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Chris Lemmon
Author of "A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute to My Father"
James Robert Parish
Author of "Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops"

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Book QuickTakes

Gone
By: Michael Grant (2008)

Already late to the race to become the next “Harry Potter,” Michael Grant’s “Gone” may be the closest thing to J.K. Rowling’s mega-popular fantasy series, but it won’t win over any fans by unabashedly ripping off “Potter” – and several other pop culture phenomenons – along the way. The first novel in an already planned six-part series, “Gone” asks the question: what if everyone you love disappeared in a flash? That’s exactly what happens to everyone over the age of 14 in the quiet town of Perdido Beach, and with no adults to uphold the law, the remaining population is quickly divided. To make matters worse, the FAYZ (short for Fallout Alley Youth Zone, due to the nuclear plant in the middle of the city) is surrounded by an impenetrable wall, the animals are mutating, and even some of the kids have developed strange powers of their own. One such kid is Sam Temple, a reserved teenager who is not only tasked with stopping a renegade group of rich kids from taking over the FAYZ, but also must figure out the secret to everyone’s disappearing act before his 14th birthday (when he, too, will go “poof”). Staged like a season of “Heroes” if it were based in junior high, influenced by “Lord of the Flies,” and written by Stan Lee, “Gone” keeps the action moving along throughout all 558 pages – despite some silly subplots and a love story that no adolescent could ever identify with. It’s also a great read for pop culture enthusiasts no matter what your age, and though the book’s ending is so anticlimactic that many readers probably won’t return for the second installment, “Gone” is still one of the better “Potter” copycats available. ~Jason Zingale

101 Things NOT To Do Before You Die
By: Robert W. Harris (2006)

Robert Harris does one thing really well in his new book, “101 Things NOT To Do Before You Die." He gives us all clearance to not follow the norm – by saying that it’s okay to leave food on your plate, to put a novel down if it’s boring, and to shun a movie critic and see movies just because you want to. There are many more items, 98 more to be exact, and it’s written in a tongue-in-cheek manner that is as entertaining as it is easy to read. There are also items in the book that probably amount to new knowledge for most folks. For example, did you know there are no eggs or cream in an egg cream? Or that there are tricks to remember the names of new people you meet? As a whole, there is a lot of information in “101 Things NOT To Do Before You Die” that is likely to change the way you approach everyday situations. Yes, there are times Harris tries a little too hard and also includes items that most of us couldn’t care less about, but for the most part this book is light, entertaining and often hilarious. ~Mike Farley