Library Goddesses Fiction for Adults

The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

2012-01-27T13:35:00.003-05:00

The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is a series of 34 books, with a 35th book planned. The series begins in the 15th century with the story of Eleanor Courtney and her marriage to Robert Morland. Their marriage constitutes the founding of a dynasty that grew in power and importance in British history. It is fascinating to read about various Morlands as they navigate Henry VIII's court, found settlements in the New World, fight in the battle of Waterloo, build railway lines, dance at glittering Victorian balls and so much more. If you like historical fiction, then this series is sure to become a favorite. I have read each book numerous times, and I cannot recommend the Morland Dynasty highly enough.

Also Try: Emma by Jane Austen
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman
Katherine by Anya Seton

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

2012-01-17T12:17:00.003-05:00

The Violets of March is an intriguing book. Told in dual timelines, you start to see how Emily's story connects with that of the character's in the earlier timeline. There is a mystery here too, one that kept me turning the pages long after I should have been asleep. I highly recommend this book for a quick weekend read.
Also Try: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier

Bonnie (Eve Duncan)

2012-01-14T22:02:00.003-05:00

Bonnie by Iris Johansen, is the conclusin of the Eve Duncan trilogy. Eve is a survivor and still tortured by the kidnapping and murder of her seven year old child, Bonnie. Neither her killer nor Bonnie’s body have ever been found and the search has become an obsession that dominates Eve’s every waking moment. She is now one of the world’s foremost forensic sculptors and tries to bring closure to other parents who have lost their children.

Also Try:

-Fallen by Karin Slaughter

-Justice by Karen Robards

-Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

Super Sad True Love Story

2012-01-12T12:52:00.004-05:00

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart, is a deeply moral book about morality. In the guise of the funny, satirical, sad love story, it is written as a subtle, sublime, compacted human and social tragedy. The protagonist Lenny Abramov is of Russian descent, from a Jewish immigrant family settled in New York. Lenny has achieved some success selling immortality to the upper echelon of the income bracket. In a technological world, success is not only measured--it is broadcast. Lenny meets the beautiful, yet immeasurably damaged, Eunice Park. Despite their incalculable differences, the two form a relationship as much about necessity and usefulness as it is about genuine emotion. It isn't meant to be a happy-go-lucky tale of an America down on his luck, it is the love story of Lenny and Eunice - authentic, moving and, when situated in the wider narrative, desperately, desperately sad.

Also Try:
-Boomsday by Christopher Buckley
-Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem

Before I Go To Sleep

2012-01-09T23:00:00.005-05:00

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson, is a haunting twisted debut novel. Imagine drifting off to sleep knowing your memory is wiped away every night as is the fate of the main character Christine Lucas. Suspensful from the start, this is a fresh look at the amnesia-focused psychological thriller.

Also Try:
-A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans
-Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
-The Dark Room by Minette Walters

Entertaining Disasters by Nancy Spiller

2009-01-14T13:52:00.001-05:00

I am in love with this book. Conceptually, it's rather like "Mrs.Dalloway" but has a strong sense of dark humor. A great winter weekend read--and since the book includes recipes, you've got plenty of ideas for dinner on hand.

Testimony by Anita Shreve

2009-01-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

As a fan of Anita Shreve I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by her latest novel. Testimony is the story of how a seemingly isolated event at a private school can ruin the lives of everyone associated it with it. Those involved include: the headmaster, three basketball players, the alleged “victim”, the parents of all the students involved, the wife of the headmaster, the headmaster’s replacement, a reporter, etc. While it’s admirable of Shreve to try and show us what happened, how it happened, and why it happened from so many different perspectives, the end result is a disjointed novel. Each chapter jumped around from voice to voice and it took me a while to get “in character” and remember what had happened to that particular character up to that point. The characters themselves ended up being too one dimensional.

The “what” and “how” is easy: one night, after a dance and too much to drink, three boys and a girl go back to one of the boys’ dorms and engage in sexual acts. It is the “why” that we don’t find out till the very end. And that left me with some questions. It was entirely too anticlimactic and it also didn’t ring true. The book focuses on one boy in particular and what leads him to that dorm room. His reasons just felt, for lack of a better word, lame. I had a hard time believing that what he learned would lead him to lash out the way he did. Maybe if Shreve hadn’t spent so much time writing about inconsequential characters, she would have had time to develop this one (Silas) so that I could believe in his reaction.

Forever Young by Bob Dylan

2008-11-18T12:31:00.001-05:00

While not strictly speaking an adult book, this is my pick for a graduation (never too early to start thinking!) gift. The lyrics and message of Dylan's folk classic is beautifully enhanced by Rodgers' illustrations. They are reminiscent of 60s advertisements and he gives loads of inside information about the 60s music scene in the notes at the back of the book.
Anyone who likes folk music and/or art, Bob Dylan or the 60s would appreciate this!

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

2008-10-14T16:59:00.000-04:00

I started writing, “The Gargoyle is the story of…” and realized that the narrator has no name. It just now occurred to me. That gives you an idea of how deeply engrossed I was in this story. The narrator is a burn victim, but a very unsympathetic one considering his accident occurred while driving under the influence. He’s an unrepentant pornographer, atheist, drug addict and womanizer. While recovering in the hospital he gets a visit from a woman who claims to have known him before…in the 1300s. She has been searching all her life to find him. Because he has nowhere to go and is more than a little curious about Marianne, he moves in with her. What proceeds is a love story unlike any other. Not only does she tell the story of their life and love, but she shares four different love stories that bolster her belief in love and redemption.

Although this story has been told before: remorseless man meets woman who changes his life and he’s no longer remorseless…it has never been told quite like this.

~Eris

Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith

2008-09-06T18:50:00.000-04:00

Smith provides a fascinating look inside Stalin-era Soviet life in the guise of a murder mystery. The protagonist is an agent in the MGB, the secret police force, who becomes involved in a search for a serial killer who murders children along thousands of miles of railway. A jealous colleague sets in motion the events that allow him to conduct an unofficial investigation, unofficial because the state considers murder to be impossible in the perfect Communist society, making anyone believing a murder to have occurred an enemy of the state. Along his journey, emotional as well as literal, the reader experiences the Soviet Union at multiple levels: the day-to-day impact of Communism on regular citizens' lives, the long-term impacts of fear on the populace, the physicality of the landscape, and the juxtaposition of the ideals that are the public face of the government and the people with reality. --Inanna

World Made by Hand

2008-08-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

by James Howard Kunstler

Kunstler here presents a different sort of apocalyptic novel. It's not the Russkies or the Infidels who destroy American society but rather American society itself, which proves itself unsustainable once the oil dries up. This novel takes place perhaps 10 years after the new world begins in an upstate New York town first decimated by the downfall of modernity and then by influenzas and other diseases. Areas of the country that haven't been destroyed outright by hurricanes (Manhattan) or nuclear arms (Washington, D.C.), have moved back 200 years in time as the energy required to run the technology and the machines no longer exists. Governments are no more, and each community is a jurisdiction unto itself. The protagonist is a former exec who now works as a carpenter. Because paper money is worthless, his work earns materials and services through an informal barter system. His wife and daughter have died; his son has left to see what's left of the country. But the life he has built, and the lives of all those in Union Grove, will shift again through a variety of events: a murder by a member of a scavenger gang, the purchase of the former high school building by a religious sect escaping racial troubles in the South, and the disappearance of a boat crew and the goods they were carrying downriver to Albany. Kunstler provides a fascinating and frightening look at an all-too-imaginable future. -Inanna

The Beach House by Jane Green

2008-08-13T13:20:00.003-04:00

Being from New England, naturally I give anything with a New England (especially if it's coastal) setting a chance. Also, as far as light reading goes, I'm a fan of Greens work. This one gives a slightly older narrator than her usual fare and an Austen-like plot...complete with happy endings for the nice people and a comeuppance for the not.
A book that goes very nicely with a tall glass of iced tea.

Are you there Vodka? It's Me Chelsea.

2008-08-13T13:20:00.002-04:00

Definitely not as funny as her show since the reader lacks the immediacy of her delivery and the snarkiness of her tone is not as well conveyed in print--as one would expect. But if you're a fan it's a fun read and the essay format makes it perfect for just before bed or the beach.

Sloop by Daniel Robb

2008-08-13T13:20:00.001-04:00

To be honest, I only skimmed this book but very much liked what I read. It's both a story of a man's future and an elegy for a lifestyle long gone. The dialogue is a bit stiff but sailors are doers not talkers. This may especially appeal to anyone with a Cape Cod connection.

The Gossip of the Starlings Nina de Gramont

2008-08-13T13:20:00.000-04:00

This book will undoubtedly be comopared to A Separate Peace(and the quote from John Knowles in the frontspiece won't help) but it is much much more than the update of a classic. The reader immediately reminded of their own adolesence, and with that reminder, finds themselves holding their breath for these girls. It is a gripping story of the power of the friendships that we have in youth--and how those friendships color who we are as adults. Do not miss.

Armageddon in Retrospect

2008-07-26T17:41:00.000-04:00

by Kurt Vonnegut

A collection of previously unpublished short stories regarding topics he frequently addressed in his writing -- war and peace -- this work demonstrates why Vonnegut was one of the most important American writers of the modern era. The works range from funny yet serious to horrifying. Despite the weighty subject matter, the text will be accessible to most readers. Additionally, the book is illustrated with doodles by the author, which pack as much punch as the prose itself. An incredible addition to literary canon. --Inanna

The Sister

2008-07-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

Last night I put down The Sister by Poppy Adams. I would say that I finished it but I actually just skimmed the last fifty pages. It started out interestingly enough. Estranged sisters Vivienne (Vivi) and Virginia (Ginny) haven’t seen each other in fifty years when suddenly, without reason, Vivienne returns home. The story then flashes back to the girls’ childhood and events (a fall off a bell tower, an expulsion from school) that shaped their lives and culminated in the biggest event of all – the death of their mother and Vivi’s adamant refusal to ever step foot in the family home again. The story would have been somewhat satisfying had it given me any answers. I never found out why Vivienne returned home so suddenly after fifty years and I started to wonder if anything that Ginny recounted actually happened. It is further bogged down with all of Ginny’s references to her and her father’s life work – the study of the moth. The novel ended up being more about the relationship between Ginny and the moths and less about Ginny and Vivi.

- Eris

An Absolute Scandal by Penny Vincenzi

2008-07-01T10:42:00.003-04:00

Now THIS is a beach read! Fat, juicy, gossipy and with enough twists and turns to keep a reader engaged. Pack this one for your next long weekend by the pool.

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

2008-07-01T10:42:00.002-04:00

This book is no "Good in Bed". Coincidentally, the protagonist of "Certain Girls" (Cannie Shapiro) is dragging her feet about writing a sequel to her long-ago published novel. Hmmm. "Certain Girls" does read a bit like it was written in a hurry. Alternating chapters voice both Cannies' concerns as a mother and those of her daughter growing up under her thumb allow the reader an endearing peak into that oh so complex relationship between mothers and daughters.
The book is somewhat sloppily edited and some fairly obvious chronological inconsistences exist ("Knuffle Bunny" for example would have been published when Cannies' daughter was nine or ten--long past the age where it would be an appropriate bedtime story.) But despite the slightly pandering tone, fans of Weiners should be pleased overall.

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

2008-07-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

I know that it's beach read season but still...
I like "The Devil Wears Prada" as much as the next reader but dear lord this one was a struggle. Weak, poorly drawn characters do nothing to help the limping and insipid plot. Even the title isn't accurate or clever. Skip this one and read the novels Weisberger has the good sense to reference. Then your time won't be completely wasted...

London is the Best City in America by Laura Dave
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffen
Something Blue by Emily Giffen

How Perfect is That? Sarah Bird

2008-07-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

What happens when southern "ladies" go horribly awry?
Sarah Bird enlightens us with her witty and sharply observed novel. While the novel is a good 50-75 pages too long, the characters are well drawn and believable enough to forgive the author for dragging the plot slightly.

Skeletons at the Feast

2008-06-29T21:57:00.000-04:00

By Chris Bohjalian

This was my first foray into Bohjalian's novels, and I loved this well-researched historical story. In terms of plot, he presents the stories of various individuals and groups making their way across Germany in the last months of World War II ahead of the Russian military: a family of aristocratic Prussian farmers and the Scottish POW who not only has fallen in love with the daughter but is also their passport to safety via the Allies, a Jew who escaped from a train headed to a concentration camp and now survives by taking the identities of the German soldiers he has killed, and a group of women from a slave-labor camp being marched to a factory farther west. At a deeper level, the book is about the combination of deliberate malfeasance and willful ignorance that led to the rise of the Reich and the Holocaust, about making family, and about survival. Only at the book's end does one find that the stories were all inspired by real people and their experiences during the war. --Inanna

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

2008-05-29T14:56:00.000-04:00

Heartsick is such an addictive book! If you're a suspense lover you won't put this one down until you've read every word!!
An enticing relationship between a tortured cop, a fearless and quirky heroine, and the most original serial killer since Hannibal Lecter. The violence is definitely graphic but if you can tolerate that what sets this disturbing novel apart from the rest is its bruised, haunted heart in the form of Detective Sheridan, a bewildered survivor trying to catch a killer and save himself. To say more gives away too much info..
Heartsick is the first novel in a trilogy, I am thrilled to know their will be more coming!
Aurora

Perfect Family, Pam Lewis

2008-05-20T15:01:00.001-04:00

Meh.
I had high expectations after reading reviews of this book but was ultimately disappointed. I'm not sure if the author intended this to be a mystery story or a study in family relations. Either way, the story falls flat. It is hard to care about the characters as they are all so one dimensional and the "mystery" feels tacked in in an attempt to create interest.

They Did it With Love, Kate Morgenroth

2008-05-20T15:01:00.000-04:00

What evil lurks beneath the surface of beautiful Greenwich CT? Kate Morgenroth's frothy mystery begins to plumb the depths of some seemingly happy marriages. It's about time someone updated the "cosy" mystery...

The Heroines, by Eileen Favorite

2008-02-17T22:33:00.001-05:00

At first glance, this book is simple-but-entertaining chick lit about a 13-year-old girl living in a bed-and-breakfast that occasionally hosts women literary characters fleeing their storylines at critical moments (e.g., Catherine Earnshaw, Scarlett O'Hara). But as you move into the novel, which takes place in the early 1970s, it hits deeper issues: Watergate, mental health care, young women and sexuality, single parents, and the line between fantasy and reality). Readers will enjoy the ride as they visit with Penny, her mother, and the others in her unique world as she attempts to not only get a misplaced hero back into his storyline but also deal with difficulties in her own tale. --Inanna

2008-02-05T23:15:00.000-05:00

Fully titled Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon, this book is the second Avalon book written by Paxson, though she had earlier collaborated with Bradley and completed Priestess of Avalon after Bradley's death. The book takes place after Ancestors but before the other books, at a point where the Druid priests and priestesses are still teaching on the island of Mona. The book travels down two intertwining but distinct paths: one of the struggle of the Britons against Rome and the other of the Druids as they try to save their ways and faith from obliteration. The connection between the two is Boudica, a student at Mona who will later united the tribes of Britain in an uprising. It is via her friend and mentor her Lhiannon that this book connects to the later Avalon works. Paxson is fairly adept at weaving together the various story strands in a believable way, while combining details about the daily lives of the Britons and their mythology, the clash between occupiers and the occupied, historical information, and the spirituality that runs throughout the Avalon books. Fans of the series will not want to miss this one, nor will those interested in Boudica, who did exist. (I found this book more accessible than Manda Scott's Boudica books). Newbies, however, might want to begin their journey into Avalon with one of the other books. --Inanna

Dexter in the Dark, by Jeff Lindsay

2007-11-15T21:24:00.000-05:00

This book is the third in Lindsay's series about a Miami blood spatter expert who is a serial killer in his spare time. This book marks a turning point for Dexter, in that the “Dark Passenger” inside him is AWOL for most of the book, scared away early on by a presence that stalks Dexter throughout the book. This provides an interesting twist: What happens to a killer when he loses the thing that has been both support and demon? In addition to his inner troubles, Dexter is facing the prospect of marriage to girlfriend Rita and fatherhood to two children just as damaged as him. I didn't care much for Lindsay's departure from the central storyline into the nature of evil, but otherwise I found it to be a great read. -Inanna

The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares

2007-11-13T12:13:00.000-05:00

The author of the well-known The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants tries her hand at her first adult novel...and does a lovely job. It is a story of friendship and sisterhood and loyalty and love. If you're looking toward Christmas, buy it for that difficult to shop for college student--it will be a perfect "vacation" read for her!! A great novel for sisters and friends.

Chuck Dugan is AWOL by Eric Andersen

2007-10-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

You may recognize the "look" of this book (not quite a graphic novel--"a novel with pictures" according to the author) if you are a fan of Wes "The Royal Tenebaums" Andersen's movies. Yes, they are brothers and Eric has served as Art Director for his brother on his film work. Chuck Dugan is what you would expect: offbeat, oddly charming, and full of clever dialogue. It's not a new book but since I just re-read it while waiting to see "The Darjeeling Limited", I thought I'd send the recommendation out to the blogosphere.

an arsonist's guide to writer's homes in New England by Brock Clarke

2007-10-24T15:18:00.000-04:00

I've said it once, and I'll say it again...I will read anything that takes place in New England. Especially if it is quirky. Especially if it is funny. Enter Brock Clarke and his fantastic debut. Don't miss this book. It is one of those rare novels that is truly like nothing else you've ever read. I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it!

A Dog About Town

2007-08-23T20:55:00.000-04:00

by J.F. Englert

This was a hilarious, witty, and touching mystery that reveals both the inner lives of dogs and of New York City. Our narrator is a sentient and pudgy black lab, Randolph, who here relates background about the life he leads as well as his (and his owner, Harry's) involvement in finding out who killed an infamous author. As the story begins, the two are in a sort of mourning for Imogen, Harry's girlfriend and Randolph's mistress, who disappeared one day on an outing for bread, leaving behind everything, including a diary in which Randolph has discovered an encrypted clue. Desperate for information, Harry (an up-and-coming artist) has become obsessed with “psychic phenomena,” which is how he ends up witnessing the death throes of Lyell Overton in the bathroom during a séance. The pair faces dead-ends, danger, and an amorous Great Dane named Daisy Mae as they seek the murderer, who may be involved in Imogen's disappearance, while Randolph must consider how much about his intellect he can reveal to Harry. Readers will learn a great deal about dog behavior and biology as well as about the lives of city dogs, as they tour Manhattan by cab and on foot (and paw) with Harry and Randolph. The plot is tight, and most readers won't see the ending miles away. This is a book that will satisfy dog lovers and mystery hounds alike. --Inanna

Three Bags Full

2007-08-09T21:46:00.000-04:00

by Leonie Swann

This clever, touching novel delivers what it promises in its subtitle: “a sheep detective story.” Here the flock of Glennkill decides to find the murderer of their shepherd, George, after finding him dead in their pasture with a spade stuck in him. George had read part of a detective novel to the sheep (as well as several gothic romances), which is where they get the idea. This multilayered tale provides more than one mystery and incorporates the mythologies of both the sheep and the humans as the plot unfurls. Though we get to know the sheep as individuals, they are not overly anthropomorphized. The story alternates between pulling your heartstrings, making you laugh out loud, and dragging you to the edge of your seat with terror (for the characters). The resolution to the mystery, meanwhile, is one you probably won't see coming, though it rings true. This witty book gets two hooves up from me.

Addled by Joeann Hart

2007-07-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

I know this book is getting good reviews but...meh. The first few chapters are full of truly clever and incisive observations about a certain kind of WASP culture but the story quickly disintegrates into slightly above average beach reading with an unsatisfactory ending. The reader gets the sense that the author could do better. Don't expect too much local color--another disappointment for this reader from the Boston area!!

The Blue Cheer by Ed Lynskey

2007-06-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

Set in the mountains of southeastern West Virginia, Ed Lynskey's latest begins with former private detective Frank Johnson chopping wood outside his newly acquired mountain cabin. A few pages later, Frank has found a Stinger missle, gotten pistol-whipped by an unknown assailant, and been found by his one friend, a former CIA officer who refers to Frank as "babe." Thus begins a brief (the book is about 225 pages long) but wild ride that includes a high body count (through some rather gory deaths), officials both corrupt and inept, hatemongers of all sorts, family in prison and friends in high places, and the granny woman that is a staple of all fiction set in Appalachia. This would be a good, quick read for lovers of hard-boiled detective stories or thrillers. -Inanna

Mergers and Aquisitions by Dana Vachon

2007-06-21T14:28:00.000-04:00

He tries valiantly to sound like Fitzgerald but instead comes across as a low-rent Bret Easton Ellis...and yet this novel is an entertaining read. There are enough glimpses of true insight here and there to keep the reader wondering where the story is going and though the ending is ultimately disappointing, you'll find yourself looking forward to Vachon's second novel. I get the feeling that this might be just a warm-up...

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

2007-06-21T14:21:00.000-04:00

This is a beautifully written, sensitive novel that bored me to tears. Much ado is made of the decline of big-money accounts in a Chicago advertising firm. What the author fails to reckon is why the reader should care about these characters...

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2007-06-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

A bleak novel about life several years after a nuclear holocaust, The Road is highlighted by moments of grace. The reader follows the path of a father and son as they, I believe, travel to the Atlantic coast and then head south in an attempt to get to warmer weather before winter hits. Of course, in a land of nuclear winter, this is no panacea. Along the way, they must struggle to survive in a dead world, while avoiding murderous bands and slave traders, battling the elements, and trying to retain their humanity. The writing is as stark as the land but lovely at the same time. -Inanna

Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

2007-05-29T13:49:00.000-04:00

Sophie Kinsella's once adorable character of Becky Bloom continues to become tiresome. While this novel is better than the last of the series (Shopaholic and Sister), it is not better by much. The story is almost painfully predictable and it will pain some readers to see that four novels after the frothy and charming original, our friend Becky has not only not grown at all but in some cases has actually regressed. I feel for her unborn child! Re-read the first instead!! -Rhiannon

Fragile Things

2007-05-21T23:17:00.000-04:00

by Neil Gaiman

With this collection of short stories and poems, Gaiman again demonstrates his creativity, imagination, wit,and humor, as well as the often-warped way his mind works. The individual works tell childhood ghost stories of the creepy old house down the lane, check in with familiar characters from Narnia's Susan and American Gods's Shadow, step into an out-of-this-world teen party, look at what cultures will do to survive, and much more. --Inanna

Summer People by Brian Groh

2007-05-08T14:18:00.000-04:00

It's getting to be that time of year when we all start looking for a good "beach read" and Brian Groh's debut novel arrives just in time. Less a story of class warfare than a story of class facination, Groh's protagonist spends a summer treading the murky waters of WASP rights and wrongs, trying constantly to do the correct thing. In his chapter titles, Groh cleverly references the Victorian and Edwardian writers that he draws thematic inspiration from. Definitely find a sunny spot, pour yourself an iced tea (or better yet, a G&T!) and settle in for a great read!!

Momzillas by Jill Kargman

2007-05-03T12:08:00.000-04:00

Jill Kargman's new novel is riding on the trend of "mommy-lit". Her protagonist, Hannah Allen is thrust into the lion's den of mommy competition--The Upper East Side of Manhattan. What's a laid-back left-coaster to do? The story is fast paced and the characters well drawn, if you can' get over Kargmans overuse of "hip" language. No one over the age of thirty with a masters degree in literature would really ever use the word "peeps" to describe their group of friends would they? This reader likes to hope not...but with that small caveat, I can recommend this for reading during those long waiting periods in carpool lines and soccer practices!

Puss 'n Cahoots

2007-05-01T22:05:00.000-04:00

by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

The latest in Brown's Mrs. Murphy mystery series (say that five times fast) takes places a state away from the usual turf of Crozet, Virginia, in the bluegrass pastures of Kentucky. There, Harry and once-again-husband Fair are attending a saddlebred horse show and visiting with hometown friends. With them are the furry family members: Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker, and Pewter. As often happens around Harry, murder is also on the agenda, as is her newly remarried state and upcoming 40^th birthday. Intertwined with the murder plot are a stolen horse and reflections on illegal immigration and the fate of the “country” way of life. Brown is best, though, when she leaves the polemics out and focuses on the mystery and the lives of her protagonists. Though the book here met all my Mrs. Murphy needs, I missed the usual Crozet crew, from Susan and Miranda to the Reverend and sheriff Rick. After how many years and how many books, it felt like infidelity to read about another set of characters. That relationship just wasn't there, one failing of this book.

The longevity of the series does raise an awkward question: The first book in the series was published around 1990. What happens when our four-legged sleuths start dying off? Or, will these characters be like those in other long-term series, in which the characters (at least some, since much was made in this book over Harry's upcoming 40^th) never age? -Inanna

Still Life with Husband by Lauren Fox

2007-03-15T13:36:00.000-04:00

I found myself in a difficult position as a reader since I so liked Emily Ross at the beginning of this book, but she makes so many bad choices for such selfish reasons that by the end of the story I found myself smugly pleased that she gets what's coming to her and I was delighted to, both literally and figuratively, close the book on her. Unfortunately, the friends and family members that she hurts along the way are stuck with her. I did really like the cover art, though...-Rhiannon

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson

2007-03-14T23:34:00.000-04:00

This latest addition to Mott Davidson’s series involving caterer Goldy Schulz is a wonderful example of an amateur investigator mystery. In Dark Tort, Goldy’s friend is found murdered in a local law firm, and because the victim’s mother is convinced the police aren’t doing enough to find the culprit, she asks Goldy to “find out what happened.” Over the course of her investigation, Goldy uncovers a vast amount of clues and red herrings, to the point where the reader almost has too much information, and one wonders how could this all be a) relevant and b) tied together in the end? Through Mott Davidson’s clever writing and wry humor, everything is resolved at the climax and the main characters are once again restored to their usual states of peace. This book is full of memorable characters and even more memorable recipes, for Mott Davidson includes the recipes for all the dishes Caterer Goldy Schulz prepares in the book. Mott Davidson’s mysteries are a joy to read because her characters are realistic and her plots riveting.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following : Fiction Recommendation #1 : Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke. This is a novel (part of a series) that has a similar premise to Mott Davidson’s books. The main character (Hannah) is a baker who enjoys solving crimes on the side. However, readers may find that this heroine isn’t as interesting at Goldy Schulz. There are plenty of yummy recipes, though.
Fiction Recommendation #2 : Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson. This earlier book finds Goldy catering at a newly renovated shopping mall and investigating the death of a former classmate. Complications arise when her catering assistant, Julian, is arrested for the murder.Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation by Christopher Styler. If you are really into food preparation, then this cook book might be for you. With many different styles given by many different chefs, the reader will learn many different ways of ‘plating.’

Anansi Boys

2007-03-13T20:21:00.000-04:00

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Read by Lenny Henry For those who have read American Gods, Anansi Boys is set in the same world as where the gods of the old world live in America as ordinary people. But this book works just fine without having read the first one. Fat Charlie Nancy hadn’t spoken to his father, who loved humiliating him, in a decade. When flies to his childhood home in Florida from London for the funeral, he finds out that not only was his father Anansi, the ancient African spider god, but that he has a brother he has no memory of. On the spur of a drunken moment, Fat Charlie tells a spider to tell his brother to drop by. Spider, his brother, does. And starts carelessly pulling Fat Charlie’s life apart. At this point, I felt that the book might be veering towards Nanny Diaries land, with our protagonist getting further and further stomped on until he crawls out of the story to bleed to death. Happily, the story turns around as Fat Charlie declares war on his brother, and then takes yet another unexpected turn. There’s some good humor (penguin-shaped black candles for a séance, for example), some classic Gaiman creepy elder-god stuff, and some very sympathetic characters. If you have the option, do listen to this book. Lenny Henry does every character so believably it made my jaw drop, with accents ranging from Caribbean Island to African-American to several stripes of British. I might just have to see if he’s narrated any other books.

Idun

2007-03-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

"Clearcut" is set in the rugged backwoods of the Pacific Northwest in the 1970's. The story centers around the main character Earley Ritter (with whom every reader will fall in love). Earley picks up a hitchhiker one rainy night and cannot begin to imagine how this decision will change his life. This book is both stunning and graceful with plenty of authentic era detail. "Clearcut" explores the boundaries that divide us and what it takes to cross them...a beautiful book! -Aurora

The Long Run by Leo Furey

2007-03-12T10:57:00.000-04:00

The "Long Run" is laugh-out-loud funny yet suffused with an aura of incredible sadness. The authors first novel is set during the 1960's at a Newfoundland orphanage run by the Christian Brothers. There's never enough food, the dorms are always freezing , and the discipline is harsh yet the story is filled with vivid characters. A group of boys band together to create the families they all lack and help each other through "the spells" of dread and loneliness they each experience at times. Their secret society becomes their law and their family. This is an inspirational novel which does not fail to move the reader and actually leaves you cheering as these boys come of age under difficult circumstances. A great choice for a book discussion group!
-Aurora

The Diagnosis of Love by Maggie Leffler

2007-03-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

Once you get past the awful pun that is this novel's title (the protagonist is a doctor), you're in a for a good read. Perfect for light, before-bedtime reading, you'll enjoy this if you're an Elinor Lipman or Jane Green fan.

Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness

2007-03-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness by Joel Ben Izzy is a charming collection of short stories told by a master storyteller interwoven with the author's personal narrative to tell an even larger and more powerful story of healing. It is filled with humor, wisdom, truth, and much, much more. Pick it up- you'll enjoy it. - Morrigan

The Very Virile Viking

2007-03-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill The year is 1000. Magnus Ericsson is a simple Viking man who likes farming and women. He’s not ashamed of either of those, but with 11 living children, he’s become a laughingstock. Magnus decides to take his nine youngest children and head for the New World, but ends up in a very strange place called Holly Wood. The last thing Angela needs in her life is another creep like her ex-husband, but Magnus might just have a good heart buried under all that macho bluster. And the Blue Dragon, her family’s struggling vineyard, is certainly in need of help – in fact, her grandmother had been praying for a man for Angela and lots of children for the big farmhouse. There might be a bit too much praise for Wal-Mart and pizza delivery, but the romance is sizzling and the story highly amusing. This book, one of a series of Viking romances, is for readers looking for humor and a bit of fantasy in a sexy contemporary setting.
Idun

You Suck

2007-03-06T22:58:00.000-05:00

by Christopher Moore

The sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck continues the story of vampire Jody, her minion and boyfriend (and now vampire as well) Tommy Flood, the Animals who work with Tommy stocking shelves at the Safeway, the Emperor of San Francisco and his canine bodyguards, and the rest of the bunch. New characters, including Abby Normal, the goth girl who becomes Tommy's minion, are introduced. In an interesting note, Charlie Asher from A Dirty Job makes an appearance (setting up a possible crossover in the future?). As in most of Moore's work, the humor here is demented and occasionally scatological, but ever present and right on target. Along with the humor comes a dose of philosophy, in this case ideas about how we create family and the problem of being alone. But enough of the serious stuff: I'd avoid drinking anything while reading this, in case the reader inhales and sprays while laughing. -- Inanna

London is the Best City in America by Laura Dave

2007-02-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

I like to think that if I called off my wedding, my brother would support my decision. I also like to think that if my brother wasn't sure about his own wedding, I would take a road trip with him before he decides. Such is the relationship between Emmy Everett and her brother, Josh in Laura Dave's charming novel, London is the Best City in America. -Rhiannon

Mistral's Kiss by Laurell K. Hamilton

2007-01-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

When a book opens with a room full of naked men and a batch of fresh cookies, you know this is no British cozy. If still questioning the nature of the novel after that, the 40 pages of sex scenes that followed would have convinced the most clueless. What we have here in Mistral's Kiss is Hamilton's latest work of fantasy erotica in the Meredith Gentry series. A note of warning: If you haven't read the earlier books (A Kiss of Shadows, A Caress of Twilight, Seduced by Moonlight, A Stroke of Midnight), this work won't make much sense, as it reads like a single chapter in a much larger work. This is one of its faults, but one common to the fantasy genre, so I can forgive it fairly easily.

For those not afraid of a little lovin', Mistral's Kiss is an entertaining and engaging trip into the underground of the Unseelie Court, where Meredith and her band of body guards and lovers get stuck for the duration of this book. The political intrigue begun in the earlier books continues here, as Merry continues to try to get knocked up in order to beat her evil cousin Cel to the throne. But the fertility acts cause some unexpected changes in the undead gardens, where much of the tale takes place. What will this mean for the royal court and for Merry? Go check out Mistral's Kiss to find the answer. You probably won't regret it. -- Inanna

The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos

2007-01-03T11:23:00.000-05:00

If you're looking to read about the Washington, D.C., where the charcoal grey suits walk down K Street with their Bluetooth earpieces in, where the Filipino nannies raise the offspring of the elite, where the black SUVs with the security details stop traffic, where prestigious hospitals drop patients without a research-worthy disease, go read another book. However, if what you want are the stories of real Washingtonians―the ones whose families go back generations in the city, who saw the riots of the 60s AND the 80s, who have seen their neighborhoods destroyed and then rebuilt by outsiders, who know the score―Pelecanos's latest will fill your need like a half-smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl. Once again, he enfolds the history and culture of the capital city into a murder mystery featuring East of the Park D.C. The Night Gardener begins with a crime scene in 1985 Washington and takes you into the present, where a teenager's death brings back memories of those earlier crimes for three cops involved with the earlier cases. New characters are introduced as well. The various threads, which feature dreams destroyed and fulfilled, lives headed toward the precipice and those turned around, are knitted together in the climax, to great effect. Another winner from a guy who knows and lives the environment about which he writes. -- Inanna

The Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne

2006-12-27T14:42:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite "moods" for novels is WASPY dysfunction and The Ghost at the Table more than fits the bill. It is the story of two sisters, Frances, who lives a Martha Stewart-like life in Concord MA and Cynthia (Cynnie) who is an author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Under duress, Cynnie joins her sister and stroke-victim father for the Thanksgiving holiday and the family secrets begin to creep out despite everyone's best manners. The writing, by the same author who wrote A Crime in the Neighborhood, is so skillful the reader never feels led in any one direction but realizes that the narrator may not be as reliable as she seems. It is a facinating play of family loyalty (and betrayals?) that kept me on the couch for 6 straight hours reading it--even skipping a family gathering myself in order to finish!! -Rhiannon

The Book of Lost Things

2006-12-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly is a seriously creepy but ultimately satisfying book, especially for the lover of fairy tales. Once upon a time, in London, near the beginning of World War II, there lived a boy named David. David is a slightly neurotic but likeable boy who loves his mother and books more than anything. His mother dies, and his father marries a woman, Rose, whom David cannot forgive for trying to be a second mother. The arrival of a new half-brother and a move to Rose’s house in the country only make things worse. David starts to hear books talking to themselves. When out in the garden, he sees a crooked man walking through his room and his half-brother’s room. Then, one dark night, he runs from a crashing German bomber through a wall and into a forest where the trees bleed and the flowers have the faces of lost children. A Woodsman finds him as he is being chased by Loups, the half-wolf, half-man offspring of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, with the cunning of humans and the appetite of wolves. Unable to find his way back home, David and the Woodsman set out on a journey to find the King, whose Book of Lost Things might hold the answer to David’s questions. The world David travels through (mostly alone) is a world of twisted familiar stories, where Red Riding Hood chases down the wolf, and Hansel gets eaten the second time around. A little closer to horror than I usually read, this book has memorable characters and setting and a fast-moving plot that makes it very hard to put down.

-Idun

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

2006-12-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

I will start off by saying that I have always enjoyed reading anything by Anna Quindlen - opinion pieces, nonfiction, fiction, etc. Quindlen does not churn out a novel every single year so it is a treat to actually get my hands on one I haven't read. The plot of Rise and Shine involves two sisters, a highly successful morning show host, Meghan Fitzmaurice (think Katie Couric) and her younger sister, Bridget, a social worker. Meghan's world, and that of those closest to her, unravels when she inadvertently (or not?) curses the subject of her interview while on the air. Meghan retreats to the Caribbean to heal her wounds from both the fallout of the interview and the demise of her marriage. Bridget is then left behind to try and keep the family together.

This novel disappointed me from the beginning. I was led to believe that Meghan had committed some kind of irredeemable mistake, but what Meghan actually muttered on air was not that shocking by today's standards. I had a hard time believing that the network wouldn't stand behind her and that her career was in shambles because of it. As I continued to read I realized that I really didn't care for Meghan and therefore, had no reason to care whether or not she would prevail. As for Bridget, I liked her slightly more than Meghan, but not by much!

Although Quindlen's writing still surpasses that of many of her peers, it does not make up for weak characters and an even weaker plot.

Literacy and Longing in L.A. (Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack)

2006-12-07T14:49:00.000-05:00

As much as I tend to sneer at books with two authors, I was in love with this book by the end of the first paragraph. Dora (named by her mother for Eudora Welty) is 35, single and living in Los Angeles. She is not happy and treats her depressive episodes the way we all might like to: She runs a hot bath, shuts off her answering machine and starts reading. Sometimes for a few hours and sometimes her "benders" last for days. Dora is one of the most likable characters that I've come across in a long time--and she tells the secret truths about bibliophiles. She admits to buying books even though there is a stack still unread by her bed. She keeps books in her car trunk. She tells all the dirty little secrets of true booklovers. (I keep an emergency copy of "Sense and Sensibilty" in my glove compartment in case I find myself waiting somewhere with nothing to read.)
The novel follows as Dora confronts family and relationship issues--through literature mostly, and eventually comes out the other side a stronger person. Like any recovery tale, it has a heartwarming and hopeful end. Dora manages to learn to control her Bibliomania--one day at a time. Also includes an extensive reading list...

The Big Shuffle by Laura Pedersen

2006-12-05T15:40:00.000-05:00

While this is not the best-written novel I have read, I enjoyed it quite a bit --nice light reading for a saturday afternoon. When I picked it up, I did not realize that it was third in a series about Hallie Palmer--a card shark former wild child. The characters are endearing and quirky--enough so to make me wish that I had read the previous two novels and knew them better but not so much so that I actually intend to do so. I found this book on an adult reading list and feel it was somewhat mislabled. I know several high school and college students who will love it but as an adult, I found some of the topics a bit dull. Hallie is a character worth getting to know, if you know a teenager or younger adult who likes good writing and characters. -Rhiannon

The Uses of Enchantment (Heidi Julavits)

2006-12-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this book. Admittedly, I'll read anything that takes place in my native New England, particularly if it is WASPY in tone well-written or not. Lucky for me, and any of you who do pick it up, The Uses of Enchantment is marvelously written. This story is partly mystery and partly family drama and entirely engrossing. Somehow it managed to remind me of both The Virgin Suicides and The Hazards of Good Breeding. Either way, it will keep you up late into the night. Julavits insights into the inner workings of the female adolescent alone make it worth the read if you know any teenage girls at all. She will also chillingly remind you of how you thought in your own teenage years. Not how you remember thinking but how you actually did. This book is dense with emotional issues but Julavits has beautiful control of her pose and sense of pace--the novel never feels overwhelming or overwrought. Definitely pick this up for a cold winter night... -Rhiannon

Blind Submission

2006-11-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

I have just started a great new book- Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg...a mystery described to me by a friend as "The Devil Wears Prada for the bookish crowd" and with a review like that, who could resist? I'll keep you all posted but the first chapter was great!! -Rhiannon

The Birth House

2006-11-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

The Birth House by Ami McKay World War I in tiny, remote Scots Bay, Nova Scotia. Dora Rare is the only girl in a large family of boys, the first girl in generations. At her mother’s urging, Dora becomes the apprentice to Miss Babineau, the local midwife and moves in with her, eventually taking over Miss B.’s practice and rivalry with the local “modern” doctor. The story is more about the characters and setting than the plot; an author’s note said that she wanted it to feel like treasures pulled out a pocket at the end of the day. Filled with short glimpses of daily life, letters, and newspaper articles, it is a beautiful testament to the courage of women. The book feels very similar to Jennifer Donnelly’s recent A Northern Light, while the rural Canadian setting reminded me of L.M. Montgomery, if she had written darker books for older readers.
Idun

Allende - She's BACK!

2006-11-19T20:34:00.000-05:00

Isabel Allende's newest novel, Ines of My Soul, promises to be as good as her previous books. Even in the first 50 pages, Allende's gift for conveying the epic life events of ordinary people is evident and breath-taking. Beginning in 1500 with the birth of her protagonist, and sweeping through the Old and New Worlds until 1580, including the conquest of Chile, this fabulous tale will grab you. Although Allende isn't an easy read, she is always worthwhile and fulfilling. Don't let the translation from the Spanish deter you. There are several potential library programs in these pages. More on that once I finish reading! -- Valkyrie

If you like your Christmas spirit with a grain of salt...

2006-11-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Patrick Dennis' The Joyous Season is one of my all-time favorite holiday reads (second only to David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice...). Dennis is famous for Auntie Mame and The Joyous Season is no less hilarious. Told from the point of view of a very precocious little boy the genius of the writing most often comes from what he doesn't tell rather than from what he does. This is a tale of family, dysfunction and deep abiding love--and isn't that what the holidays are really about? -Rhiannon

The Thirteenth Tale

2006-11-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a book that builds to a sturdy but shocking conclusion. Margaret Lea is a biographer, a loner by nature, who is summoned to the bedside of Vida Winter. Vida Winter is the most beloved author in British History and she is dying. Vida has spent most of her career making falsehoods about her past, something that she wants to remedy. She hires Margaret to write her biography but only after promising the biographer that there will be no more lies, no more falsehoods. The tale that she spins is fascinating and dark and not dissimilar to Daphne DuMaurier and the Bronte Sisters. The writing style is very gothic and perfect reading for a dreary, rainy, cold afternoon in Autumn. Setterfield has done a masterful job with her first book. I look forward to seeing what she will do next!

How Elizabeth Barret Browning Saved My Life

2006-11-02T13:42:00.000-05:00

You know every now and then you read a book and wish you could be friends with the main character in real life? This is one of those books. I may be biased because I instictively love all books that take place in Boston but How Elizabeth Barret Browning Saved My Life is a great read. Something of a mystery, something of a family drama and full of appealing characters this is a perfect book for a lazy Fall weekend on the couch. -Rhiannon