Wolfsbane and Mistletoe


A short story collection featuring stories about werewolves and Christmas by Charlaine Harris, Donna Andrews, Simon R. Green, Dana Cameron, Kat Richardson, Alan Gordon, Carrie Vaughn, Dana Stabenow, Keri Arthur, Joe Konrath, Patricia Briggs, Nancy Pickard, Karen Chance, Rob Thurman and Toni L. P. Kelner.


The holidays can bring out the beast in anyone. They are particularly hard for lycanthropes. Whether wolfing down a holiday feast (use your imagination) or craving some hair of the dog on New Year’s morning, the werewolves in these frighteningly original stories will surprise, delight, amuse, and scare the pants off readers who love a little wolfsbane with their mistletoe.

This was a really fun read, not all the stories were the best but I did enjoy reading such variety. I was amazed by how they could make Christmas and Santa Claus so dark and creepy. Some I had read other works and many I had not so am looking forward to trying some new authors out.

Bodyguard by Christy Tillery French


Natasha Chamberlain - Nattie to her friends - is a young woman with many skills. She is efficient and has a quick mind and wit plus served her time keeping Investigative Services, Inc. in Knoxville Tennessee running smoothly for three years. In her off hours she plays soccer with a go-for-the-jugular mentality. Both on and off the soccer field, Nattie can dish it out as well as take it. She has a feisty way about her, and a hair trigger temper. Nattie has two goals in life: to become a crack investigator and to climb her sexy and mysterious boss like a tree.


Jonce Striker is the founder of I.S.I. He's a man blessed with intimidating size and power, of Cherokee lineage, who keeps his secret past to himself. Nattie has had a crush on him for three years but never dared to make her feelings known. When he agrees to let her guard a wealthy client, the fur begins to fly.


Roger Valentine is a nerdy billionaire who hires I.S.I. to protect him when his life is threatened. Roger is seriously lacking in social skills. When this lonely, isolated man with an overbearing mother meets up with Nattie and her colleagues, his life is changed in more ways than one. His bodyguards soon become the friends and family Roger never had, and their friendship humanizes a once nerdy recluse.


The action is intense as the bodyguards track more than one evil doer out to kill Roger. Nattie's courage under fire, coupled with her zany personality, both impresses and infuriates her boss, adding humor to the mix. And the simmering sexual chemistry between Striker and Nattie finally ignites with mixed results for all concerned. Can they keep their mind on business long enough to save Roger's life?

I had read some reviews of a later book in the series so thought I would give this a try. Not a difficult read but not as good as I hoped. I guess I just felt like the relationships were convenient and a bit contrived. I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't enjoy this book more. I will look for others in this series to see if it improves.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

'Tis the Season! by Lorna Landvik

The story starts with tabloid coverage of Caroline Dixon, an heiress who's lost her way and thinks she finds roadmaps in alcohol and bad behavior. We see her world crumble as she goes from one drunken brawl to another alienating herself from her friends.

We start to see the story via three other characters from Caroline's past and present who eventually connect with her to help her find a better way back. It's written entirely in e-mails and letters which is a bit disconserting at first but does help the story flow. This has some romantic overtones as several of the characters connect romantically but it is not the main focus of the story.

I found myself smiling as I read the emails sent to and fro and friendships develope by chance. It is Christmas after all!

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney)

The book that introduced the world to Agatha Raisin!
Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely, and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest. Despite the fact that Agatha has never baked a thing in her life, she is sure the pie she has secretly bought from an upper-crust London quicherie will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when the judge not only snubs her entry - but falls over dead! We are introduced to the major characters of this series, Harry Wong, Mrs. Bloxby, Roy Silver and meet James Lacey (who is much more promident in the next book).

Agatha Raisin is one my favorite series that every few years I re-read. I decided to listen to this on CD in the car and it was a fun and fresh as the first time I read it back in 2001. I love re-reading favorite series as it's like visiting old friends.

Dark Light by Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz)

Book 5 in the Harmony books

Years ago a mysterious curtain opened in space and a new planet was discovered. The people of Earth named this new planet Harmony and began to travel there and to colonize it. The atmosphere and conditions were very much like Earth. Then, without warning, the curtain closed again and the colonist on Harmony were stranded. Now, two hundred years later, they exhibit unusual paranormal abilities which not only allow them to survive, but to thrive.

Sierra McIntyre is a reporter for a tabloid newspaper, the Curtain, even though she has no experience in journalism. But, of course, she is writing investigative, hard hitting stories, not like the other stories which appear in the Curtain, and she wants some serious questions answered by the new Crystal Guild boss, John Fontana. Fontanta is the new Guild boss, the man in charge of all the "ghost hunters" who have the paranormal power to control ghost energy found in the catacombs below the city. So Fontana immediately sees the advantage of joining forces with this reporter (who has been a true nuisance for him since he took over as Guild boss) so he proposes that they enter into a Marriage of Convenience in order to investigate these problems together. So after being in the same room with each other for about one hour Fontana asks Sierra to enter into a Marriage of Convenience (not a permanent Covenant Marriage) with him and she agrees! Even though her family views the Marriage of Convenience as little more than a legalized affair, she still just says, OK, sure, why not!

We find out that Sierra moved to Crystal City to get away from her family of overachievers. She considers herself an underachiever so she wants to start over someplace where she will not be compared to her other family members. Of course her being ruthless about getting stories about the Guild wouldn't be considered being an overachiever would it? ha ha.. Fontana is an actual bastard as his father never entered any kind of formal relationship (CM or CM) with his mother. This plays a very minor role in the story has his father's family has to come to him to save the family company. Fontana also can produce Dark Light which is invisible and stronger than any normal light produced on Harmony. Then we learn more about this ultra-violet light that is alien technology, blah, blah, blah.

In this series of stories each heroine has a dust bunny, which in my mind was this kind of Trible (like from Star Trek) looking animal. Her dust bunny is named Elvis and for some reason very prominent in this story. Of course it plays into a rescue scene later in the book but I'm not sure why Elvis had to be so played up. He even wears sunglasses and a cape. Oh, well, comic relief I guess. I'm thinking Krentz maybe had so many people asking her questions about the dust bunnies that she decided to give this one more personality.

Now this was not one of the strongests books by Krentz but it was interesting to see more of Harmony. I think a big part of the problem is that there were several plots going on and none were very strong so I think it conflicted and made it hard to really care for any of the characters. Now I'll keep reading more of Krentz/Castle/Quick's books but probably only check out from the library instead of buying it.

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon

Father Tim novel

Enjoying retirement and his life in Mitford, North Carolina, Father Tim receives a letter postmarked from his home town. The letter contains only two words: Come home. Although it's been 38 years since he was in Holly Springs, Father Tim and his loyal canine companion Barnabus set out from Mitford, to the small Mississippi town of his childhood.
During his re-discovery of Holly Springs we share his memories and learn why his father was so bitter and angry, why his mother was so sad and why Father Tim became the person he is now.

We see a life similiar small town with Father Tim making new acquaintances easily as well as reacquainting with past ones. The final third of the book is heartbreaking and real and done so eliquently.

I've listened to most of the Mitford books on tape/CD in the car and loved the reader. So this was a bit jarring to hear a different much younger male voice reading Father Tim. But by the end of the story I had forgotten to be annoyed by it. The reader did a great job of making the voices sound real.

One hopes that we'll see more of Holly Springs.

Sugar House by Laura Lippman

Tess Monaghan series - book 5

Glue-sniffing teen Henry Dembrow goes to prison after confessing to killing a young Jane Doe found with a small rubber hose tied in a bow around her neck. A month later he, too, is dead. Coincidence? Ruthie Dembrow, Henry's sister, has her doubts and asks former Baltimore reporter Tess Monaghan, to investigate. Tess agrees only because her father, Patrick, says he owes Ruthie one. Going over the facts of the crime, Tess realizes that she needs to identify the victim and to learn how the victim came to know her alleged killer.

Another great installment of Tess series and it is fun to learn more about Tess's father and background. We see more development of Tess and her boyfriend Crow's relationship.

When the Sandpiper Calls : a cozy mystery by Peggy Darty

Christy Castleman is the local "mystery lady" of Summer Breeze, a town on the Florida Panhandle. Her first mystery novel is a success, and now Christy faces a looming deadline for her second, which keeps her at her computer at all hours. Then she discovers an antique green bottle on the beach with a note: "Call the police. Someone is trying to kill me." Is this a joke? Or is something more sinister going on in Summer Breeze? And what's happened to aggressive realtor Marty McAllister, who has suddenly disappeared from the town? A real murder mystery is brewing right in Summer Breeze, and Christy is in the thick of it.

When a homeless man and then another resident who had protested the realtor's aggressive development on his island are arrested, Christy worries that the real murderer is still on the loose. A further development in the case comes when a jewelry heist in New York back in the 1980s is tied into the murder. The ending is unexpected a bit more violent than I anticipated for a cozy mystery.

Christy has a loving extended family, ranging from her benevolent pastor father to a kid brother who is off in Australia trying to "find himself." One of the most enjoyable characters is Jack, a fisherman and at one time her future father-in-law, with whom Christy maintains a delightful relationship. Christy's almost-too-good-to-be-believed Granny provides respite in the form of country cooking, deep faith, sage advice, and her own wisdom about the murder. Her Granny is hoping Christy will find romance, and it isn't long before Christy meets the handsome war hero Major Dan Brockman, who seems intent on sweeping her off her feet. However, Christy's heart is still aching from a tragic love affair in the past, and she's unsure if she's ready for another man in her life. The Sassy Snowbirds, a fun group of "red hat" women over 50, are Christy's biggest supporters and add color and a bit of help with figuring out some clues. One of the most realistic parts of the book is her relationship with her mother, which shows the emotional complexity between them, while loving, are always marked by a bit of tension. So I enjoyed the variety of characters the author brought to life.

Breaking Cover by J.D. Rhoades

Story unfolds with a newspaper story of two young boys who have been kidnapped from a rural North Carolina town. Tony Wolf lives a reclusive life, but has gotten noticed nevertheless for being such a mysteryman. While driving home from doing errands he spots a white van and sees a terrified young face screaming out the window. He follows the van and discovers the kidnapped boys. He is torn between doing nothing and doing everything. He takes the kidnapper out and calls 911 leaving the boys behind to be rescued by the local cops. But too many questions are left unanswered. He is recognized on a surveillance tape from the local gas station, and suddenly the FBI is very interested. His cover is blown.

Undercover FBI agent Tony Wolf had infiltrated a meth-dealing biker gang until his cover was blown; since then, he's been living under an assumed name outside Pine Lake, N.C. Not even his wife or his employers know where he is. Wolf was believed dead after his cover was blown 4 years ago. When a local reporter comes to his house he knows it is just a matter of time before his enemies come knocking. Now his location is known and he is on the run. To those who have been watching and waiting for him to reappear—drug-crazed bikers thirsty for vengeance, FBI agents hoping to either rescue or silence him and an aggressive local reporter. Wolf proves to be the sort who, once cornered, is far more deadly than his pursuers could have imagined.

While this book had some very violent sections, so I had to skim read those parts, it was a very exciting read. The characters are believable and engaging. It leaves you wanting to know more. I have not read this author before but am curious now to what his previous books are like.

Visions in Death by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts)

Set in the year is 2059, NCY Detective, Eve Dallas is called to Central Park to investigate the murder of Elisa Maplewood. Arriving in an expensive gown and heels, Dallas has to balance her private socail life with her life as a police detective. But death is not neat and tidy and Dallas cannot forget that. The killer had gone to great lengths and taken unnecessary risks in order to stage the scene...the victim was displayed on the rocks near the lake, herhands posed as if in prayer, with a single red ribbon around her neck. Upon closer examination, Dallas discovers the most alarming, as well as, the most telling clue, the eyes had been removed with surgical precision.

When Celina Sanchez, a licensed, registered psychic offers to help with the investigation by sharing her disturbingand surprisingly accurate visions, Dallas is less than receptive to the idea. However, after an extensive background checkand some cajoling, Dallas and Peabody pay Celina a visit at her home. Despite following up on all leads, exhaustive searches and Celina's visions, more bodies were discovered with the killer's grotesque signature.

It doesn't take long for Dallas to determine that the killer hates women and is fascinated by his own strength and domination over women. So she agrees to an interview with the press, reporter NadineFurst, in order to bring the killer out into the open. While Dallas was right about his reaction, she miscalculated the target of his rage. She had anticipated, as the lead investigator, the killer would come after her, instead her partner, Detective Peabody was viciously and mercilessly attacked.

During the hunt for this psychopath, she is forced to deal with abuse issues from her childhood that she has spent a life-time trying to bury. Dallas finally tells Peabody about her past and her battle with demons that she fights every day. It is always interesting to see how Dallas will handle her personal life and friendships. Interesting twist at the end that made the storyline more believeable.

China Lake : an Evan Delaney novel
by Meg Gardiner

The story begins with a religious cult jeering at an AIDS funeral in Santa Barbara, California attended by Evan Delaney. When Peter Wyoming and The Remnant start spewing their hatred the better angels of her nature require her to get in this guy's face. She assumes he is just a bigot, but Evan under estimates this guy, and quickly discovers that Tabitha, her sister-in-law, is a member of The Remnant. Tabitha is still married to Brian, Evan's brother, but she left several months ago and it has been Evan who ended up raising their six-year-old son Luke while Brian was away on carrier duty. Evan's immediate fear is that Tabitha will want Luke back, and she is determined to protect the boy. Fortunately as a Navy brat, a lawyer, and the author of a science fiction novel "Lithium Sunset" featuring the heroine Rowan (the novel is apparently quite popular in high desert cowboy bars), Evan has resources to go alone with her stubbornness and intelligence.

This is a very fast-paced story but I have to say I rolled my eyes a lot. Every situation just seemed so contrived to me and I felt annoyed by it. Even the start of the story with the funeral being picked by this religious group who just happens to have a member who is married to her brother. Of course we find out much more personal stuff is really going on. Plus both Evan and her brother, Brian, are ready to just do whatever they want without thinking of any kinds of consequences. Personally I don't think if the police pulled me over that I would do any of the stuff that happens but that is just me.

Interesting enough the author lives in London but grew up on Southern California. I might read more but I need some distance between myself before I try again.

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan

Set on the last day of business of a Connecticut Red Lobster, we see the story from the manager, Manny DeLeon's point of view. He is a conscientious, committed restaurant manager any national chain would want to keep. Instead, corporate has notified Manny that his—and Manny does think of the restaurant as his—New Britain, Conn., location is not meeting expectations and will close December 20. On top of that, he'll be assigned to a nearby Olive Garden and downgraded to assistant manager.

It's a loss he tries to rationalize much as he does the loss of Jacquie, a waitress and the former not-so-secret lover he suspects means more to him than his girlfriend Deena, who is pregnant with his child. On this last night, Manny is committed to a dream of perfection, but no one and nothing seems to share his vision: a blizzard batters the area, customers are sparse, employees don't show up and Manny has a tough time finding a Christmas gift for Deena. Lunch gives way to dinner with hardly anyone stopping to eat, but Manny refuses to close early or give up hope.

This short book is really packed with great dialog and descriptions of people who work and eat at the Lobster. I read this for my bookclub and we had our discussion at a Red Lobster. You really see a small part of the working class America.

The Young Widow by Cassandra Chan

Phillip Bethancourt and Jack Gibbons Mysteries

Jack Gibbons, an ambitious Scotland Yard detective sergeant, investigates the fatal poisoning of successful businessman Geoffrey Berowne, aided by his best friend from university days, Phillip Bethancourt, who's a wealthy man-about-town with a nose for crime. The chief suspect is Berowne's attractive wife, Annette, whose previous two husbands, both much older than she, also died under odd circumstances. When Gibbons rather predictably starts falling for Annette, he seeks another solution to the murder, despite everything pointing to the young widow as the killer.

A cross between Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christy set in modern day but it had that kind of feel. It was a lot more complicated that I thought it would be but I did enjoy it. I'm looking forward to another endeavour to see how this duo works out.

Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang

Formerly a high-ranking member of the Ministry of Public Security, Mei Wang now works for people who need things or persons found in Beijing. (Private investigators are illegal in China, so semantics is employed to get around that hurtle.) Mei has her hands full when she is hired to locate a jade seal from the Han dynasty, previously believed to be destroyed, by an old family friend, Uncle Chen Jitian. Mei and her assistant, Gupin, follow slim leads to a shady dealer who might have connections to the same museum collection supposedly incinerated by the Red Guard. When her mother has a stroke Mei's investigation brings her surprising insights into what her mother had to endure during the harsh Cultural Revolution. The murder of an unimportant man plays a minor role in this provocative novel dealing with what truth is and how our personal perceptions cloud reality.

Liang wrote a memoir about her childhood in the Chinese labor camp and her participation in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations. She gives an interesting perspective to a part of history I am not that familiar with. Personally I found the mystery part not that interesting as it almost seemed to conflict with the relationship between Mei and her family. The mystery just kind of fizzled out at the end but I am curious to see how this charachter is developed.

Three Bags Full : a sheep detective story by Leonie Swann

When shepherd, George Glenn, is found in his field with a spade driven through his body, the sheep he leaves behind takeit upon themselves to solve the murder. The victim's habit of reading to his flock has rendered the animals unusually intelligent,and each sheep contributes his or her own talent as they observe the villagers of Glennkill in hopes of uncovering the mystery.The best detectives in the flock appear to be the brilliant Miss Maple, smart enough to avoid the trivial "Smartest Sheepin Glennkill" contest, the bold black ram Othello, and the all-remembering (and all-eating) Mopple the Whale. As the sheep piece together clues and debate motives, they find that there's no shortage of suspects: "Bible-thumping Beth" paid George frequent visits, George's wife Kate was unhappy, the neighboring shepherd Gabriel has a strange flock of non-fleecy sheep, and the flock's favorite human to place under suspicion, Ham the Butcher, always smells of "screams, pain, and blood."

This story has an interesting premise and I found it rather facinating. The sheep have a particular view of the world and try to associate everything to what they know. The confusion with "grass" is a prime example of what it means to humans versus the sheep. The novel is not fast paced and the ending comes to a satisfying conclusion as they discover that murder does not mean someone else did it. There is a nice addition of the sheep drawn on the bottom of each page, if you flick the pages the sheep gambol, which is cute.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

2nd book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

The last thing Sookie wanted was to find Lafayette Reynold's body in the back Andy Bellefleur's car. Lafayette was the cook at Merlotte's Bar, where Sookie waited on tables. Andy was a police detective who left his car at the bar because he was too drunk to drive it home. Now Bon Temps, Louisiana is a small rural town, where murders are mercifully rare. However, anything like this is bound to be a major headache for Sookie, who is telepathic, and whose boyfriend is Vampire Bill, the town's major predator. Make that ex-predator; Bill is one of the good people, getting his nourishment from artificial blood these days. As does any vampire who wants to fit into the mainstream world.

But a simple murder case is not enough. Before Sookie and Bill can look into Lafayette's death, Eric, the local vampire leader, summons them to Shreveport. Eric has agreed to send them to Dallas, where Sookie's telepathic talents are needed to solve a disappearing vampire problem. Even before they get to Shreveport, stuff happens. Sookie has a run in with a maenad, who wants tribute from Eric, and decides to write him a note about it on Sookie's back. Bill barely gets Sookie to Eric's lair, where she can be healed. Don't expect Dallas to be any better. There, Sookie finds herself kidnapped by the local anti-vampire club, 'The Fellowship of the Sun,' and scheduled for sacrifice.

Two very different storylines going on in this story. I was impressed by how well it all tied together. Of course lots of sexual tension and blood sucking a long the way but hey it is a romance! I read the first book years ago and haven't really tried any for a long time. But with the series on HBO - Trueblood which is based on this series I thought I would give it another chance. A lot more fun than I remember it being.

In a Strange City by Laura Lippman

Tess Monaghan mystery series

Book 6

Every January 19th, in honor of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a loyal clique waits in the small hours for the "Visitor," also known as the "Poe Toaster," to approach Poe's tomb. He wears a formal cape and carries three blood-red roses and a bottle of cognac as tribute. For some reason the press keep their distance, as do bystanders. This year, for the first time, PI Tess Monaghan is present, too, along with her boyfriend, Crow. Tess has been comissioned to discover the identity of the Poe Toaster by a would-be client, Tess awaits the coming of the Visitor in the freezing winter night. Suddenly, two caped men with roses and cognac show up. A shot rings out one man lies dead, the other runs off. Tess tries to piece together what happened with red herrings and partial truths.

This is a much more complicated story than previous Tess novels. So I really enjoyed the complexity of it and enjoyed the ride. Laura Lippman has really become one of my favorite authors as I really enjoy her storylines and her character developments.

No Human Involved by Barbara Seranella

As far as the Venice PD is concerned, the murder of lowlife dealer "Flower George'' Mancini is a clear case of AVA, NHI- - "asshole versus asshole, no human involved.'' So it's no big deal when Mancini's daughter Munch, the chief suspect in his killing, gives Sgt. Mace St. John the slip and disappears into the San Fernando Valley. But when the gun that shot Mancini is linked to a grisly series of dismemberments, Mace wishes he'd paid closer attention to Munch's moves while he had the chance. Even though he squeezes some personal details of her horrible life (her father got her hooked and repeatedly sold her for drugs) out of her attractive probation officer, he has no way of tracing her. As she has reinvented herself as Daisy now working at Happy Jack's Auto Repair, as a lippy mechanic and assiduously building the new paper trail that will bury her old identity for good. While Mace is wrestling with his own father's problems--a series of strokes have left Digger St. John sadly addled--another break in the case links the killings to a deadly, penicillin-resistant strain of gonorrhea, and puts Mace on Munch's trail once again. But does he really want to catch this gamine druggie when she's finding Jesus, going to NA meetings, and trying to make good and old wrongs?

Interesting story, set in the late 1970's in Los Angeles, we see the darker side of free love and drugs era. Munch short for Munchkin as she used to work for the Wiz as an auto mechanic. I enjoyed how the story switched from Munch to Mace until at the end the story overlapped you had a hard time seeing who was saving whom. Munch's character is not someone to feel sorry for as she is a survivor and finding her way out of a life that has no regard to human or animal life. Mace on the other hand is working as a police detective and finding his path filled with roadblocks from work to personal with his dad's declining health. I love at the end how he ends up adopting 2 dogs when he doesn't even want one. Seranella really shows a person's depth by the small details. Definitely worth reading more of her books.

Heroines by Eileen Favorite

On a picturesque acreage near Prairie Bluff, Ill., 13-year-old Penny Entwistle, and her mother, Anne Marie, run a retreat where literary heroines seek temporary refuge from their tragic destinies. Franny Glass, Madame Bovary, Scarlett O'Hara, Catherine Linton and others find respite from their varied crises, but must return to their books eventually and suffer the fate that awaits. Penny, in the first throes of teenage rebellion, has little patience for her mother and the heartbroken or otherwise distraught women Anne Marie refuses to counsel (lest she change the course of their stories). But when a mythical Celtic knight arrives, searching for his lost heroine Deirdre, Penny gets caught up in a web of deception that lands her in the loony bin. While the staff diagnoses her fabulous story as an attempt to deal with the long-ago death of her father, her mother commits Penny as a means of protecting her from peculiar goings-on at the house, and Penny must rely on the very fictional characters her mother favors to help her.

I liked the original premise of the story, heroines who need a break from their story come to a country bed and breakfast. The story takes place in the 1970s and you can see how naive people were back then. We get most of the Anne Marie's & Penny's back story while Penny is is institutionalized. It is heartbreaking as Anne-Marie does nothing to save her daughter and appears so frustratingly passive throughout the story. She seems more like the pothead than her daughter with her inability to deal with situations constructively. Penny, like most confused early adolescent girls, pushes her mother away while craving her attention, while Anne-Marie seems incapable of taking care of anyone but her heroines.

This book almost felt like two books put together so the story just didn't flow well. I'd like to see the author re-write it into two or three books as I think it would be much more satisfying read.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers

Headstrong, sun-loving, 17-year-old Bella declines her mom's invitation to move to Florida, and instead reluctantly opts to move to her dad's cabin in the dreary, rainy town of Forks, WA. She becomes intrigued with Edward Cullen, a distant, stylish, and disarmingly handsome senior, who is also a vampire. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school.
There is a lot of buzz about this intense vampire teen series in libraries and bookstores. So I finally decided to give book 1 a try. Meyers does a great job with the dialog and creating the erotic tension between Bella & Edward. This book reads fast and leaves you feeling satisifed at the end, but open to sequels if any appear. Of course we know that there are 2 so far with book 4 coming out in August and the movie coming out later this year. So I'll check out book 2 soon. I'm a big fan of vampire books and found this book satisifing and am interested in seeing how she developes the series.

Snatch by Bill Pronzini

First in the Nameless Detective series


Written in 1971 this series is one of the longest running mystery series out there. I had heard about it but never read one so thought I would start at the beginning as is my nature.


Wealthy real estate developer Louis Martinetti contacts the Nameless Detective when Martinetti's nine-year-old son is kidnapped and held for a $300,000 ransom that Martinetti doesn't have the money to pay. The kidnapper has insisted that the money be delivered by a third party, and Nameless has been recommended as being reliable. Nameless knows that Martinetti should get the police involved, but reluctantly agrees to deliver the money (after Martinetti raises it by borrowing from a friend).


That decision leads him into a dangerous path full of danger, betrayal and righting wrongs. The main character is never named and it does not feel forced as you are seeing everything from his point of view. He is a former police officer in San Francisco who collects pulp fiction about tough private detectives. Drawn to the complex imagery of the strong, silent hero who rights wrongs, Nameless tries to live that role. But he has trouble getting clients, and operating as a one-man shop causes him to lead a lonely existence. In his personal life, his career keeps women at a distance. He believes in doing the right thing, even when it doesn't pay. He is there until the end of the ride or the case is solved. Consequently his girlfriend doesn't understand him and leaves him for reasons he can't understand.

I had read about this series but never tried one before. I found that I really enjoyed it and it did not feel as dated as I feared. I was able to literally read it in one setting as it is quite the suspenseful read. While the ending was not a surprise it was well done and you wanted to get to the end. I'll have to keep this series on my list of good detective books. Give it a try.

What's so Funny by Donald E. Westlake
The plot of the story revolves around an ex-cop private detective blackmailing Dortmunder into stealing a bejeweled, golden chess set meant for Czar Nicolas II. But it's hidden away in the vault of a bank, and it never comes up for air. The heirs to the chess set are locked in a legal struggle to see who inherits and it's Dortmunder's job to bring the chess set out into the open to have experts check it out, and that's when Dortmunder and crew will pounce.

The blackmail effort is for an elderly retired inventor, Mr. Hemlow, who wants to recover a stolen chess set worth millions that had once been intended for the last czar, but the Russian Revolution countered that option before the chess set was delivered. Hemlow's father and some fellow army and navy personnel sneaked the set out of the USSR during the anti-Soviet battles just after World War I. Their sergeant retrieved the set from his squad after they returned to the U.S. and disappeared with the chess set. Now, Hemlow's granddaughter, an apprentice lawyer who fancies herself an amateur historian, has located the set. Hemlow wants Dortmunder to liberate the valuable prize.

He brings the old gang together and it's a hoot to watch how nervous they all are because of the ex-cop/now detective in the picture. Lots of laugh out loud moments and the usual surprise ending.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

What is a teen with huge aspirations to do while living in a small town in the early '70s. Catherine Grace Cline's highlight every week is licking her Dilly Bar at the local Dairy Queen as she longs for the big-city life of Atlanta. As she dreams of leaving Ringgold, GA, population 1932, Catherine deals with her single father, who is a Baptist preacher; younger sister, Martha Ann; doting family friend, Gloria Jean; nosy neighbors; high school gossip; and a boyfriend, Hank. Eventually with high hopes, Catherine Grace boards the Greyhound, where she tries to find her place in Atlanta.
Through a series of letters from Martha Ann, readers learn about Catherine Grace's Atlanta happenings and missed events back home. When she returns to Ringgold because of a tragedy, startling, personal events change her perspective and her heart for this small town.

I read this book because of the title, who doesn't love Dairy Queen? I always loved books like Fried Green Tomatos at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg and Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, books that show us small town life. And while this was an enjoyable to read, it probably won't stick in my head as a favorite, can't wait to read it again book. I found the main character a bit contrived and the ending just fizzled out for me.

Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels

This is like no other Fern Michael book I've ever read. There is no happily ever after here; it is full of rage and anger. Anger leads wealthy Myra Rutledge, who lost her daughter to a hit-and-run driver with diplomatic immunity, to found the Sisterhood, a secret vigilante group of women who have been unable to seek justice through lawful means. She turns to her adopted daughter, lawyer Nikki Quinn, who witnessed the fatal accident, to help find other women who need justice. Assisting Myra in this effort are former MI6 agent Charles Martin. Driven by revenge and hate, the women bond together as they pinpoint their first target—the Weekend Warriors, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who brutally raped Kathryn Lucas, a member recruited to the sisterhood. The women decide on a Lorena Bobbitt–style punishment and carry it out with very few misgivings.

I know that this series has at least 7 books in the series now and I'm guessing each book focuses on one characters revenge. I am curious to see if each book is as hard feeling as this one. Each character is so focused on the revenge and anger part of their lives that it was difficult to really like any of them. Of course it helps that Myra is super rich so can pay for anything including a new identity for another woman who takes justice into her own hands and kills the man who killed her daughter. So I'm leaving this series open to future reads before I decide whether I like it or not.

Fearless 14 by Janet Evanovich

Latest installment in the Stephanie Plum series.

Plum is a bounty hunter from Trenton, NJ and as usual, her life is utter chaos. She ends up babysitting the teenaged son of a skip, Zook. Zook is addicted to an interactive Internet game called Minionfire. He also likes to spray paint everything. Ranger (a fellow bounty hunter and owner of a security firm) hires Stephanie to help babysit an aging singer, Brenda, who acts like a diva and is inclined to get into trouble. Plum also finds herself in the middle of a 10-year-old $9 million unsolved bank robbery, and it appears that the money might be somewhere in boyfriend Joe Morelli's house. Brenda decides to start a reality show and follows Plum around as she's trying to do her job. And when things couldn't get any worse, Lula is engaged to boyfriend, Tank, and is driving Stephanie crazy with wedding plans.

I love a good Stephanie Plum novel and this one does not disappoint. I'm always wanting more so I hope she continues to write her mid-year books to keep us going.

Genius by Jesse Kellerman

A successful young NYC art dealer named Ethan Muller discovers a vast series of bizarre drawings in an abandoned apartment in Queens, and the unknown genius who created them quickly becomes the toast of the contemporary art world. But Ethan soon has cause for alarm--a retired cop sees one of the drawings in the newspaper and recognizes the little boy in it as a long-ago victim of a serial killer who was never caught. Could the phantom artist and the phantom murderer be one and the same? Ethan Muller is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. And someone else is just as determined to keep the secret buried....

I listened to this on CD and really enjoyed the storytelling. It is a mixture of mystery with discovering a family's history and secrets. Very satisifactory ending.

Watch Your Back by Donald Westlake


#12 in the Dortmunder series.


Arnie Albright, a fence so obnoxious his family "intervened" and sent him to Club Med in hopes he'd become more likable, has returned from the resort minimally improved, but having met the man of his dreams—Preston Fareweather, a millionaire who's as comically distasteful as Arnie and who, more importantly, plans to be away from his art-filled New York penthouse indefinitely, on the run from hordes of furious ex-wives. Albright calls in Dortmunder and his pals to take advantage of Fareweather's absence. Meanwhile, Dortmunder has discovered that a New Jersey branch of the mob has been systematically taking over O.J. Bar & Grill, which traditionally hosts Dortmunder's business meetings. Dortmunder plans the penthouse burglary and tracks down Raphael Medrick, failed manager of the O.J. and compulsive creator of crummy music.

What ensues is an entertaining read of bumbling attemps and seeing what happens. Laugh out loud as usual. Glad to see that Westlake is back on track with Dortmunder as the previous novel left much to be desired.

Nightshade by Susan Wittig Albert

3rd in the family trilogy but 16th book featuring China Bayles

China had an uneasy relationship with her dead father, which was not helped by the fact that he had a mistress who bore him a son. When her half-brother Miles asks for her help in proving that their father's deadly "accident" years ago was instead murder, China balks. Her husband McQuaid, a PI, happily takes on the challenge of unraveling the mystery behind China's father's death. Each chapter goes from China's to McQuaid's point of view giving us some insight on each of them.

While there is a murder in this mystery it is more China's journey to finding herself and somekind of connection with her dead father. Plus we find out a lot about Nightshade. fun as always.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he eventually stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors, scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the village, he promised that he would return to build them a school. From that rash, heartfelt promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time: Greg Mortenson’s one-man mission to counteract extremism and terrorism by building schools—especially for girls—throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban.

Mortenson had no reason to believe he could fulfill his promise. In an early effort to raise money he wrote letters to 580 celebrities, businessmen, and other prominent Americans. His only reply was a $100 check from NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Selling everything he owned, he still only raised $2,000. But his luck began to change when a group of elementary school children in River Falls, Wisconsin, donated $623 in pennies, thereby inspiring adults to take his cause more seriously. Twelve years later he’s built fifty-five schools.

I have to say that this book more than met my expectations. This was given as my bookclub book for work and I wasn't that thrilled about reading a non-fiction book. But I really got sucked into it and enjoyed it til the end. It really makes you think how to approach other cultures and how lucky we are to have education and a safe place to live. So many places around the world are struggling just to survive day by day. This book is truly awe inspiring.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for the Day by Winifired Watson

Recently reprinted by Persephone Classics.

Set during the 30s in London. Miss Pettigrew is a dowdy governess who doesn't much like children and is down on her luck. She accidentally gets sent to the flat of a glamorous nightclub singer, who comes to rely upon Miss Pettigrew to straighten out her love life. Miss Pettigrew not only rises to the challenge (much to her own surprise), but undergoes a makeover and finds some romance for her own life as well.

I really enjoyed the introduction/preface by Henrietta Twycross-Martin as she really investigated this obscure author and even got to interview her. This is one of those books I had heard about vaguely but never read. So it was a nice to finally see it back in print and read it for myself. At first I was distracted by the dialog as Miss Pettigrew's thoughts are written like she is speaking them outloud. But I quickly got over that and enjoyed the witty dialog and observations and situations separated by chapters of period of times.

This is a fabulous weekend read and makes us all wonder if we could change how we are would we do it?

Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet

Eight-year-old Jane Margaux is the daughter of a chic and famous Broadway producer. And since her mother is always busy producing musical hits and her father is mostly vacationing with his new trophy wife in Nantucket, she seems to spend a whole lot of time on her own. That's all right though, because Michael, her imaginary friend, is always there. But what's going to happen to her when Michael leaves her after her ninth birthday? He doesn't want to leave her, but he must. Alas, she won't remember him anyway, so it doesn't matter. Michael is somewhere in his early to mid thirties -- a handsome man with magnetic green eyes. His job is to be a child's imaginary friend for a while. He cannot be seen by grownups during these assignments. Then he lives a semi-normal life whenever he's on sabbatical. Twenty-three years later, he sees Jane again. She's a grownup now, working on turning her musical production into a feature film. The play is based on her relationship with Michael. She has never been able to forget her imaginary friend, no matter what he had told her. Her life is sort of a mess -- a controlling mother, an actor boyfriend who is using her, and an imaginary friend she can't seem to get off her mind. What happens when Jane and Michael are face to face after so many years? And how is it possible that this man -- someone she had thought was a figment of her imagination -- is actually real?

Read it in one sitting, liked the premise but the story was rather shallow. I found it interesting how a mother who had so little time for her daughter when she was a child would cling to her so much as she became an adult. The ending was a bit contrived but sweet. One reviewer commented how this reminded them of the Velveteen Rabbit and it really does.

Sound of Colors by written and illustrated by Jimmy Liao - translated by Sarah L. Thomson

A young blind girl travels from one subway station to another while her imagination takes her to impossibly wonderful places. This picture book was originally written in Chinese. It is one of those picture books that can be for anyone and really makes you think about being blind in a different way. This author really has a way of expressing the disability without making it seem like a disability.

I'm looking forward to his new book - Blue Stone which just came out.

Road to Ruin by Donald E. Westlake

Dortmunder and his gang are approached by a friend of Kelp's - disgruntled former driver for Monroe Hall. He wants revenge on Hall and to hit him where it hurts. In order to do the heist of Hall's classic car collection they hire on as live-in staff on his secluded ranch as a way to get access to, and ultimately steal, his collection of antique cars.

Hall has recently been caught robbing his own company blind and is now in seclusion within his sprawling compound with his wife, security guards and various collections that include cuckoo clocks, chess sets, rare books and music boxes. In fact, the man collects just about everything. The only thing he seems unable to collect is servants who don't want anything to do with him - after all, he's a pariah.

Hall has ruined many people and some of those people want revenge. Mac, Buddy and Ace are some blue collar employees who were laid off when Hall's company went under; Mark and Os are investors who lost a lot of money when the stock collapsed. They team up with the intent of kidnapping Hall and forcing him to transfer money out of his "secret" off-shore accounts. But unlike Dortmunder and his crew, these folks are strictly amateurs.

Then things start to crumble, as they tend to do around Dortmunder. Not his fault, of course. Who could know that three other sets of people are also plotting revenge on this same crook? Or that these other bozos would kidnap the crook, thereby bringing the police onto the scene just at the wrong time? And who could have predicted that Dortmunder would be kidnapped right along with the boss?

Enjoyed this fun read but I think that there were too many voices as we hear Dortmunder, Hall, plus the bumbling amatures that wreck havoc on Dortmunder's carefully crafted plan. Still Westlake has a gift for the comedic relief and you are rooting for Dortmunder until the very end.

Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith

Latest book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series

There are a number of things for Mma Ramotswe to solve. Her paid case in this installment is to find a woman's family. She does not know who they are or even if they are, she is just sure she was adopted and wants to find out if she has any family. However - first and foremost are the nasty letters which the agency is receiving, threatening and personal. Then there is her adopted daughter who is in a wheelchair. Mr J L B Matekoni has met a doctor who says he can heal her and is determined to try no matter what the cost.

Mma Makutsi's wedding date has not been set, and she is privately worried. It is affecting her work and when she takes a morning off, distracted, Mma Ramotswe is forced to wonder just what will happen when Mma Makutsi gets married...will she leave the agency? will she demand to be made more than associate detective? Luckily, or unluckily Mma Makutsi has a disaster with a piece of furniture and her reliance on Mma Ramotswe is confirmed!

While this book was not as light as some of the previous titles it is no less delightful to read. I liked that there were fewer more indepth storylines. We see much more series issues such as money and envy being dealt with. A perfect afternoon of reading.

Beginners Greek by James Collins

Boy, Peter, meets girl, Holly, on an airplane flight from New York to Los Angeles. She is reading a book that was one of his favorites so during the long flight they talk, laugh and fall in love. She give him her number and they part ways. Meanwhile he discovers that he has lost her number so is the story over? Nope, it's just the first chapter. Flash forward to 3 years later, Peter is about to get married to someone else. His best friend is married to Holly, don't worry the story will be told later on. This story is full of flashbacks and numberous storylines. While the story has an interesting premise, the storylines feel a bit contrived to make the story flow and have a happy ending. Honestly I didn't really feel that interested in the characters.

From other reviews this is supposed to be chiclit for men. Personally I was bogged down by all the storylines.

Love Walked In by Maria de los Santos

Cornelia is a single thirty something who lives her life like a series of movie moments. She's a manager of a cafe because she hasn't figured out anything better to do. Her ideal man is Cary Grant. And just when she thinks he'll never show up, he does, in the form of Martin Grace. What she doesn't know is that Martin, with his cool charm and debonair demeanor, has a daughter, Clare. And she never would have known that except that Martin, in a state of panic, shows up with the girl at the cafe after her mother had a breakdown and left Clare to fend for herself. Estranged from his daughter for years, Martin doesn't know what to do with her. Both women's stories are told in alternating chapters, Cornelia's in first person, Clare's in third.

Claire & Cornelia are similar characters with age-appropriate crises. Cornelia is looking for a handsome Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. She sees herself as a romantic heroine straight out of the movies from the 30s and 40s, which she just can't seem to watch enough and recommends to everyone she knows. She's looking for her own Cary Grant and believes she's found him in Martin. Claire sees herself and identifies with the orphans of classic novels, such as Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden and Heidi, and finds herself in similar predicaments. Both characters fantasize and dream of finding their "Happily Ever After" just like their favorite heroines of the films and books they both cherish so much, but they never loose their grip on reality and always seem to find themselves with their feet firmly planted on the ground.

I listened to the story on CD and really enjoyed that they used two different voices for the alternating chapters. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book once I realized that this wasn't a typical love story but rather a story about a woman who falls in love with a child and has to deal with the problems and consequences of someone else's actions. But I really did enjoy the story and seeing the various characters evolve into people you could see wanting as friends.

Thieves' Dozen by Donald E. Westlake

11 wonderful short stories featuring my favorite crook, Dortmunder.
This was a delightful set of stories and I enjoyed reading Westlake's introduction.

My favorite was "Too Many Crooks" in which Dortmunder and Kelps break into a bank vault from the building next door to discover that some other bank robbers have already robbed the bank and locked everyone inside the vault. When the bank robbers open up the vault, Dortmunder and Kelp for once think fast on their feet and blend in with the other hostages. They decide to use Dortmunder as the negotiator and we know what happens then. Hysterical.

I also enjoyed the final story "Fugue for Felons" about a totally differently named crew who have alot of similar characteristics of our favorite robbers.

Westlake has this knack of making you like his characters and I laugh out loud as I read. Great collection.

Fault Tree by Louise Ure

Arizona auto mechanic Cadence Moran is no stranger to darkness. She was blinded in a horrific car accident eight years ago that also took the life of her three-year old niece. She knows she was only partially to blame, but that doesn't make the loss any easier to bear. She's learned to get by, but there are still painful memories. When she is almost run down by a speeding car on the way home from work, Cadence at first thinks that she is the victim of road rage or a bad driver. But that's not the case. In fact, she is the only witness to the murder of her elderly neighbor, and now the killer believes that she's seen the getaway car.

This was a very intense mystery in which we see the story from Cadence's as well as the murder's point of view. The chapters were short and intense and made me want to keep turning the page to see how the plot developes. Cadence is dealing with a lot of personal guilt - what she calls her Fault Tree. It was fascinating to see how she dealt with the car-accident that took her sight as well as killed her young niece.

State of the Onion
White House Chef Mystery series by Julie Hyzy

Set in a fictionalized White House, Assistant Chef Olivia Paras (aka Ollie) faces challenges aplenty: a heated competition for the soon-to-be-vacant top chef's job, the sneering antagonism of the president's newly appointed sensitivity director and, of course, the mysterious intruder she unwittingly stops on the White House lawn with a couple of swift blows from a frying pan—an unarmed man with news of a threat to the president. Though the Secret Service disapproves of her interference, Ollie soon takes on the mantel of amateur sleuth, which could endanger not only her life but her cozy relationship with handsome Secret Service Agent Thomas MacKenzie. The tension mounts as the president negotiates a major peace plan for the Middle East, Ollie stumbles on the path of a nearly invisible enemy known as the Chameleon, and obnoxious TV celebrity chef Laurel Anne Braun shows up to threaten Ollie's career.

I am not a big fan of those cutsie mysteries in which there are a lot of puns and "oh no it's a dead body in the freezer" books. So I was pleasantly surprised that while there is a lot of food action no murder is involved with the kitchen. It will be interesting to see where this series goes from here.

Test of Wills by Charles Todd

I saw a book review for a more recent book in this series but since I like to start at the beginning here it is. Set in 1919, Inspector Ian Rutledge, a British veteran of the Great War secretly still suffering from shell-shock, returns to his Scotland Yard job in hopes of exorcizing his private demons. However, a devious higher-up has learned of his Achilles heel and gets Ian assigned to a potentially explosive and career-damaging case--a murder involving a decorated war hero, a beautiful ward, and a shell-shocked witness. Rutledge is a sympathic character but is suffering from a split personality whom he calls Hamish. We find out midway through the book that he believes Hamish is a ghost that haunts him from the war.

There are many red herrings as up until the end I did not know who the murderer was. But the loose ends are tied neatly except for knowing how Rutledge will handle his own mental issues. Plus Rutledge finds himself wondering if Hamish is a ghost from his past or is he suffering from a split personality. While this was not the most uplifting read I did find myself intrigued by the main characters past and how he is adapting back in his English life. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton

Lori Shepherd’s life in England couldn’t be more tranquil or more satisfying— except for one thing. Her five- year-old twins have started school, and Lori fears they’ll catch everything from the flu to fleas. What they do come home with, however, is worse: a report of a pale, cloaked figure with bloodstained lips lurking in the woods. Lori is skeptical at first but soon grows concerned enough to consult with her late (but not entirely departed) Aunt Dimity and her dear friend Kit Smith.

The vampire-hunting trail leads to Leo, a charismatic vagabond who just returned to England after a self-imposed exile, a bitter old crone named Lizzie Black, and finally to Aldercot Hall, where a mysterious murder took place forty years ago. With Kit and Aunt Dimity’s help, Lori uncovers the secret that will shock everyone—including herself—about the true identity of the twins’ vampire.

I haven't read one of the Aunt Dimity books in a year or so. I can only take so much of Lori's panic stricken run around like a chicken with her head cut off moments of paranoia. But I enjoy her relationships with her neighbors, township and most of all Aunt Dimity. Her dead aunt by friendship who she communicates via a special journal. This was an easy weekend read and a nice break from the lately kind of depressing mysteries I've been reading.

Death of a Red Heroine (Inspector Chen Cao)
by Qiu Xiaolong

This political mystery offers a peek into the tightly sealed, often crooked world of post-Tiananmen Square China in the 1990's. Chen Cao, a poet and T.S. Eliot translator is bureaucratically assigned to be chief inspector. He is assigned to investigate the murder of Guan Hongying, a young woman celebrated as a National Model Worker, but who kept her personal life strictly and mysteriously confidential. Chen and his comrade, Detective Yu, take turns interviewing Guan's neighbors and co-workers, but it seems most of them either know nothing or are afraid to talk openly about a deceased, highly regarded public figure.

Maybe they shouldn't be so uneasy, some characters reason; after all, these are "modern times" and socialist China is taking great leaps toward free speech. Chen and Yu make headway when they stumble on Wu Xiaoming, senior editor of Red Star magazine, who apparently was involved with Guan before her death. Tiptoeing around touchy politics and using investigative tactics bordering on blackmail, Chen slowly pieces together the motives behind the crime.

This is an intriguing novel as we see how life is in 1990's China. The main character translates English literature into Chinese but also writes his own poetry. We see how various relationships have established the person he is now and who he is to become. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! voices from a medieval village by Laura Amy Schlitz ~ Winner of 2008 Newbery award

Using a series of interconnected monologues and dialogues featuring young people living in and around an English manor in 1255, she offers first-person character sketches that build upon each other to create a finer understanding of medieval life. The book was inspired by the necessity of creating a play suitable for a classroom where "no one wanted a small part." Each of the 23 characters (between 10 and 15 years old) has a distinct personality and a societal role revealed not by recitation of facts but by revelation of memories, intentions, and attitudes. Sometimes in prose and more often in one of several verse forms, the writing varies nicely from one entry to the next.

Historical notes appear in the vertical margins, and some double-page spreads carry short essays on topics related to individual narratives, such as falconry, the Crusades, and Jews in medieval society. Although often the characters' specific concerns are very much of their time, their outlooks and emotional states will be familiar to young people today. Reminiscent of medieval art, Byrd's lively ink drawings, tinted with watercolors, are a handsome addition to this well-designed book.

I wasn't sure what to think when I first heard about this book as I am not a fan of monologues or poetry. But I was pleasantly surprised. I can see this being a favorite of upper elementary and middle school teachers for years to come.

Pardonable lies : a Maisie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie Dobbs has been operating her detective cum psychiatric agency for more than a year. Her mentor, Maurice Blanche, a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, has retired and she has been successful on her own. She becomes involved with three cases: proving the innocence of a 13-year-old farm girl, Avril Jarvis, accused of murder; undertaking a search for Sir Cecil Lawton's only son, a pilot shot down behind enemy lines in WWI, whose body was never recovered; and looking into the circumstances of the death of her university friend Priscilla Evernden Partridge's brother in France during the war. Maisie must go back to the region where, 13 years earlier, she served as a nurse, and confront her memories of mud, blood and loss.

I enjoy the Maisie Dobbs novels as they have a bit of suspense and esp tied into the mystery plus you really feel like you are there in the 1930's living her life. I met the author a few years ago and she was quite interesting to hear speak about her writing and her characters. She has found a good niche.

Yiddish Policeman's Union
by Michael Chabon

This alternate history of a world where Jews were settled in Alaska after World War II, is told through the eyes of Meyer Landsman, a police detective investigating a murder. It is a mere few weeks before the special Jewish district will soon be controlled by Alaska again.

Landsman, macerated in brandy and sadness, becomes interested in the hotel corpse, though he has enough dead bodies in his own past to keep him busy: a never-born child, a possibly murdered sister and a father who committed suicide, not to mention the ghost of his marriage to a Sitka policewoman. Landsman calls up his partner and cousin, Berko Shemets, a half-Jewish half-Tlingit big man with a soft heart and what passes in this novel for a happy home life. The corpse turns out to be a chess prodigy and heroin addict, the wayward son of a powerful head of a Jewish sect called the Verbovers, and possibly the key to the essential mysteries of both his own death and the future of the Jews. Landsman and Shemets are on the case, even though any number of people try to throw them off.

The book is shot through with Yiddish phrases and names, which melodically roll off Riegert's tongue.

This book took me a full 6 weeks to read as I had to really read slowly. It is not kidding when it says above that it is full of Yiddish phrases & names. I have no background in the Yiddish community so it felt rather foreign to me but I did enjoy the story and the relationships the main character has.

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Listened to on CD while driving to and from work. I actually read the graphic novel a few months earlier so it was interesting to read the original.

Robert Neville has witnessed the end of the world. The world's population has been obliterated by a vampire virus, though Neville has somehow survived. As he toils to make sense of it all and protect himself against the hounding vampires who seek out his life force, Neville embarks on a series of projects to discover the source of the plague and hopefully put an end to the vampires.

Set in a future 1976 we see Neville try to survive and not loose the part of himself that makes human. But in the end is he just as much a monster as he tries to kill the vampires. It is a powerful novella and still relevent today though it was written in the 1950's.

Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
We find Queen Elizabeth II in a mobile library van in pursuit of her runaway corgis and into the reflective, observant life of an avid reader. Guided by Norman, a former kitchen boy and enthusiast of gay authors, the queen gradually loses interest in her endless succession of official duties and learns the pleasure of such a common activity.

With the dawn of her sensibility... mistaken for the onset of senility, plots are hatched by the prime minister and the queen's staff to dispatch Norman and discourage the queen's preoccupation with books. Ultimately, it is her own growing self-awareness that leads her away from reading and toward writing, with astonishing results.

I listened to this novella on CD in the car - it is only 3 CD's plus it is read by the author. I thoroughly enjoyed it. What a hoot!

All Seated on the Ground - by Connie Willis

It's nearly Christmas and the aliens have landed. Far from being a menace, however, or bringing greetings from another planet, the aliens are just standing there and scowling, with a look of "utter, withering disapproval," much like Meg's Aunt Judith, as a group of researchers from scientists to linguists to clergymen, politicians and an aroma expert try, unsuccessfully, to communicate with the aliens.

The only thing that seems to get through to the Altairans, as the authorities in Denver, where the aliens have landed, have named them, is certain music, especially Christmas carols. Journalist Meg and seventh grade girls choir teacher, Mr. Ledbetter, believe they have nearly figured out a way to communicate with the aliens, if they can just work out the details before the alien ship takes off or the aliens kill everyone on earth.

I am a big fan of Connie Willis and I enjoy these novellas of hers. Of course I read mine from the library. It has a nice holiday feel and I enjoyed everything about it.

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff

The story opens in the psychiatric ward of the Clark County Detention Center (Las Vegas, NV). Accused murderer, Jane Charlotte, explains to her psychiatrist that her alleged crime was authorized by a covert organization dedicated to crime prevention. Jane was an operative in the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons ("Bad Monkeys"), regularly dispatched to eliminated evildoers who eluded the justice system. Her life story revolves around this organization and its departments of Ubiquitous Intermittent Surveillance (Panopticon), Optimal Utilization of Resources and Personnel (Cost-Benefits), internal affairs (Malfeasance), and The Scary Clowns. She tells her story from childhood to date as her psychiatrist gently points out inconsistencies between her version and the official record.

The reader is left to question, "who is Jane Charlotte?" Ruff layers the story with basic questions of good vs. evil (characters named Wise, True, and Love all make appearances) as he leaves the reader with riddles upon riddles about the sarcastically funny Jane Charlotte.

This was a fun read. I was intrigued by the premis of the story of an underground group of assassins. But as the story progressed I started to question what was really going on. I was hoping it wasn't going to be one of those "it's all the dream". I almost didn't see the ending coming as this was a whirlwind tale with a high level of manic energy.

Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together.

Winner of the 2008 Caldecott award this 526 page book is a mixture of illustrations and text. Often 10-12 pages of only illustrations will flow into a few pages of text to further tell the story. It felt strange to read a Caldecott winner that was over 32 pages. The illustrations were lovely but I didn't really care for the story until about 2/3 way into it. I felt that everyone was such an unhappy person and would delibertly not tell the truth that it got annoying to me. But I do appreciate the detail the author gives to telling the story of how cinema got it's start in the world. That part was truely amazing.

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

This is a "between-the-numbers" Stephanie Plum novel. We see the return of Diesel, introduced to us in Plum Lovin'.

It's St. Patrick's Day and there is a rainbow in the air. Grandma Mazur stumbles into a duffle bag full of money - lots of money. She thinks that it is lucky money and hers to keep. Let the good times roll. She is off to Atlantic City. But other people have claims on the money. The story has an interesting cast of characters including an ex-jockey who thinks that he is an invisible leprechaun (he is always lucky, but manages to fumble it away); of course there are Stephi, Lula, and Connie from the bailbonds office; Diesel appears from Stephi's past - another man in her life; a short guy hired by Grandma Mazur; the gangster Delvina; and a horse to add to the adventures and misadventures. Of course there is the money.

More of a novela than a full fledged novel it is still packed with laugh-out-loud moments. It's nice to have a mid-year book to help us make it until June when the newest installment comes out. So we'll see what comes out this summer. I guess we'll see Diesel in the mid-year books.

Always by Nicola Griffith

Aud Torvingen thriller

At the start of Griffith's intense third thriller to star Aud Torvingen (after The Blue Place and Stay), the stylish half-American, half-Norwegian lesbian ex-cop and self-defense teacher is still grieving over the shooting death of her lover, Julia, a year earlier. Also distraught over a recent violent incident involving one of her self-defense students, Aud welcomes the chance to leave Atlanta, accompanied by her friend, Matthew Dornan, to visit her ambassador mother, Else, in Seattle.

A film production company is leasing one of her warehouses, and after Aud is a victim of the various mishaps plaguing the group, she decides to take action. Now Aud's interest is personal—in more ways then one, since the female caterer working the set has caught her eye. Alternating chapters in current time with scenes from a self-defense class for women taught by Aud, Griffith controls the pacing with great style and nuance.

Adding romantic tension is Victoria "Kick" Kuiper, a caterer and former stuntwoman, to whom both Aud and Matthew are attracted. Aud's ace investigation reveals political and environmental chicanery, but more importantly, leads to a surprising lesson about love.

I think I tried to read one of the earlier books and not sure if it just didn't stick or not. I did skim the chapters that were more focused on her self-defense course as it got a bit repeative. But overall this was a book that was hard to put down. So I think I'll go back and try one of the earlier books to see how it works for me this time.

D.A. by Connie Willis


Some high school kids would do anything to be an IASA space cadet, but not Theodora Baumgarten in Willis's cheerfully tongue-in-cheek SF novella. "There's no air, you're squashed into a ship the size of a juice can, and it takes years to get anywhere interesting. If you... aren't killed first by a meteor or a solar flare or a systems malfunction." But somehow, without submitting an application, Theodora is accepted to the Academy. Soon, she's green with space sickness aboard the Academy space station (named, appropriately enough, the Robert A. Heinlein), learning the ropes with a class of robust, gung-ho cadets. Getting out will require solving the mystery of how she got into the Academy in the first place, but it might have something to do with the annotation "D.A." in her station records.

This is a very short novella - maybe 50 pages including several full page illustrations by J.K. Potter. But I do love Connie Willis even in such a brief form. I do wish a longer novel would come out or do like Charles De Lint and publish her stories in a collection. I'm thankful I can find her books at the library as it would get expensive to purchase each one on it's own no matter how lovely they are. This was a fun read and I liked how she is writting for a younger audience as we need good science fiction for teens and tweens.

I Love you Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

After concluding he has nothing to lose, geekazoid valedictorian Denis Cooverman declares, during his graduation speech, his love for Beth Cooper, the way hot chief cheerleader. He is amazed to discover Beth is not completely repulsed by his feelings for her, although her army boyfriend, Kevin, is enraged. Beth, implausibly, later shows up at Denis's graduation party with two interchangeable sidekicks, Cammy and Treece. The party comprises exactly two guests, Denis (aka "The Coove") and his possibly gay best friend, Rich. Once Denis and Rich recover from the shock of being in the presence of pretty girls, they attempt to party, but the awkward celebration is cut short when Kevin arrives with his bruiser friends. Denis and Co. make their first of what will be several escapes, the circumstances of each providing Denis with evidence that Beth isn't the flawless goddess he'd imagined her to be.

I read some reviews of this book and were intrigued. Once I saw the hysterical cover I was hooked. I laughed and squirmed a lot during this read. You can't help but laugh at some of the awkward moments the characters share and sometimes just squirm with the uncomfortableness of it all. But I really did enjoy it.

A

Thursday Next : First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

Fifty-two year old, Thursday Next, is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. She is still madly in love with her writer husband, Landen Parke-Laine (who, fortunately, is fully restored after his two-year eradication by the fearsome Goliath Corporation) and their three children, one of whom may not really exist. The oldest, Friday, is sixteen, and he has turned out to be something of a slug who grunts, plays in a heavy metal band, and sleeps well into the day. Although Thursday pretends that she spends her time peddling and installing floor coverings for Acme Carpets, she is actually still very much involved in the Special Operations Network, working unofficially and under cover. She has never broken her strong ties to Jurisfiction, the policing agency within books, a job which earns her no money and is dangerous to boot. However, Thursday loves stories and she cannot resist using her considerable skills to help "maintain the continuity of the narrative within the pages of all the books ever written." Using her trusty Travelbook, she jumps into and out of the world of the printed word to hunt down malefactors.

Strange things have been happening lately. Thursday has a surreal conversation with her Uncle Mycroft, a brilliant inventor who has been dead for six years. He has no idea why he has reappeared as a ghost, but Thursday suspects that he has some unfinished business that involves her. Next, Thursday has to cope with two clones of herself who are cadets in training: one, Thursday 5, is a touchy-feely version who eats natural foods, believes in peace and love, and is so timid and nerdy that she is bound to get herself killed in short order. The other is a foul-mouthed, nasty, gun-toting version named Thursday 1-4, who is ruthless, violent, and intent on eradicating Thursday Next and taking her place. Looming over everyone in Jurisfiction is the specter of the dropping Outlander Reading Index. It seems that people in the real world (the Outland) no longer enjoy stories as they once did and the Bookworld is in danger of imminent collapse. This would be an incalculable loss for humankind.

Filled with all kinds of references to television and books it is always a treat to read the latest installment. Now I want to go back and re-read the first 4.

Richard Matheson's I am Legend by Steve Niles & Elman Brown

An illustrated novel than a comic book adaptation of I am Legend. I was surprised by the amount of very long blocks of text with only a few panels. I now want to read the original to see how it compares.

The storyline is basically a terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider.

Most of the book is him trying to make sense of how this could happen. Plus he attempts to explain the legendary aspects of the vampire myth in scientific terms. His discovery of a bacterium, which he dubs vampiris, as the true source of vampirism. Although we only get pieces of the story regarding the outbreak of the vampiric plague, including a reference to bombings, it can easily be seen as the fruits of germ warfare. Neville even conjectures that the Black Death of the Middle Ages was caused by this same vampiris germ, and he extrapolates facts and ideas from that history in his attempts to understand why such defenses as garlic, crosses, and stakes driven into the heart actually are effective against the hordes of undead creatures menacing his own time. He studies academic texts and conducts experiments with the blood of these creatures, which is the means by which he identifies the bacterium. The essence of garlic has no effect on the germ when injected into a blood sample, which initially he is unable to explain, but he later is able to explain garlic's effectiveness. Less scientific tests lead him to conclude that crosses are only effective against "Christian" vampires; the cross has no meaning to for vampires who were once Jews and Moslems, but sacred symbols of those religions, such as the Torah and the Koran, do. All of these scientific tests and speculations are just fascinating.

Neville is essentially the last man on earth, and the loneliness of his situation is the central part of the story. Matheson is able to communicate Neville's emotional feelings vividly, making him very real. We gradually acquire the story of the deaths of Neville's wife and daughter, essentially experiencing the pain he goes through when these memories overcome him. We watch him drink himself into a stupor as each night finds him besieged in his fortified house, surrounded by vampires, including his old friend and neighbor, calling for him to come out. We watch him slowly lose his grip on sanity and come very close to giving up. Then, however, we watch him overcome his depression and courageously fight to live in the nightmare world he is trapped in. The scenes with the dog he finds are full of emotion and really gripped this reader. This is Neville's first contact with nonvampiric life, and his attempts to befriend and help the poor creature (at the same time finally finding a companion) touched me greatly and brought tears to my eyes. His eventual discovery of another human being like himself is also powerful and emotional, although to speak more about this aspect of the story is to risk giving something away to the future reader.

This is a story of one man overcoming all obstacles and fighting to defend his way of life and his very humanity. The novel deals with the human condition, the essential ingredient to effective horror writing. Neville struggles constantly with his doubts and fears, particularly as he commits acts that he would have condemned as barbarous in the time before the plague. His needs for companionship of any kind offer us a clear image of the inner soul of man. By the end of the story, he does indeed become legend, both in his world and in ours.