From the first chapter of Jasper Fforde's third novel, you can tell that the author had a blast writing this satiric mystery that explores the creation of fiction. Thursday Next - pregnant by her eradicated husband, haunted by a Hades sister intent on destroying her memory, and a Jurisfiction apprentice to none other than Miss Havisham of Dickens fame - takes refuge in a poorly written and unpublished crime novel called Caversham Heights. Thursday expects to rest there until the birth of her child, but she and Miss Havisham discover that the death of another agent by a Minotaur attack might not be the accident it seems. Meanwhile, nursery rhyme characters threaten a strike for not being treated like other fictional characters, two generic characters living with Thursday begin to become more well-rounded, and Thursday tries to save Caversham Heights from being destroyed by the Council of Genres for being so hopelessly bad.

The more you know about literature, the more hilarious you'll find this fantasy. Characters are being manufactured in record numbers because Vikram Seth is planning a new novel, and no one wants a return to minimalism simply because of a character shortage. Heathcliff, Catherine, and the rest of the characters from Wuthering Heights attend anger management classes, and Mr. Toad is relentless in his competition with Miss Havisham for the fastest driver in both the Book World and the Outland. And if you're interesting in writing, you'll gain tips for keeping your novel out of the Text Sea, as Fforde pokes fun at hackneyed writing and incomplete character development.

Because this is my first Fforde novel, I started reading this without any knowledge of what has happened previously in the series, but the author provides enough of a synopsis in the beginning to give a new reader the proper bearings. Despite this, there remains a disjointedness at times as so much satire is pumped into the book that does little to advance the plot. Sometimes Thursday seems to be there purely as a straight man, raising the question that perhaps Fforde should have heeded some of his own lessons in fiction writing. Fortunately, these lapses are few and don't hinder the enjoyment of the novel as a whole. This relatively long novel is not demanding and can be read more quickly than the page count might indicate.

As a literary joke, The Well of Lost Plots is a triumph. As a mystery/fantasy, it is less successful. Readers will nonetheless delight in Fforde's imagination as he takes them through the land of the unpublished and the more solid, though more turbulent, ground of the classics.

The only thing going for this Latina chick flick is the eye-candy appeal of its stars, since the plot is a ludicrous rehash of an old formula. Charming Tomas (Eduardo Verastegui) has three girlfriends living in different American cities, who, of course, decide to surprise him all at once, only to discover the existence of the others. Severe lawyer Lorena (Roselyn Sanchez) is gorgeous once she removes her glasses, while hot chili Cici (Sofia Vergara) understands the power of cleavage. Add pampered rich girl Patricia (Jaci Velasquez), throw in a drug money subplot that brings in yet another beautiful woman (Lisa Vidal) as the FBI agent, and you've got the full range of this silly movie. Its theme of female empowerment is overshadowed by lots of shrieking, running around, and ridiculous plot turns. This is one of those movies I can't believe I actually watched.

I gave this flick an extra star simply because of the charisma the performers bring to their slender roles. Men wanting a glimpse of these actresses in sexy garb and women looking for a silly women against the world flick won't be disappointed - as long as they aren't looking for an interesting plot.

In "The Dancer Upstairs," John Malkovich delivers a complex, moody crime drama set in a Latin American city. Ambivalent police captain Rejas (Javier Bardem) is assigned to track down Ezequiel, an elusive revolutionary terrorist, and his followers. As explosions rage around the city, Rejas and his team race to discover the identity of their man. Unlike an ordinary cop drama, the film gives Rejas's personal life weight. He is caught in a listless marriage and falls in love with his daughter's ballet teacher Yolanda, well played by Laura Morante. In this film, however, nothing is cut-and-dried, and even Rejas's emotional attachment to Yolanda has its dark twists.

Although the plot itself is suspenseful, much of the tension in this film is created through cinematography and directorial decisions - close-ups, shots of the setting, the use of color, the spare music. The acting is understated, making the few outbursts explosive in context. Bardem has so carefully drawn his character under his skin that he conveys a range of emotions through his expressions and gestures, giving his character a subtly only gifted actors can achieve.

My biggest complaint about this film was the heavily accented actors speaking in English. I'm sure I missed some of the complexity simply because I couldn't understand all of what was being said. I would have much preferred a Spanish language film with subtitles, an appropriate choice given the setting and the performers. It has all the feel of a foreign film, so why not go all the way?

Viewers who expect a Hollywood thriller should look elsewhere, as this might be best described as a well-plotted art house film. I highly recommend it for those who are willing to accept the slower pace of psychological intensity.

This collection of twenty six stories by Nobel Laureate Garcia Marquez was first published as a whole in 1984, although the stories were previously published in three separate volumes. As a consequence, two translators are credited here: Gregory Rabassa for the stories from EYES OF A BLUE DOG and THE INCREDIBLE AND SAD TALE OF INNOCENT ERENDIRA AND HER HEARTLESS GRANDMOTHER, and J. S. Bernstein for the stories from BIG MAMA'S FUNERAL. Both scholars and avid followers will appreciate the chronological ordering of these tales as well as the dating of first publication from 1947 to 1972 to see the progression of a much heralded talent.

As befitting the work of a master, every story is wonderfully told, with deft touches that make each memorable. Many, particularly the early stories, deal with death, particularly the separation of consciousness from the physical body, and many explore the messiness of love. Several combine the two. In "Death Constant Before Love," a politician suffering from a terminal disease falls in love with a girl given to him as a political favor. "The Third Resignation" tells the tale of a seven year old boy who falls into a coma and then grows up in a coffin in his mother's house. Three times, he resigns himself to death. "There Are No Thieves In This Town" chronicles the foolishness of a man who steals three billiard balls from a local pool hall and who loses his wife and unborn child for it. Always, Garcia Marquez's exception talent for storytelling carries these tales alone with a romantic and mystical eye for human vulnerability. His style is never rushed, always lingering over the moment, which gives even the shortest stories the feel of a novella. Not all these stories embrace the magic realism for which the author is famous, although the reader will emerge bewitched all the same.

Jennifer Lopez stars as Slim in this thriller about an abused woman who flees her rich and well-connected husband Mitch (Bill Campbell). At stake is not only Slim's well-being but also the psychological and physical protection of their young daughter Gracie (played adorably by little Tessa Allen). Although this flick has the trappings of a feminist fight-back story with its theme of domestic violence and custody laws, make no mistake: this is a thriller through and through, with twists and violence and personal peril at every turn. Women will delight in the training scenes where J-Lo prepares to fight back, and men will hardly mind the sight of the buff actress learning to defend herself.

Yeah, the premise as it unfolds is a little ridiculous, especially as Mitch seems to have a GPS system to track his fleeing wife, but the escapism is pure adrenaline-rushing fun. Jennifer Lopez is naturally appealing and solid in her performance, although the emotional range of the role seems to demand only fierceness and fright. Still, the chemistry between her and young co-star Allen is unmistakable, even poignant. Noah Wylie does a fantastic turn as Robbie, a character I won't describe for fear of spoiling the plot. Juliette Lewis has her usual on-screen charisma even though she's not given much to work with.

This film was much better than I expected. Viewers hoping for something new or even substantial on the theme of domestic violence will be disappointed since it only serves as a plot device to put Lopez's character in danger. This would make a great date flick since men will appreciate the constant action (not to mention the lead actress) and women will be drawn to the subject matter.

When I first read this book five years ago, my daughter was only eleven, on the brink of the age that author Pipher addresses here. At the time, the book was recommended in a circle of mothers as a must-read. Now I am revisiting it as the mother of a sixteen-year old daughter, and I find it just as relevant than I did on first reading. Sure life has changed from its first publication a decade ago, but the stresses of growing up and dealing with the cattiness of adolescent girls is both timeless and universal. Girls hurt - and hurt themselves - in different ways than boys.

Pipher does an excellent job demonstrating her points through case studies she has personally encountered during her career as a professional psychologist. By seeing how Pipher helped these troubled girls overcome with their lack of self-esteem and coping mechanisms, parents are given the tools to help their own daughters, hopefully before the problems become too large to be dealt with at home. The warning signs of depression, drug use, sexual activity, eating disorders, and more are outlined within the text, exposing the varied symptoms that take into account the individuality of each girl. The biggest lesson parents should take away from this book is this: these disorders and behaviors can happen to any family, to any child, even the most seemingly obedient and happy. Every girl, no matter how successful socially or academically, suffers during this transition period between childhood and womanhood. The question is always this: How much?

I advise parents to read this book before your child enters adolescence so you will be better prepared for this turbulent time. However, if you already have a troubled teen, it's not too late. This book is not a substitute for much needed therapy for the most extreme cases, but it offers parents the comfort of knowing that both they and their daughter are not alone in their struggles.

In this lusciously mystical novel, Vianne Rocher and her young daughter Anouk arrive in a small French village on Mardi Gras. Vianne, the daughter of a gypsy and a wanderer herself, sets up her chocolate shop during the most austere of Christian seasons, Lent, thus infuriating the local priest who knows his parishioners will struggle with their Lenten vows. Vianne turns out to be a not-so-ordinary shopkeeper, and Reynaud the priest is not the holy man he pretends. As Vianne befriends the down-trodden, including a band of gypsies, her force in the village becomes as powerful as Reynaud feared.

With its tantalizing descriptions, this book will have readers dreaming of the finest chocolates and confections. The language can be at times self-conscious and overblown, but the overall effect is mesmerizing, thanks to Harris's visual style and attention to detail. The biggest flaw of this otherwise skilled first novel is the unsatisfying ending and the one-dimensional way Vianne connects emotionally with the gypsies. These forced elements can be forgiven, however, given the moving lyricism of the rest.

CHOCOLAT is a beautiful but flawed work that offers much more than the average novel. If you haven't already read this and are a fan of magic realism, you should pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Joseph Finder's bestselling novel comes to life in this well-made, though somewhat predictable, thriller as a savvy and love-struck lawyer is pitted against the military and its covert actions. Ashley Judd plays Claire Kubik, a lawyer on the way to a partnership until her husband is arrested for a military crime he swears he didn't commit. To defend him, Claire must navigate military law and threats, getting in deeper and more dangerously with every half-truth she uncovers.

The plot has fewer holes than most thrillers, although most viewers will see the "twist" a mile away. And that a law firm would jettison one of its promising stars because her husband was arrested is preposterous. Wouldn't they help in the defense? Still, given the holes in most thrillers these days, these lapses are minor. The acting is solid, with Judd creating a gutsy, smart woman who is capable of both unfaltering love and fury. Morgan Freeman does a fine job with his thin material as a once-alcoholic lawyer who is "a thorn in the military's side." James Caveziel, as Claire's husband, is less complex; his pleading got on my nerves by the end. Supporting roles by Amanda Peet (Claire's floozy sister) and Adam Smith (a young military lawyer) are adequate, though not highly memorable.

The strength of this film is in the pacing and the seamless way in which it unfolds. The issues it raises about the United States's involvement in El Salvador provide an interesting, though not fully developed, frame. Highly enjoyable, though not perfect, this film is a good way to spend two hours with a bowl of popcorn at hand.

Tony Eprile has constructed an impressive novel of a changing South Africa that is both warm and bitingly funny, even as it exposes a heart - and a country - torn to shreds. Narrator Paul is a Jew, neither Afrikaner nor Englishman, whose love for food and unblinking memory makes him the butt of schoolyard jokes from students and teachers alike. When he is later sent into Namibia to a war his homeland doesn't officially recognize, he finds that he is as much a misfit there as he was in school, although here the stakes are much higher. What Paul sees, for he can never forget the smallest details of anything, stays within him, tormenting him, crippling him, but never destroying his lugubrious sense of humor.

What marks this novel as an exceptional literary work is not its plot, or even its lovable protagonist, but the detail and wit the author uses to dismantle the many facets of a complicated country. Through Paul's story, Eprile shows the changing political climate, the ethnic divisions (not only between blacks and whites), the suburbs and cities, the schools, the national consciousness, and the tensions that continue to exist despite an eventual end to apartheid. Although Eprile occasionally gets carried away with his often complicated prose, it's usually for comic effect, as in this description of a fly: "It sits in my palm, this winged myrmidon that was around to torment the first land mammals scurrying to avoid the attention of the giant saurians, rubbing its hands together like a surgeon scrubbing up."

This novel, a debut after a collection of stories, is a compelling, sharp portrait of a nation as seen through the eyes of a misfit. Eprile manages to pull off his prose pyrotechnics without sacrificing an honest, emotional engagement with his subject matter. I cannot find enough superlatives to describe this wonderful novel, one of the best I've read this year.

Jessica Hagedorn has put together a mostly impressive collection of short stories and a few novel excerpts written by Asian Americans. From well-known names to lesser known talents, this anthology covers the wide terrain of both stylistic approaches and Asian cultures. Its writers can claim heritages from Vietnam, India, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan, Cambodia, and Korea. Some stories, such as Peter Ho Davies's "The Hull Case," have little, if anything, to do with Asian culture, but most have stronger connections to cultural uniqueness. Sarah Chin's "Red Wall" follows a Chinese-American narrator as she explores the faces of China as the member of a documentary film crew. Bharati Mukherjee, in her well-known and powerful story "The Management of Grief," explores the impact on the Canadian-Indian community of a plane crash in India that kills their loved ones. Ka Vang's "Ms. Pac-Man Ruined My Gang Life" tells of a Hmong member of a girl-gang who is forced by her home-girls to exact revenge on a Puerto Rican girl. Gish Jen's strong "Who's Irish?" is movingly told in broken but lucid English by a Chinese woman who doesn't like the wildness in her half-Irish granddaughter. Some of my favorite writers are included here: Chang-Rae Lee, Ruth Ozeki, Akhil Sharma, Mukherjee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Monique Truong. However, many of these forty-two writers were unknown to me before I read their stories, and I'm grateful Hagedorn introduced me to their work.

While some of these stories fall short of succeeding, all are well-written. The range in voices gives the reader a sense of the variety of the cultures and their individual members. I recommend this for readers of international fiction as well as Asian-Americans who long for writers who speak to their culture. This would make an excellent textbook for high school and college level courses that explore non-Western contemporary literature.