cornwell, the couple’s bilking of the FBI seems to have played a large role in the whole mess. True: no woman should be kidnapped and assaulted by her husband. True: none of us want our ill-advised affairettes to be used to hype a book. False: this book should be purchased and read by anyone other than true crime aficionados. — Review: Angel Curtis

DiscriminateWould Jesus Discriminate? The 21st Century Question
Rev. Dr. Cindi Love
Trafford Publishing (www.trafford.com)

Cindi Love, executive director of the Metropolitan Community Churches, comes to ordained ministry from a business background — and her prose shows it. This book isn’t so much inspiration for church members as it is a marketing model for church professionals. It’s interesting, especially for the results this specific campaign has shown, but the writing is dry, even when she references potentially moving personal stories. — Review: Neil Ellis Orts

Thinking Straight
Robin Reardon
ThinkingKensington (www.kensingtonbooks.com)

For the first three-quarters of this novel, Reardon’s story of a gay teenager sent to a religious camp to be turned straight shows surprising shades of gray. For example, the main character grows in both faith and certitude about his sexuality despite his reprehensible surroundings. Then Reardon descends into cliche and melodrama. For those who like irredeemably hateful villains, this might be an enjoyable book. Those who prefer more subtlety will want to skip it. — Review: Neil Ellis Orts 
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