The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli

This bizarre collection of episodes about the life of a character on the long-running soap General Hospital, "written" by another show character, the lawyer Diane Miller, was, in something of a meta move (or more likely, marketing), actually penned by Carolyn Hennesy (Pandora Gets Angry), the actress, and writer, who portrays Miller on the show. Though the book is for diehard fans only, it's likely that even some of them won't be drawn to Spinelli's over-the-top fantasies. The nadir is the chapter in which Spinelli, a computer genius, happens to be in General Hospital, donating blood, when multiple traumas cause a crisis in the ER. Two patients have suffered severe cranial damage%E2%80%94one is the father of the surgeon on call, and the other is the son of a gangster. Incredibly, Spinelli saves the day by stepping in to lend a hand after it's revealed that he was once one of the country's top surgeons. The section will confirm the worst suspicions of those who don't watch daytime dramas. The other 15 Spinelli exploits aren't much better, though there might be references and situations that resonate with devotees of the show. (Apr.)