Author Archive
During the presidential campaign I was obsessed. I watched every scrap of punditry, I read every newspaper article, I spent hours at night catching up on blog posts. I was a campaign junkie. So what’s an addict to do when she’s cut off cold-turkey? Watch old Sarah Palin clips on YouTube? Okay, maybe, especially the one with the turkey! Read about Obama’s transition team and quest for a puppy? Sure. But none of that quite gets at what I want. What’s a librarian to do? Find something to read.
Baring Arms by Jo Ann Power is the second mystery featuring five-term congresswoman Carly Wagner. Carly is a divorced mom who juggles caring for her pre-teen daughter and maintaining her political career (both at home in Texas and in Washington). She’s doing well enough that her party is considering have her give a keynote address at the national convention. Her political ambitions are endangered when her daughter, Jordan, finds Judge Goodwin Deeds strangled in his home. In order to protect Jordan and her career, Carly puts her insider savvy to good use. She’s determined to find out who did the deed before more damage is done. Assisting with the investigation is the mysterious Mr. Jones who may or may not have her best interests at heart.
Though the first in this series (Missing Member) had a little bit more of the behind-the-scenes political machinations I like to read about, this Beltway mystery did help ease me off the political juice. But I’m not totally there yet - I’m feeling the urge to visit the blogs again. So if you have suggestions that will satisfy my craving for politics, I’d love to hear them.
December 15th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
I’m short (5′3″ on a good day) and like many of the vertically challenged I’ve often wished I were taller. Perhaps that can explain why I’m drawn to books with tall women protagonists (and my strange obsession with America’s Next Top Model). The latest reads in my quest to live vicariously through the tall are Everything Nice by Ellen Shanman and Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker.
Michaela “Mike” Edwards is tall, gorgeous and could care less. She’s never been interested in the types of things other women in her office find so fascinating. She looks the way she looks and obsessing about it won’t make a bit of difference. Far more important to her is her job as an up-and-coming copy editor at her advertising firm. In fact just about her entire identity is wrapped up in that job. So when she is fired and realizes that her take-no-prisoners, blunt ways have made her persona non grata everywhere else, Mike is lost. After six months of unemployment and an eviction notice, Mike is forced to move back in with her father and take any job she can. The job she ends up with is teaching a life skills class to a group of twelve-year-old girls at a charter school. This being chick lit, there is the requisite guy that Mike has overlooked - and a very good guy he is. But what made this such a good read are Mike’s struggles. She is funny and often genuinely confused about people in general which makes it all the more interesting as she reclaims her life.
Equally awkward, if for very different reasons, is Violet Greenfield. Violet is seventeen and over six feet tall and about as unhappy about it as anyone who’s been called Jolly Green Giant for years can be. Until now. Now she’s confused. While working her job at the Palace Theater in Chapel Hill, NC, Violet meets New York modeling agent Angela Blythe. Angela is convinced Violet can be the next IT girl and presses her to come to New York for a trial run. Before you can say ‘you go girl’ Violet is swept up in the whirlwind life of a new model. But living the glamorous life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and Violet is torn between her runway life and the one she left behind. Sweet and painful in turns, Violet’s growing up is something anyone can relate to no matter how tall.
November 20th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
Diane Fanning has been writing true-crime for a number of years. She has only recently begun novel writing and her sophomore effort, The Trophy Exchange, introduces Lt. Lucinda Pierce. Lucinda is just returning to the job after a suspension and investigation into a shooting. Determined to prove she can still do the job, Lucinda is eager to take on a new case. If only it weren’t this case.
When eight-year-old Charley Spencer returns home from a birthday party she walks into a nightmare. Her mother has been murdered and the only witness is Charley’s baby sister. Lucinda is the detective assigned to the case and she quickly zeros in on Charley’s dad as a suspect even though Evan Spencer was in Afghanistan when the murder happened. The evidence that this murder may be connected to a string of similar deaths frustrates and alarms Lucinda even more. Spencer is keeping something from her but until she figures out what that something is, the case is going nowhere.
This is a solid police procedural and I’ll definitely be back for Punish the Deed (due out in March 2009). My only quibble is the piling-on of Lucinda’s torturous backstory. Her father killed her mother and himself when she was a child, she lost an eye and gained ugly facial scarring from a shotgun blast, and the incident that got her suspended still torments her. I’m all for a complex, dark protagonist, but it did feel like a bit much. That said, I’m convinced this issue is one that comes with being the first in a series and I can’t wait to read the new one in the spring.
October 30th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
I’ve been on a thriller kick lately. Something about the fall makes me want to hunker down and dive in. Oops, sorry for the mixed metaphors but you get the picture. Good thrillers thrill. Sounds so simple but in reality it takes real skill to manage the pacing, characterizations and plot to thrilling effect. Three of my recent reads excelled in all these ways.
Takeover by Lisa Black is a debut novel. Lisa Black, a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, put her expertise to work in creating her protagonist Theresa MacLean. Theresa is a forensic scientist who works for the city of Cleveland. As her day begins she’s called to the scene of a murder. But what starts out as a routine investigation soon veers into more dangerous territory when bank robbers target the Federal Reserve Bank and take hostages, including Theresa’s fiance detective Paul Cleary. Though Theresa spends less time on the forensics then I could have wished, Black’s debut still intrigues with the puzzle of the bank robbery. Oh, and on a side note I loved that the negotiator and his team set up their command post in the library across the street from the bank!
The Actress by Elizabeth Sims takes a different tack. Rita Farmer is a single mother who’s struggling to make a living as an actress in L.A. And struggling is the key word here. To help make ends meet she performs a storytime at the library (hey another library connection <g>) and is spotted by celebrity attorney Gary Kwan. Kwan is currently defending a socialite accused of murdering her own child. His problem is that Eileen is about as unsympathetic a defendent as you can get and he wants Rita to use her acting skills to coach Eileen. Rita, who has sunk to pawning her grandmother’s bracelet, takes the job and is soon caught up in this high-intensity, media driven case.
And finally the darker, psychological thriller by Lisa Unger (who wrote a great mystery series as Lisa Miscione). Black Out delves into the life of Annie Powers. Annie has a picture perfect existence. She lives in a gated community in Florida, she has a husband who loves her and a beautiful little girl named Victory. But her peaceful present is shattered when the ghost of her past appears. Though Annie has a hard-won normal life now, it wasn’t always that way. And as her past comes out, so too do the dangers. This is a gripping exploration of the difference between being a victim and a perpetrator and the fallout from being both.
As the days get shorter and the weather colder you can’t go wrong with books that will make you forget the loss of summer.
October 3rd, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
A common complaint amongst romance readers today is that there aren’t enough historicals being written and the ones that are showing up in the bookstores are too light in tone. Authors who used to write meaty, angsty romance - Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas, Judith Ivory - have changed course and are now writing books that read a little faster, have switched to writing contemporaries or simply aren’t writing any more. What’s a fan to do? Discover Jo Goodman.
Jo Goodman has been writing for a number of years, but has recently caught the eye of readers because of the darker tone in her newer novels. That darkness coupled with strong characterization and great dialogue has finally garnered her some buzz.
Thank goodness for the buzz. In The Price of Desire Goodman takes an old romance trope - young man wagers more then he can afford and ends up leaving his sister holding the marker - and creates a warm and deeply emotional story around it.
The young man who’s in too deep is Alistair Cole and the man he owes is Griffin Wright-Jones. When Alistair leaves a message that Olivia Cole will serve as his marker, Griffin takes him at his word and orders the woman (who he thinks is Alistair’s wife) to appear. With Olivia’s arrival, Griffin realizes his mistake. And though he is unwilling to let her go, he is determined to protect her privacy and reputation.
The set-up is classic. But the characters are not. Griffin and Olivia could have been the stereotypical alpha male and his long-suffering, though saintly counterpart. Instead they are hard-headed and contrary and frequently wrong. They are also well-matched in every way. And the realistic handling of their slow-building relationship and the charm with which it develops make this a meaty enough romance to satisfy any reader’s heart.
*Thanks to The Soup
September 23rd, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
I’m a fan of urban fantasy, which probably won’t surprise many of you. In general though, I tend to stick to the women - kickass gals solving their problems with a little help from their friends. That being said, something about Rob Thurman’s book Nightlife just spoke to me (so much so, I bought a second copy when I left the first behind in a hotel). It’s about as kickass as you’ll find as brothers Cal and Niko Leandros battle boggles, trolls and evil elves. All good. Right? But what touched me and had me coming back for books two and three in the series was the relationship between Cal and Niko.
Caliban (don’t call him that!) Leandros is half-human and half-elf. Doesn’t sound too bad, if you’re a fan of Legolas. The problem is that the elves of his world are really the Auphe and they are about as nasty and evil as you want to imagine. They’re not evilly scheming and plotting. We’re talking ‘torture and cannibalism and a burning desire to rid the planet of 99% of humanity’ evil. Cal has always struggled with his Auphe side. And in the fight with him is his brother Niko. Cal describes it this way:
“There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I’ve known that ever since I can remember, just like I’ve always known I was one. Well half of one anyway. And regardless of what inherited nastiness I might have on the inside, on the outside I was all human. In fact Niko had said, and pretty damn frequently, that I had more human qualities then I had good sense…If I wanted to beat up on myself, I’d have to go through him first.”
And that’s a perfect snapshot of the relationship between the protective Niko and the wisecracking Cal as they battle the demons - both physical and mental - in their lives. And battle they must since the Auphe plan to use Cal as their weapon to destroy humanity. Non-stop action, snarky dialogue, and the great central relationship had me quickly ordering the next adventures of Cal and Niko.
September 10th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
I feel like I’m going to write a back-to-school report entitled
“What I Read on My Summer Vacation”. I’m just back from a trip to Isle Royale National Park and since the island has no tv, telephone, computer, or radio, there was time to read in the evening after hiking all day.
First up was Kristan Higgins’ Just One of the Guys. This one
is packaged as a romance but reads more like chick lit. Chastity “Chas” O’Neill is a broad-shouldered, almost six-foot-tall woman who has returned to her hometown in upstate New York. When her current boyfriend dumps her because she was able to carry him for half a mile on a hike, Chas feels doomed. How does a healthy woman who grew up with four brothers find a date. Much less the love of her life? That last part is both the easiest and hardest bit of the equation since the love of her life is an honorary member of the family and has made it clear he wants to remain friends. Funny and sweet at turns, this was just the thing for the ferry ride to the island (don’t ask about the ferry ride back).
On a quiet Isle evening I read John Connolly’s The Reapers - probably not the best choice for a dark night. Charlie Parker is back. And if you haven’t read Connolly yet, start with Every Dead Thing. Charlie Parker, a former NYPD detective, is similar to Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in that he uses unorthodox (often violent) means to solve people’s problems. In The Reapers, the person in trouble is Charlie’s friend Louis. Someone is stalking Louis, and when he and his partner Angel go missing, Charlie enters the fray. Connolly writes beautiful prose describing ugly and gritty events to awesome effect.
After the excellent, but somewhat grim Connolly, I needed 
something lighter to round out the trip. Sarah Dessen’s The Truth About Forever was just the ticket. This YA novel covers some fairly serious stuff with humor and charm. Macy Queen is known as the girl who watched her father die. That catastrophe has forced Macy into shutting down. When asked how she’s coping, everything is fine. Her attempts to maintain this front have changed her. A fact she only realizes when she takes a job with Wish Catering and gets pushed past her comfort zone. Dessen excels at creating relatable and likable protagonists who deal with life’s ups and downs, if not effortlessly, then at least with some grace and honesty.
So that’s my report. Now let’s hear about what you read on your summer vacation.
August 26th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
I was sure I’d read all of Georgette Heyer’s books. But a recent discussion of her best books (according to readers) made me realize I was wrong. Somehow, I’d missed The Devil’s Cub. How I overlooked this sort-of sequel to one of my favorites, These Old Shades, I don’t know. At this point, I don’t care, ’cause how cool is it that I got to read a new Heyer?
The Devil’s Cub is Dominic Alastair, Marquis of Vidal and the son of the Duke of Avon. Vidal is mad, bad and dangerous to know (to borrow Lady Caroline’s description of another troubled figure). His most recent loss of temper has resulted in banishment to France. And while Vidal is willing to heed his father’s wishes, he decides to do so in his own way.
His way is to entice Sophia Challoner into running away with him. Sophia is a silly, scheming young woman who is sure that running off to France with Vidal will lead to marriage. Sophia’s sister Mary is just as sure that the the escapade will lead to Sophia’s social ruin. To save her, Mary decides to take her place in hopes of angering the Marquis enough so that he will never see Sophia again.
Vidal is angry, so angry that he kidnaps Mary as revenge. When he cools down enough (after Mary shoots him!) to see who Mary truly is, Dominic realizes there is only one course of action left. Marriage. Mary resists, Dominic persists, members of both their families enter the fray, and chaos ensues.
The Devil’s Cub is Heyer at her best. Sharp dialogue, incredible characterization, and loads of humor round out a sparkling and fast-paced romance. And getting to revisit those old Heyer feelings made me smile for hours.
August 11th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
Originally published as a young adult novel in 1981, A Countess Below Stairs has recently been re-printed as a trade paperback edition - and legions of Eva Ibbotson fans rejoice.
The first line of Ibbotson’s most beloved novel sets the tone:
“In the fabled, glittering world that was St. Petersburg before the First World War there lived, in an ice-blue palace overlooking the river Neva, a family on whom the gods seemed to have lavished their gifts with an almost comical abundance.”
The family in question are the Grazinsky’s and the Bolshevik revolution has sent them into exile. Anna Grazinsky is the titular countess. Once in England, Anna and her mother and brother are left to fend for themselves. Determined to help, Anna secretly takes a job as a maid at a stately manor named Meersham.
Meersham is the home of Rupert, the new Earl of Westerholme. Rupert, recently returned from WWI, never expected to inherit the title. The loss of his brother in the war changed that and now he is pressed to find a way to pay the debts owed and save his family home. Enter the wealthy Muriel. Muriel nursed Rupert’s war injuries and is now his fiance - much to the dismay of his household and family. Rupert too has his doubts, but it isn’t until he meets Anna that his real turmoil begins.
This is a classic set-up in a novel that is considered by many readers to be a classic. What elevates this fairy-tale story to make it a classic is the charm and humor and honesty with which Ibbotson writes. Certainly the sweet, but clever Anna and honorable Rupert leap off the page. But Ibbotson doesn’t rely on that to tell her story. Every character adds shape to the narrative. Here is Rupert’s friend and neighbor (who I loved) getting ready for a costume ball:
“Lord Byrne looked at his wife. He had married her blind, knowing nothing about her except that she had a quiet voice, a sensible manner and some spare cash. Now, eight years later, he would have died for her without a second’s hesitation. To dress up as a hussar in Wellington’s army would be harder, but he would do it.”
Countess has a little bit of A Little Princess and a little of Anne of Green Gables and more then a touch of Jane Austen. Add that to Ibbotson’s sparkling writing and you’ll find it doesn’t get better then this. Now if only the Brits would give this the North and South treatment, I’d be a very happy camper.
July 25th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
Public defender Margrit “Grit” Knight likes testing herself professionally and personally. Which is why she’s crazy enough to be jogging late at night in Central Park. Though she takes a few risks, Grit is no fool. She knows she has to be quick and wary. The handsome man who accosts her may be wearing a business suit but there’s something about him that has her spidey senses tingling. And when she hears the next day of a murder in the park, Grit is convinced she made a lucky escape.
What she doesn’t realize is that the man is something else 
altogether. He is Alban Korund, a member of the old races, a gargoyle to be precise. And he’s been framed for the murder. Alban has been aware of Margrit because of her nightly run through the park. His impulsive attempt to talk to her has led to his being targeted by the police and only Margrit can help him.
In Heart of Stone, C. E. Murphy, whose earlier urban fantasy series focuses on native american lore in Minneapolis (Urban Shaman, et al), has succeeded once again at making the fantastical seem entirely possible. That gargoyles, selkies, vampires and a dragonlord (who has a djinn enforcer) exist makes good sense. And the developing relationship between Margrit and Alban is one the reader will root for through this and the sequel - House of Cards.
July 11th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
Previous Posts
During the presidential campaign I was obsessed. I watched every scrap of punditry, I read every newspaper article, I spent hours at night catching up on blog posts. I was a campaign junkie. So what’s an addict to do when she’s cut off cold-turkey? Watch old Sarah Palin clips on YouTube? Okay, maybe, especially the one with the turkey! Read about Obama’s transition team and quest for a puppy? Sure. But none of that quite gets at what I want. What’s a librarian to do? Find something to read.
