A BIG Book Give-away

Trish over at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? is hosting a huge book giveaway...14 books for up to five people! How cool is that? She's taking entries through July 12th. Don't miss out!!

More Reading Challenges

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but I signed up for two more reading challenges. The first challenge is up at Passion for the Page and it is called "What An Animal!" The rules for this challenge are:

1. Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:

• a. an animal in the title of the book
• b. an animal on the cover of the book
• c. an animal that plays a major role in the book
• d. a main character that is or turns into an animal (define that however you'd like ;>)).

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires...you get the idea...
3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. You can still sign up after July 1st as long as you can get 6 books read by June 30th ;>).
4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.
5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or just list them as you find them.
6. Books may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).
7. Crossover books with other challenges is permitted and encouraged.
8. You don't have to blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.

So, I need a little help with this one. If you look over in my side margin, you see the list I've started for this. I have Water For Elephants, which was also on my Summer Reading Challenge list. I have Cat's Cradle, which I've had for a couple of years and haven't gotten around to reading. And then Marley and Me and Life of Pi have also been on my "to read" list. So, I could re-read A Prayer for Owen Meany, which has the aardvark on the cover, but I have so many on my "to read" list, I'm not sure I want to do re-reading right now. The one exception, and I'm seriously considering this because it's such a fine book, is re-reading The Monkey's Raincoat. And of course I don't think it would be fair for me to include One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest because I've read that so many times I could probably recite most of it from memory now.

So many of my series books have animals in them. Elvis has "Cat", Temperance Brennan has "Birdie" and "Boyd", Sara Linton has "Billy" and "Bob", Dave Robicheaux has "Tripod"...but none of those would be considered major roles, I don't think. Robert Parker has a few book covers that include his own dog in HIS picture on the back cover, but I don't think that counts either.

I have to check and see if Angels count. If they do, I'm including Angel's Tip on this list. I wouldn't really think of an angel as an "animal", but I wouldn't probably consider a vampire or a fairy as one either, so I'll check.

One other possibility for my list right now is Cadillac Jukebox (James Lee Burke). There's a pelican on my book cover for that one. So, that's a possibility. But, I'm looking for other good possibilities...so send some ideas my way...one caveat, I don't do romance novels along the lines of Danielle Steele and whatnot...

So the other challenge is more immediate. It's also a little easier to pick the books for. It's called the July Book Blowout. This is over at Blue Archipelago. I had to set a goal of how many books I would read in July. Here are the rules for this one:

1. Only books read between July 1 and July 31 count towards the challenge
2. You can include re-reads - as long as they are read within the month of July
3. Books you abandon will only count as half a book
4. If you read to your children you can include all books which have more than 100 pages
5. You can include up to two graphic novels
6. You can include up to two audio books - (if you have a visual impairment that prevents you from reading then you can use just audio books for the challenge)
7. Books you read for other challenges are eligible - use this as an opportunity to catch up!
8. If you start a book before July 1 and then finish it during the month of July then you can count is as half a book

I set my goal at 8. Typically, I read more than 8 books in a month, BUT a good number are audio since I listen to them on my mp3 player and in my car. According to the rules, I can only use two of those. Given that fact, I think 8 will be a good challenge for me.

Check back regularly to see how I'm doing...I'll be keeping track over in my right hand margin over there.

Until next time, Happy Reading!!!

Q & A with Michael Koryta!!

About a year ago while trying to find out more about Robert Crais, I stumbled into an on-line discussion group called "The Craisie Club." At the time I discovered this group, they had a thread going about who other than RC, they had on their "must read" lists. Naomi posted quite passionately about a young author of whom she thought very highly. Because of how adamant she was about this author, I checked his first book out from the library. I don't think I made it a quarter of the way through before I ordered all three for my personal library! I feel indebted to Naomi for bringing this great pleasure into my reading experience; I think Naomi would appreciate it if I "pay it forward." So, my online reading friends, I would like to share with you (if you have not already discovered him for yourself) Michael Koryta!

To give you a little background, Michael is 25 - yes that number is correct, it isn't a typo; the man is 25 and an award-winning novelist. He's from Bloomington, Indiana, but since his parents were born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he knows the area and decided to make it the primary backdrop for his first three books: Tonight, I Said Goodbye; Sorrow's Anthem; A Welcome Grave. In his spare time (haha) he works for a detective agency and teaches journalism at Indiana University. Oh yeah, did I mention he's also been an award-winning journalist? What do you expect? After all, he's had 25 years to accomplish something in his life. What's he waiting for? Alright, joking aside, he definitely has quite an impressive resume, but he's also a genuinely nice person - is it o.k. to say that Michael? I wouldn't want you to get the wrong "rep" or something! :) I've had the pleasure of listening to Michael speak on two separate occasions, and he's equally as talented verbally as he is with his pen (er, computer).

I am very humbled that he made time to answer my questions, and I'm honored to share them with you today. So, without further ado:

Q: Michael, you've said that you often write while wearing headphones. What are you listening to these days on those headphones?

Michael: Current favorite is a guy named Mason Jennings. His CD Boneclouds is outstanding. I also love the new Drive-by Truckers album, Brighter Than Creation's Dark. Also in the
rotation right now: Langhorne Slim, Jakob Dylan, James McMurty, the National and Shawn Mullins.

Q: What book have you read in the last six months that you would recommend to people who enjoy YOUR work?

Michael: I'm reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle right now and so far it is just brilliant, a really remarkable piece of work. In the crime fiction world, James Sallis has become a favorite. The most fun I had reading a novel last year was Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, and this spring I was fortunate to read advance copies of The Given Day by Dennis Lehane and The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly and will tell everyone to look for those in the upcoming months...but I don't think they're hurting for promo help from the likes of me!

Q: You mentioned in one of your presentations that part of your idea for A Welcome Grave came from something you were doing as a private investigator. Have you had any other inspirations come from your job there? Anything from your journalism days?

Michael: You know, I think most of the inspiration
from those jobs lurks beneath the surface, in the subconscious and in the impact of people I've met along the way in those jobs. Less so in grand terms of
plot.

Q: What's the most interesting situation you've encountered as a private investigator?

Michael: I assisted on a death penalty defense investigation that was pretty fascinating and culminated in an overturned conviction. As far as amusing stories go, a recent one would be working a surveillance in which we couldn't locate the subject at any of the locations he was supposed to frequent, then determined that was because he was in jail after pointing a gun at a cop. Makes it easier to keep an eye on him from there, certainly.

Q: From your time on your book tours, what's been a memorable moment?

Michael: There was a woman who raised her hand immediately when the Q/A period began and then asked, "Do you cook?" This was prompted, evidently, by a rumor that "young men don't usually cook." If there was a correlation to my writing, I have no idea what it was. I've also had a few distant family members appear at events.

Q. How do you like teaching?

Michael: I really enjoyed it a great deal, though I'm taking a break this fall because I'm doing a fair number of events. When the students are engaged, it is a blast, and a nice opportunity for me to pass along some of the things that I've learned are key to the craft. I think anyone who has had really great teachers, as I have, appreciate the opportunity to pass along those lessons.

Q: You write, you teach, you work for the detective agency, do you have any time for hobbies or other outside interests?

Michael: You know, I never feel as busy as I sound in summary. I suppose that's a good thing. I'm always engaged in something, and try to stay active -- hike a lot, lift weights, play some basketball and a very poor game of golf, things of that nature.

Q: At an event, you explained how you came up with your Russian character names; where did "Lincoln" come from? Any particular reason or source of his name?

Michael: There's no purpose for it at all but I can tell you exactly where I was when I came up with it: sixteen years old and walking my neighbor's dog while they were out of town. Can't say why it came to mind or why it stuck, but I thought it was a good character name and somehow I hung onto it for a few years. It seems there's a painter of some renown named Lincoln Perry.

Q. You have indicated that under the right circumstances, you would be willing to sell the movie rights to your books. If you found out you had an open-ended budget and the executives found it in their hearts to let you pick the actor of your choice for Lincoln and/or Frank, who would it/they be? Why?

Michael: I don't have anyone in mind for either, really. I'd just want a good cast. The actor would have to change the character
dramatically from what exists in my mind, and I'd be interested to see how they did it.

Q: O.k., last question. There is a book out called Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. What would be YOUR six-word memoir?

Michael: Can I have a seventh word? would be six words, right? I think that sums up most writers' mindsets.

And there you have it folks. In the words of Michael Koryta! Personally, I've been looking forward to the next WRITTEN words from Michael since last November. They will be here in the form of his fourth novel, Envy the Night, on August 5th. You can learn more about Michael, the novel, read an excerpt, all at his website. Keep an eye on that event schedule, too. If you have the chance to get out and meet him in person, it's time well spent.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be on the lookout for the next author in this Summer Q & A series! Happy Reading!

A Summer Series of Author Q&As

I'm so excited to announce to everyone that I am going to do a small series of Q&A's this summer with some absolutely fabulous authors . Tomorrow will start the series with a young writer who has been on my "must read" list since I read his first book - Michael Koryta. Michael has published three books to date: Tonight, I Said Goodbye; Sorrow's Anthem; and A Welcome Grave. These three books all center around Lincoln Perry and Joe Prichard and are all set primarily in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. On August 5th, Michael will release his fourth book, Envy the Night, which deviates from his Lincoln/Joe series, bringing to life a new character, Frank Temple III.

Michael was kind enough to answer some questions for me and tomorrow I'll be back to share them with you. If you've read and/or met Michael, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading his responses. If you haven't read and/or met Michael yet - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? He's joined the ranks of Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Robert Parker - yes, he's that good! Don't believe ME? Well, Lee Child says, "If you like Spenser and Hawk, or Elvis and Joe, or Myron and Win, you're going to love [Tonight, I Said Goodbye]." So, come get acquainted with Michael tomorrow!

Until then, I leave you with the final sneak peak for Robert Crais' Chasing Darkness. It releases on Tuesday, July 1st.

See you tomorrow!!

DEAD CONNECTION - Alafair Burke

Ellie Hatcher is a young New York detective working scams and robberies when a special request is made for her to work a homicide case....possibly a serial homicide case. But Ellie also comes with baggage. Her father was a police detective who supposedly committed suicide over a serial murder investigation he conducted years before. Ellie's still not convinced it was suicide, though.

In Alafair Burke's first Ellie Hatcher novel, Dead Connection, Ellie is called up for a case that involves Internet Dating, and she enters the homicide squad to snickering whispers of "Date Bait." But that doesn't deter Ellie; quite the contrary. She's even more determined to do a damn fine job.

If you've read my reviews before, you know that two factors continually come up when I comment on a book. The first is characterization. If a book has poor characterization, it doesn't matter how fabulous the plot is. I'm a character person. And this book ABOUNDS in character. Ellie is fascinating - Ellie is REAL! I love the fact that Ellie makes mistakes. She's a young detective and she makes mistakes that inexperienced people make - forgetting to turn her phone off, not checking her blind spot when she's in a tense, stressful situation. Both mistakes are major blunders and are very costly.

Another thing I enjoyed about Ellie is her outlook on the Internet dating scene. This exchange she has with her brother is priceless:

Ellie rolled her eyes. 'Well, at least you include your own age. My litmus test - the men I'm crossing off - are the ones who cap their age range below their own age. Half the men on here, no matter how old they are, say their perfect woman is somewhere between her midtwenties and exactly one year younger than he is.' She continued crossing off names, clearly disgusted. 'I mean, what is it about the midtwenties?'

Jess's eyes glazed over as he hung his tongue from his mouth in mock bliss. Ellie pretended to shoot a roundhouse kick in his direction.

'All right, Gloria Steinem. But I bet you a million bucks that the women on there are just as superficial. They're just screening for different qualities. Money, power, prestige. It's market forces, little sis.'

'On that very romantic - and totally depressing - note, I think you've convinced me that my online surfing should remain strictly professional.'

Now, if you've never had the privilege of experiencing on-line dating yourself, you probably don't really appreciate this exchange. But, I've experienced it, and I'm relating with Ellie here - big time! I'm sure some of you guys can equally relate with Jess's argument as well. Being able to relate with a scenario in the book hammers home the realism for me.

O.k., so Alafair Burke mastered the art of characterization...my next factor - predictability. After all, how can a suspense novel be suspenseful if you can predict everything that's going to happen, right? Didn't predict a gosh darn thing in this book! The reader is fed the facts in little snippets just like Ellie and McIlroy would discover them. The reader has to fit the disordered puzzle pieces together just like the detectives would. And this is one of those puzzles that you can't figure out until every last piece is in its rightful place...and believe me, some of the pieces look like they could fit where they don't belong, creating a whole different picture. This was a book I sat with for hours because I couldn't put it down. I HAD to find out what was going to happen! If Internet dating didn't spook you BEFORE this book, you'll definitely be spooked after!

Throughout the book there are great lines that also reflect Burke's sense of humor. I loved the end of the novel when Charlie Dixon asks Ellie, "You sure about this?" And Ellie's response is "Does Britney Spears like Cheetos?" If you haven't read the book, you can't appreciate this exchange. I don't want to spoil it for you, but take my word that it's significant to the book, and it got a half chuckle/half "awwwwe" from me.

Another chuckle came earlier in the novel when Ellie calls a detective "Robi --"..."Just call me Dave" from...yep, you guessed it, New Iberia, Louisiana! Gotta love it!

It took me a little while to get to this book, but since I waited to read it, I don't have to wait as long for the follow-up. The next Ellie Hatcher comes out in August and I CAN'T wait. This was a GREAT suspense novel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RC!

Wishing Robert Crais the happiest of birthdays today. May his gift from his fans be a spot on the New York Times' Bestseller list for Chasing Darkness!

RC, may you have many, many more wonderful birthdays! All The Best!!

The Crime Writer in Paperback and more of Chasing Darkness

If you didn't read The Crime Writer, you must get out next week and buy a copy when it comes out in paperback! This is a must-own. I originally borrowed it from the library and once I started it, I knew I had to have it for my personal library. This is still my favorite read of the year so far. Gregg Hurwitz blew me away with this awesome novel. You can see my March review of it here. And if you click this link, you can see the OUTSTANDING book cover that Spain has for this novel.

Gregg also happens to be a friend of Robert Crais'. No wonder he writes so well! :) Anyway, for those of you who started the sneak peak of Chasing Darkness last week, here's a little more to tide you over until July 1st. I'll have to wait a tad bit longer for my copy because my sister, bless her heart, is going to buy it at one of RC's events in Southern California and get it signed for me. I wish I was going to be there myself, but ...

Happy Reading!!

Compulsion

Alex Delaware is back in Jonathan Kellerman's newest novel, Compulsion. He and Milo are hot on the case again. This time they are trying to solve a mystery that starts with a stolen Bentley...a stolen Bentley with blood on the seat. However, there is no body and no suspects. Their detecting starts to uncover strange clues that take Alex all the way to New York City.

That's the main storyline of the plot. However, for some reason, Kellerman includes two very minor subplots. First, there is a death row inmate in Texas claiming to have killed a young man in California whose murder has remained unsolved for sixteen years. Milo is assigned the task of investigating whether his accusations are true or just an attempt to put off his death sentence. This storyline doesn't intersect with the first storyline except for the fact that Milo is investigating both of the cases. Kellerman would switch back to this case every once in awhile and I would have to remember who these characters were.

An even smaller subplot dealt with Robin and a contract she received to make four instruments for a dot com millionaire. This subplot was so insignificant I can only surmise that Kellerman was reaching for a way to include Robin in the book. It was almost as if he wrote the book without her and then said, "whoops, I forgot Robin; where can I squeeze her in?"

Both of the subplots made the novel a bit awkward overall. I think it would have been a much stronger book had Kellerman simply focused on the main plot and forgot the other two subplots. Maybe they could have been developed for their own books at some time, but they didn't seem to fit here. While there was a lot of potential in the plot, this Alex/Milo caper didn't live up to some of the others Kellerman has penned.

As always, I LOVED Milo. His sarcasm is absolutely wonderful. I love how he will respond when Alex throws a theory out. Milo makes the theory sound incredibly off the wall. Some of his quips would make great newspaper headlines. I would be ecstatic if Kellerman wrote a novel with Milo as the main character, and told it in first person from his perspective. I find Milo to be an extremely dynamic, fun character. Alex, on the other hand, tends to be a bit on the flat side.

Petra Conner was not in this novel. She was out of the country on vacation. She was missed.

John Rubenstein returned to read the audio version of this book. I think he does an excellent job with the Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis novels. And this one was no exception.

Overall, it was enjoyable to listen to on my way to and from work, but it wouldn't rank among my favorites of Kellerman's work.

Another Giveaway!!

Hey All! Heather over at Book Addiction is giving away some Jodi Picoult books, so get on over there and give her a "hey" in the comments and you could win one!!

THREE CUPS OF TEA - A Must Read!

Greg Mortenson was a mountaineer. When he attempted to summit K2 in Pakistan, his failure turned into a much greater summit.

Greg's failure on K2 led him to the small village of Korphe where he witnessed children doing their school lessons outside in the cold unsupervised. The village couldn't afford a sheltered building or a full-time teacher. When the teacher wasn't present, the students practiced their lessons by drawing them in the dirt with sticks. This scene was the catalyst for Greg's life work. He set out on a mission to raise enough money - $12,000 - to build a school for this village. And then one school turned into a bridge, a school, a women's center...and then the projects started to spread to other Pakistani villages and ultimately to Afghanistan.

What this man accomplished - is still accomplishing - and his vision are absolutely incredible. He is by all definitions a true hero. He did not set out to teach Pakistani children (especially girls) to think like American children, but rather he set out to provide them with a means to get a well-rounded education, to have a chance in life. He respected their beliefs and accepted who they were as a people. Because of that, the people rallied around him and provided the labor, the support, the safety that was necessary to improve their ways of life without destroying their beliefs. Mortenson himself has lived in virtual poverty, has been kidnapped, and has spent many months each year away from his own family to accomplish this goal.

Mortenson had - still has - a view of the Middle East that most Americans never see. And it is something we all need to see, so we aren't making the same mistakes we've made in the past. Mortenson believes that the kind of education he is helping these people to earn is what will be the strongest force against terrorism. I agree - whole-heartedly.

If you have not read this book, find a copy: order if from your bookstore, check it out from the library, borrow it from a friend. You will not regret it. I will admit that the writer, David Oliver Relin, is a bit on the verbose side. The first half of the book contains a lot of unnecessary fluff, but the second half tightens up considerably. Ignore the fluff...read this book...hear Mortenson's message. You don't need to donate to the cause, just hear his message and become educated yourself! It will be our country's strongest defense against terrorism!

A Giveaway...

is going on over at The Written Word. If you like historical fiction, this might be just the contest for you. Stephanie is giving away a copy of Nefertiti to one lucky reader, so get over there and get your comment in by midnight (EST) June 23rd! Good luck...wait, I want to win, why am I wishing YOU good luck? ;)

A Prize Weekend!

At the beginning of the month, I received an e-mail from Lisa Unger informing me that I won her contest and would be receiving her three novels in first-edition, hardcovers - plus they would all be inscribed to me. I was elated.

This weekend they arrived, and they are beauties!

As promised, each is personally inscribed to me, and she sent along a little note as well. I'm not a person who goes out looking for signed copies of books when I buy them. I get them signed when I meet an author - it makes the signed copy personally special more than anything. While I didn't get to meet Lisa, the books still have a personal significance to me due to the special inscriptions, which are all three different.


If you haven't read Lisa Unger, I highly recommend her. I'm in the middle of Sliver of Truth right now and have started loaning out my original copy of Beautiful Lies - I can do that now that I have this awesome new one! :) She is great with suspense, and her female protagonist is a great one!


My warning to you is this - if you're going to read Beautiful Lies, do it before you even pick up Sliver of Truth. If you read Sliver of Truth before Beautiful Lies, a good deal of the suspense will be ruined for you. Don't even read a book jacket or summary of Sliver of Truth. Both audio versions are also very good.

Happy Reading!!

The Abstinence Teacher

Ruth teaches health, sex-ed to be specific, and her approach to the subject sets off an uprising by a group of parents in a local evangelical Christian church. To appease the parents, the school board adopts an abstinence curriculum for the sexual education course. Ruth would like to resign because this curriculum goes against her belief system, but she has tenure and would find it difficult to find another job elsewhere.

Tim is a member of the evangelical Christian church that lobbies against Ruth. He is a recovering alcoholic and drug user who is in an awkward marriage situation. Tim also happens to be the coach of Ruth's daughter's soccer team. And when Ruth observes Tim leading the team in a prayer after a game, she is on a mission to have him removed.

As Ruth and Tim work through their differences and discover things about themselves, the extremes that they started out at look more and more absurd. I tend to dislike "extremist" viewpoints. Very rarely is a situation that black and white. But, my hope is that people reading Tom Perrotta's book will take it at what it is, fiction.

I stay away from discussing anything having to do with my faith. I find faith to be too volatile a subject for general discussion, and for me it is too personal. But, in the end, the truth is that I have some "issues" with organized religion. Yet, listening to this book (I listened to this one on audiobook), I found myself wanting to defend organized religion. The Tabernacle - the Christian Church attacking Ruth's teaching - was represented more as a "cult" than a religious organization. The church leader controlled his members and dictated their actions to the extreme that a cult leader would. Many acceptable religious organizations exist that don't believe in teaching anything but abstinence.

And at the same time we had Ruth, a sex-ed teacher, who didn't believe in Jesus. And there you have the two extreme ends of the spectrum. Ruth did end up with a bit of a better portrayal than the Church. Ruth was a more tolerant individual: she allowed her children to attend Church services when they asked and she had openly gay friends. You CAN believe in Jesus and allow your children to attend church, have gay friends, and teach sex-ed.

And true sex-ed curricula definitely got a better light than abstinence programs. This particular abstinence program seemed so absurd that you had to wonder how a school board could in good conscious adopt it, even IF they felt threatened by a group of parents. I personally am opposed to abstinence teaching programs, and it isn't because I think young people should be going out and having sex, but rather it's because abstinence programs have been shown over and over to be ineffective as compared to true sex-ed. But, my impression from this book was that the author was trying to say that neither extreme is effective. That message could have been presented without having abstinence and religious beliefs look so utterly incredible. Or if the author was going for hyperbole, then have both ends of the spectrum be equally incredible.

In the end, the plot was anti-climatic. I really had to wonder where all the hype came from.

Campbell Scott read The Abstinence Teacher for this audiobook. I've enjoyed him on the big screen in the past, but I have to say, I wasn't impressed with him as a reader, at least not for this novel. Maybe his approach was trying to emphasis the tone of the novel, but I was FORCING myself to listen and thinking there were other books I'd like to be listening to.

A Certifiable Craisie

Yes, I am the first to admit that I am a Certifiable Craisie. I adore Robert Crais' work and I LOVE this video from YouTube. Check it out!!!

Summer Reading Challenge

Kathleen Hamilton over at the Rock Creek Rumblings blog has issued a summer reading challenge, and I decided to join. Her purpose is to promote "intentional" reading, so I need to decide on some books to commit to reading this summer. So, here's my list:

• Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson/David Oliver Relin


• Compulsion - Jonathan Kellerman


• Sliver of Truth - Lisa Unger


• Hold Tight - Harlan Coben


• Atonement - Ian McEwan


• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen


• Killer Heat - Linda Fairstein


• Chasing Darkness - Robert Crais


• Envy the Night - Michael Koryta


• KIA - Thomas Holland


• The Zookeeper's Wife - Diane Ackerman


• The Becket Factor - Michael David Anthony


• The Face of Deception - Iris Johansen


• Do No Harm - Greg Hurwitz


• The Blue Hour - T. Jefferson Parker


• The Blood Lure - Nevada Barr


• Hunting Season - Nevada Barr

If I manage to accomplish these before the end of August, I'll add more, but at least this is a place to start. I'll keep the list over in the sidebar, and list dates as I complete them. Feel free to follow along...and feel free to participate yourself. Let me know if you are...leave me a comment and let me know. Wish me luck!





Happy Reading!

The Lincoln Lawyer

Mickey Haller is a Los Angeles defense lawyer who conducts business out of his Lincoln Town Car. His practices sometimes bend the rules of ethics, and his clients are often unsavory. However, when a bail bondsman calls Mickey to hook him up with a "franchise" client - someone who will pay top dollar for his services - Mickey thinks he may actually have an innocent client. His fear has always been that he wouldn't recognize innocence when he saw it. Maybe Louis Roulette will be the client that answers that question for him.

There is a reason Michael Connelly is as well-respected in the genre of crime fiction as he is. He consistently publishes fresh plots, dynamic characters, and excellent suspense. The Lincoln Lawyer is no different.

Mickey Haller is the type of character who completely baffles me. He's a despicable lawyer. He epitomizes all the stereotypes and lawyer jokes. There is no doubt he's in this business for the money. But, this book is told from the first person point of view and you get insight into Haller's thoughts, which aren't always despicable. It's almost as if there's a disconnect in his character. He adores his daughter; he doesn't think twice about agreeing to take her to the mall for the Build-A-Bear store. He still loves his ex-wife and goes to bat for her when a fellow prosecutor tries to feed her to the wolves when she isn't around. In the end, I don't think there's actually a disconnect in his character, so much as he's part of a spectrum of good and evil. He's a human...an America, after the America dream; he's competitive and driven. Maggie, his ex-wife, may be a little closer to the good end of the continuum. Whereas the bikers, maybe they're a little closer to the evil end of the continuum. And then there's the far end of the continuum, pure evil.

Connelly is true to form with his signature plot twists. I can't say every part of it was jaw-dropping surprises, but at the same time, I wasn't predicting much. There was an element of the plot that bothered me at the end, but I don't want to give away anything to anyone who is further behind in their reading than me and hasn't already devoured this book. It is a bit of a knit-picky thing anyway; nothing that ruins that book as a whole.

While I haven't read Connellly's entire bibliography, he hasn't let me down, yet. Another great crime caper.

I listened to this book on audio, so I'll mention briefly that Adam Grupper read this book. I'm familiar with him from television. He was decent, but he's a person who puts a lot of stress on ending consonant sounds and consonant blends. That tends to bother me; the sound is just one of those fingernails on the chalkboard type irritations for me. But overall he did a very nice job with the reading.

Chasing Darkness

Robert Crais' new Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novel, Chasing Darkness, comes out July 1st. If you had a softcover copy of The Watchman, this excerpt was printed at the end. If not, check it out at RC's website. It's gonna be another great book!

Excuses, Excuses...

I was really disappointed to see this article today on the USAToday website. It says that students claim they have too much homework, too much distraction and are too tired to read for fun. Now, first of all I have to say that I use to teach for a living, and the vast majority of my students in both the urban AND suburban districts that I was in didn't do the homework I assigned! And I know I wasn't the only teacher with this issue...so homework is a hard excuse for me to swallow. The distraction part...not so much. Too many kids are parked for FAR TOO LONG in front of their TVs, computers and video games.

The statement that really burned me was the one where they tried to say they can't find anything good they want to read. I don't have enough time to read all the fabulous stuff that's out there. And there is definitely something for everyone. How many of those kids have visited their public libraries lately?

Here's the biggest question that wasn't answered in this survey...how many of those kids who aren't reading for fun have parents who aren't reading for fun? Look at the influence list in the side bar - where do kids get their ideas for what to read? NUMBER ONE - MOM! We adults have to set the example!

So, all you parents out there, take advantage of your library this summer and sign your sons and daughters up for the summer reading programs. Get them on the right track! I believe the Half Price Bookstore has a summer reading promotion going on, too. If there is one in your neighborhood, check it out!Let's stop making excuses and get these kids on the right track!

This and That...

Chelsea over at The Page Flipper was tagged and answered these questions on her blog. Chelsea doesn't know me from Adam, but I loved the questions and thought I would answer them myself on MY blog, so here goes:

Who's your all-time favorite author and why?

This is a difficult question for several reasons. One is that I enjoy books in different genres and to compare the authors wouldn't be fair. If one is good in suspense, he/she might be terrible in historical fiction. I may love one author because his/her voice is amazing whereas another author may be exceptionally witty. That being said, my favorite crime fiction writer would have to be Robert Crais. Robert Parker and Harlan Coben are very close seconds, but Elvis and Joe are embedded in my soul now; I just love them. Crais' work on a bad day is better than a lot of people's best work on a good day. I would have to say Pat Conroy is probably my favorite when it comes to general fiction. My classic lit favorite would have to be Charles Dickens.

Who was your first favorite author and why?

That one was a bit easier. Beverly Cleary was definitely my first favorite. At least she was my favorite when I was old enough to understand the concept of an author. I adored Ramona and Ralph and Ribsy and Henry...She just brought everything to life, and she didn't try to make a perfect little world in her books; it was life as I knew it. I probably didn't understand that when I was reading her books, but I think that's what drew me to them. Not long after Beverly Cleary was Judy Blume. Can't leave her out.

Who's the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors and why?

Well, I feel like most all my favorites are recent additions because I just started reading more popular fiction since I stopped teaching a couple years ago. But, MOST recently has been Gregg Hurwitz, Lisa Unger and Thomas Holland. I recently finished Unger and Holland's first books and they were outstanding. Hurwitz is a little more established, but my first read of his was The Crime Writer. It will be one of my top 10 reads for 2008, no doubt about it. They are all great suspense writers...Thomas Holland is phenomenal with character development. Lisa Unger created a fantastic female protagonist in Beautiful Lies. And Gregg Hurwitz's approach to The Crime Writer was unique and THRILLING! They are all definitely authors I'm going to stick with.

If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?

Ready? Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Robert Parker, Michael Koryta, Kathy Reichs, Linda Fairstein, Alafair Burke, James Lee Burke, Dennis Lehane, Pat Conroy, Lisa Unger, Thomas Holland, Karin Slaughter, Gregg Hurwitz.

Are there any you'd add on after further reflection?

Oh, can't forget Michael Connelly, T. Jefferson Parker and Ross Macdonald.

So, there you have it! Before I go today, I want to point your attention over to the right-hand margin to the sign-up icon I added. I just discovered this Bloglines thing. It's pretty nifty. I use to have a service that sent me an e-mail each morning telling me what blogs had been updated from those I had registered. They combined with another group, and I never got anymore information. But then I found this Bloglines and it's very similar, but I go to the site and look at my registered blogs and it lets me know in one glance where updates have been made. I can look at them there or go to the actual site. Pretty nifty!

I've also been nosing around in other book blogs, so I'll probably be adding some of those links to my book links pretty soon. Let me know if you know of any great book bloggers. I love to hear what other people are saying about books!

Happy Reading!

Shutter Island

In Shutter Island, Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall, and his new partner Chuck Aule are headed to Shutter Island to investigate an escape. Shutter Island houses Ashecliffe Hospital, an asylum for the mentally insane who have committed violent crimes, and a female patient/inmate has escaped and is running loose on the island. But Teddy Daniels has an alternate reason for taking the assignment. He has learned through a twist of fate, that the man who set fire to his apartment complex, killing Teddy's wife, is housed in this very same institution. Teddy has managed to convince a senator that unethical research on humans is taking place here, so Teddy is given the recovery assignment so he can come in and covertly find evidence of this practice. Teddy is determined to find his wife's killer and exact his own justice - ethical or otherwise.

Dennis Lehane NEVER ceases to amaze me with the gift he has. He evokes so much emotion from his readers...simply by the way he strings his words together to make sentences and paragraphs. For example, right off the bat in the prologue the reader is painted this incredible picture:

"If time for me really is a series of bookmarks, then I feel as if someone has shaken the book and those yellowed slips of paper, torn matchbook covers and flattened coffee stirrers have fallen to the floor, and the dog-eared flaps have been pressed smooth."

Later in the novel, Rachel says, "...the dreams often stringing together and piggybacking off one another until they come to resemble a novel written by Picasso."

A novel written by Picasso? Who can't imagine that? And every person's image is going to be different, but they are all going to be "abstract."

Both of these quotes epitomize the utter chaos of the insane mind. And in a way, the whole book epitomizes the insane mind. But when you come to the conclusion, it isn't chaos at all; it's a well-formed, intricately layered plot. Every element works significantly and essentially with every other element.

The other looming theme in this book is violence. Is violence truly bad? Or is it an element of us all as the Warden impresses upon Teddy?

God's gift...His violence...God loves violence...Why else would there be so much of it? It's in us. It comes out of us. It is what we do more naturally than we breathe. We wage war. We burn sacrifices. We pillage and tear at the flesh of our brothers. We fill great fields with our stinking dead. And why? To show Him that we've learned from His example...God gives us earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes. He gives us
mountains that spew fire onto our heads. Oceans that swallow ships. He gives us nature, and nature is a smiling killer. He gives us disease so that in our death we believe He gave us orifices only so that we could feel our life bleed out of them. He gave us lust and fury and greed and our filthy hearts. So that we could wage violence in His honor. There is no moral order as pure as this storm we've just seen. There is no moral order at all. There is only this - can my violence conquer yours?

A savage hurricane is the backdrop for the four days of this novel, providing the evidence of Nature's violence. And Teddy comes to the island as a peace-keeper, a law enforcer. But he has a hidden agenda to avenge his wife. Is the warden really that far off base? And in a time when we are in a perpetual state of war ourselves, how can we deny his belief? Aren't we as a people illustrating just that?

If having a phenomenal plot wasn't enough, the character development is outstanding. The range of emotion I felt for Dr. Crawley and Chuck was a range I've rarely experienced with reading. And one I've NEVER experienced with stage or screen performances. Teddy will in all likelihood have to be added to my list of favorite characters. The depth of Teddy's character comes out in his own internal conflict, in his reaction to external conflict and it even comes out through other characters. I cannot detail much more than that without giving spoilers aways, so I'll leave characterization at that.

Despite my raves about the plot and characters, there was one element that was even better...the perspective. Lehane gave this book the perfect voice. It wouldn't have been as suspenseful any other way.

In Shutter Island, I felt big bear arms wrap around me and pull me in; I could not put this book down. Every time I thought I started to grasp what was going on, a new twist evolved. And it wasn't a twist that made you think, "oh pahleeeaze! can he go any more overboard?" It was a twist that made you think, "Holy Cow! I didn't even see that coming, but it was there!" His twists are so convincing and so amazingly weaved into the fabric of the plot, that you start to be on guard. When the conclusion actually started to play out, I was still waiting for another twist. Isn't that what suspense is supposed to be about?

This novel is nothing short of fabulous! A movie version is in the works for 2009. If you haven't already, get out and read this book BEFORE Hollywood butchers it. No movie would be capable of doing Lehane's work justice on this book. It will most definitely make my top 10 for 2008.

Disappointment...

Robert Crais posted his tour schedule for the release of Chasing Darkness. I'm very disappointed, though, because the closest to me he's going to be is five hours away in Illinois. He'll be in Pennsylvania, too, but his appearance there is almost in Philadelphia.

If gas prices weren't so stinking high, I would make the five hour trip to Illinois. I don't mind the idea of the drive and the appearance is on a Sunday. I'd definitely do it to see R.C., but I just can't afford that. Blast this present economy! Guess I'm going to have to wait until next April when I'm still hoping to visit my sister in California and attend the L.A. Times Book Festival.

Well, I hope YOU can make one of his appearances!! Check out the schedule!

Happy Reading!!

All I Want For Christmas Is This...

...filled with all the books from my "wish" list. Is this great, or what? I want one! A co-worker sent an e-mail that was labeled "new products", and this was one of them.



I found out this week that I won Lisa Unger's book contest. How exciting is that? It means I will be receiving signed, first editions of each of her three books. What an outstanding prize!



Finally got Shutter Island (Dennis Lehane) started. It was supposed to be the book I read in May that I "already own". For those of you reading this who are not familiar with my 2008 book goals, I have two. One is to read 150 books in 2008, and the other is to read at least one book I owned prior to January 2008 every month this year. I'm behind on the 150 books, but I'm not disappointed on that front. I've been on a roll with absolutely high-quality books lately, and I'll take that over quantity ANY day. And I was doing good on the "already own" goal until May. I didn't get Shutter Island in for May. So, it was bumped to June. If I can fit Atonement in also this month, I'll do so; otherwise, it will be moved to July. I'll update when I finish Atonement. The planned schedule after Atonement had been Water for Elephants, I Know This Much is True, The Thirteenth Tale and The Black Ice - see why I need to read some of the books I already own?? I may move a Karin Slaughter or Alafair Burke book up on the list because they both have new books coming out later this summer, but we'll see.

For now, it is a beautiful evening here in Northeast Ohio, so I'm going to take Shutter Island out to my front porch swing and enjoy both my book and the weather. Happy Reading!

Random House/Zogby Poll

Sam over at The Book Chase turned me on to this poll that the folks over at Random House/Zogby conducted. I found it quite interesting. I won't talk about everything they covered on the poll...it was quite extensive, but I will highlight some of the areas I was most intrigued with.

Most people in the poll said they go to the bookstore with a specific purchase in mind but are tempted to buy other books once there - guilty! I don't frequent the big stores like Barnes and Nobel or Borders, but when I do go there, I'm going with a specific book in mind and almost always end up with more than I was going for. When I go to the Half-Price bookstore, I go with my list of books I already own and then just browse for a good long while, checking to make sure I'm not buying anything I already own. On occasion I look for something specific there, but I never go "needing" to be a specific book.

So, then they asked what motivates folks to buy a book while browsing in the bookstore. Most said "subject" was the most important. Followed by "author" and then "title." What makes people want to buy a book? Recommendations from friends or family members. I would have to say that authors will attract me to a book when I'm browsing - there are a bunch of authors that I will read whatever they write...if I recognize an author who has provided a blurb, I'll read the book jacket. That's always the deciding factor...if the book SOUNDS good to me, so I guess that would fall under the "subject" category, huh? Titles and cover art are of no importance to me. Recommendations from others I talk books with often leads me to check out new books, but I'm usually more inclined to borrow those from the library.

I liked the question about what book people would recommend to the next president if he called and couldn't sleep. To be honest with you, it would really depend on who is the next president. I can tell you that if the present president called ME and wanted a book recommendation, I'd probably be inclined to hang up on him...

Here were some bullet point stats they included:

Most said they typically read just one book at a time, but a sizable 40% said they usually are reading between two and four books at once. Another 3% said they generally read more than four books at one time.

While 19% said they borrow most of the books they read from the library, the vast majority of Americans (78%) said they own most of the books they read. And while 71% are quick to loan books to friends, just 32% said they are in the habit of borrowing books from friends.

Respondents were also asked to own up to their bad reading habits - 35% admit to folding over the pages, while 13% confess to sneaking a peek at the ending before finishing a book. Just 6% divulged that they have neglected to return a library book.

Two in three respondents (68%) said they typically read a book just once, but 18% said they usually go back for a second read and 10% generally read a book three times or more. Once a book has been read, most respondents said it goes back on their shelf at home (57%), but others are more likely part ways once they finish - 20% usually pass books on to a friend or family member, while 14% give them away and just 3% said they typically sell their books once their done reading them.

When respondents were asked what type of book would best represent their life, 20% said it would be humor, while 16% said satire and 13% said their life would be an inspirational book. The survey also shows respondents are more likely to purchase the most books for themselves than for family members or as gifts. On average, 39% of respondents said they purchase between one and five books per year for themselves, while 26% buy between six and 10, 14% between 11 and 15 - 22% buy 16 or more books per year for themselves. When it comes to purchasing books for family members, 51% said they buy one to five books per year, 23% six to 10 and 9% buy 11 to 15 - 18% buy 16 or more books per year for family members. Nearly three in four (73%) respondents said they typically purchase between one and five books per year as gifts, 19% buy six to 10 books as gifts and 4% buy 11 to 15 - just 4% said they buy 16 or more books as gifts per year.

I own a lot of my books, but I borrow a great deal from the library also. I tend to borrow far more audiobooks than I own. I usually have three books going at one time (one that I'm reading, one in the CD player of my car and one on my mp3 player - sometimes I have a fourth in my stereo in the house). I have to admit to being protective of my books. I only loan them out when I'm confident I will get them back...and in as good of condition as I loaned them out in. I'd rather buy someone their own copy than chance losing mine! I don't peak at the end of a book; I NEVER dog ear pages and I've always returned what I borrow from the library. I do, however, write in my books...some people view that as a bad habit. I re-read books that are worthy...and I save the ones I love. Others I will pass on to friends and family or take to a resale shop. (And yes, that misspelling was in the article - that wasn't me). I had to chuckle at the question about buying books...in just my last visit to Half-Price, I bought nine books. I probably buy between 6 and 10 each year for my niece and nephew...I buy books for my dad, my brother-in-law, and my sister for at least one occasion a year...I just can't imagine a better gift!

Very interesting...what would your responses have been?

Happy reading!

More New Authors...

for me anyway. I finished reading the Mystery Writers of America short story collection, The Blue Religion, and Thomas Holland's One Drop of Blood.

The Blue Religion is a collection of police procedural short stories. When I started reading, I knew four authors who contributed to the collection. Now, having finished reading, I've added several of these authors to my "to read" list.

T. Jefferson Parker was true to form with his "Skinhead Central". I found a sly smile on my face as I finished up his story. Parker has a way of reminding you that there are bad things all around us; so when we find the "good" things, they seem so much greater.

Michael Connelly edited the collection and contributed a short story with his beloved Harry Bosch, "Father's Day". I almost expected to hear the Law & Order "dun dun!" because this story was a "ripped from the headlines" plot. You can't help but love Harry.

Alafair Burke's short story "Winning" was outstanding. When I first started the story, I was a bit jolted by the plot. I simply wasn't expecting it. But, I loved how she made use of gender stereotypes and blurred the lines by the conclusion of the story. This is one talented writer whether it be in short form or novel-length.

James O. Born contributed a story entitled "The Drought". I read one of Born's full novels and wasn't overly impressed, but this short story was probably one of my favorites in the book. I thought his main character, Ben, had a lot of dimension to him. I enjoyed the conflict both internal and external in his character.

And finally, "Burying Mr. Henry" was my favorite story of the book. I had not heard of Polly Nelson before this short story, and she's actually only published a few other short stories, but this was an O.Henry-caliber story. The characters were colorful, as was the setting. I hope we see more from Polly Nelson

Novels consume the biggest percentage of my reading time, but it was an enjoyable experience to take a break and indulge in these short stories. Kind of a form of instant gratification almost.

Thomas Holland's crime fiction novel, One Drop of Blood, involves Kel, an anthropologist from the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii (CILHI) and Mike Levine, a black-sheep FBI agent from New York City. The two characters find themselves in small-town east Arkansas trying to solve their respective cases that seem to be somehow intertwined. Kel has unidentified remains from Vietnam that don't match either of the possible men they could be, but the DNA from the remains connect to an unsolved, 40-year-old murder case that Levine is investigating.

I thought this book was absolutely outstanding. I listened to it on audiobook, read by Patrick Lawlor. He was phenomenal. I believe he is my favorite audiobook reader to date. He truly made the book come alive. He handled the subtle innuendos well; he nailed the dialects; and he somehow managed to make his female characters sound realistic and not like a male in drag.

The regional colloquialisms in this novel were hysterical. And the dynamics of all the characters were exceptionally well developed. His characters were human, and that I admire above all else in a good story. The interaction between Kel and Levine contributed to the humor of the story, but it also contributed to the realism. No character was completely lovable or completely detestable. They were real people with quirks and flaws and strengths.

The setting was so realistic, I almost found myself scratching jigger bites, too.

Holland made me laugh, he tugged at my heart strings, and he kept me guessing. I did figure a few details out early, but there were plenty of surprises awaiting me throughout the well-focused plot. I don't recall any elements throughout this novel that I felt could have been safely eliminated without harming the story.

I am DEFINITELY looking forward to Thomas Holland's next book.

An Awesome Blogger!

I was doing some googling this weekend and came across this awesome book blog that I wanted to share with you. This man, Sam "Houston" really sees a lot of book news. I learned so much reading his blog...it pulled me in and I had to read every entry on the page. I added several books to my Goodreads "to read" list and learned several things as well.

He had one entry with a link to Edgar nominees and winners. I bookmarked that so I can check into some of those books. As I mentioned earlier I just started reading T. Jefferson Parker, but holy cow, he's on the list as a winner several times! However, I do have to say that the site of The Yiddish Policeman's Union on the nominee list for best book still turns my stomach. That book was so horrible - for me anyway. Yeesh!

And I saw Michael Koryta's listing as a nominee for best first book (Tonight I Said Goodbye). I have to read the book that won, because it must be something else to have beat Tonight. I'm sure Michael will be listed in the near future for that Best Book category, though...and winner will be next to his name!

I'm definitely going to be checking out Sam's blog on a regular basis!

Happy Reading!!