Empire - John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard

First line: "The predators circled, each taking a turn to snarl at her, some more vicious than others, but every one determined to take their piece of flesh."

**NOTE: if you plan to read this series in order and have not yet read Conquest, you may want to save this review for later so as not to spoil your experience with the first book of the trilogy.


The second book in John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard's Chronicles of the Invaders young adult series picks up after Syl and her best friend, Ani, have been sent to the Marque and the Nairene Sisterhood. Paul and his brother, Steven, were shipped off to the Illyri Brigades to fight.

Light years apart, Syl and Paul are both learning about the alien organism that Archmage Syrene of the Sisterhood infected Syl's father with. And both teens are determined to do whatever may be in their powers to fight back against the evil Illyri forces.

The audiobook of Empire is remarkably narrated by Nicola Barber. The cast of this trilogy and their various locations in space have anything but common names. Barber breezes through the pronunciations allowing them to naturally blend into the narrative while bringing out the strong personalities of characters. This is especially important in the Novice girls on the Marque. Their personalities range from naive to petty to downright cruel and Barber is attuned to the subtle differences in each. Much like a clique of high school girls, the Novices use the group mentality to wield power, and listeners will easily envision the distinct body language of callous adolescent girls.

The gifted Novices also have "special" talents. Their training on the Marque helps them hone these skills so that they can ultimately become part of the Nairene army and continue the evil reign of terror. This seasoned evil is present in the older members of Nairene, and Barber is just as adept with Grandmage Oriel's chilling malevolence as she is with Ani's innocent reverence.

Off the Marque, Barber is tasked with the slight dialect differences of the Brigade soldiers, in addition to their unique personalities. As Connolly and Ridyard develop an unusual bond between the rag-tag group of conscripted soldiers, listeners connect with them and ride along in their space odyssey.

Barber is keen to changes in the plot's pacing and intensity, adjusting for boosts through wormholes, covert investigations of the Marque and all the creepy, crawly, deadly creatures that rear their heads throughout the book. Empire is a bit more dark and graphic than Conquest.

The series is engrossing and will captivate the young adult science fiction fans, possibly those looking for alternatives to Star Wars or V. For the readers who may struggle more than others, the audiobook version is a great option to engage them in an exciting fantasy world where they can discover the magic of story. Stellar readers can also take away a good deal from this recording as Barber tickles the imagination and ignites the creativity of her audience.

Empire is available as an unabridged audiobook download (ISBN: 9781442376540) from Simon & Schuster Audio. Empire is also available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781476757155) from Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

       

Book Swag

I'm in the midst of a "life project" I guess you could say. I'm working on de-cluttering my house. I've lived here for almost 14 years now and I've managed to accumulate too much stuff. So each weekend I've been putting in time working on sorting through my belongings and finding things that just don't need to be here anymore. I've made many donation bags, recycle bags and trash bags (less of the latter thankfully). Anyway, as I've been going through things a lot of promotional or incentive type items connected to books have been striking my notice. I think because it's harder for me to decide if I should keep them or not. They're nifty and some have sentimental meaning to me, so it's not as easy to part with as say an old t-shirt or a gazillion pens and pencils!

Anyway, you'll probably hear more about that project later because I've also been reading some books in connection with my efforts--this is serious stuff, y'all! But today I wanted to talk about the book swag because some of it is pretty creative. With the mountain of competition for people's reading time, some authors (or their publicists/marketing people/whoever) are coming up with innovative ways to draw attention to their books. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Lou Berney made playing cards for Gutshot Straight (a poker term). The pictures on the cards correlate to details in the book--if I had the whole set I'd invite you over to play Spades:

2. A cute little cinch sack has Rosemary Harris' Dirty Business Mystery, Dead Head, screened on it. I'm using it currently to hold my knitting project. Very handy!

3. Coffee and tea! I won the coffee at Ben Winters' Cleveland book event. It's Hank Palace Blend from White Mountain Gourmet Coffee. Cool that they supported Ben's books like that. And the tea is from a xuni client, Chrysler Szarlan. Tea Trekker created a special blend of tea to go along with her debut novel, The Hawley Book of the Dead.

4. Craig Johnson has a number of fun items in what he refers to as the "Walt Mart." The bumper sticker and license plate adorn the Longmire section of my personal library. And I haven't found the right place for the Boy Howdy sticker, yet, but Steamboat hangs from my car's rearview mirror.

5. Some folks go for music. Both Meg Gardiner and John Connolly have put together soundtracks to their books.

6. And of course, I can't not mention Robert Crais' Maggie tennis ball or Joe Pike temporary tattoos. I figure this next book has been delayed because they're trying to come up with a promo item to top those!

These are a few of my personal gems. How about you? Do you have book swag that you especially prize? What creative ways have you found authors promoting their books?

2014 Favorite Covers & First Lines

Well, it's hard to believe it, but it's that time of year again. Time to sum up the year in reading with my favorites lists. For those who may be new to the blog this year end, I have foregone the use of the term "best" because the connotation indicates there is a standard or rubric that makes the selection objective, when in reality all of these lists--no matter who they are compiled by--are completely subjective and dependent on the choosers' tastes and interests. So my lists are "favorite lists."

I had hoped to integrate some stats from what blog readers also liked this year, but the responses were too few to offer anything up in that realm. Maybe next year?

As for my favorites in the categories of covers and first lines, here are those that rocked my reading world for 2014:

FAVORITE COVERS

5.  A Better World (Marcus Sakey): I think you'll notice a running theme of simplicity in my favorite covers. In addition to A Better World's cover having a connection with the first in the trilogy, it screams a big meaning in a subtle use of art. The only thing that would have improved this cover is a more subtle use of the blurb--preferably moving it to the back cover.

4. Roosevelt's Beast (Louis Bayard): The rich layered approach of Bayard's writing is epitomized in the dimension of this cover. His atmosphere and setting are nailed.  The minimalistic use of color gives each hue strength in the overall arrangement. The font choice for the title builds the suspense before readers even crack the cover. And the wording is limited to the title and author--how wonderfully refreshing.

3. Conquest (John Connolly & Jennie Redyard): I absolutely love the use of shape and light in this cover. It exudes so many elements of the novel: the blending of cultures, the sci-fi genre, they mysterious and unknown, as well as the strong connection to basics of the planet. Again, I think the simplistic color scheme adds strength to each shade and highlight.

2. The Global War on Morris (Steve Israel): This is a very late entry for 2014. The book comes out tomorrow and you'll hear more about it after my review runs in Shelf Awareness, but this cover has a less subtle use of color which is perfect for this political satire. The stark contrast between the elements in this composition are bold and loud and funny, just like the points Israel makes inside the book.

1. The Intern's Handbook (Shane Kuhn): I listened to this audiobook for Audiofile Magazine and much like The Global War on Morris, the colors of this cover are minimal but they are bold and jump out at the viewer. The composition of the cover is brilliant and intricately tied to the plot. I can't help but love a cover that makes a concerted effort to accurately tie into the novel it's representing.  Kudos to Simon and Schuster on this beauty!

FAVORITE FIRST LINES:

5.  Talk by Michael Smerconish: "Fire, tits and sharks are TV gold."

4. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix: "It was dawn, and the zombies were stumbling through the parking lot, streaming toward the massive beige box at the far end."

3. Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz: "Terror came as a vibration, a plucked-wire note more felt than heard, primary to the deadening heat, to the flick of unseen insects against her face, to the oppressive night humidity that pressed into her pores."

2. Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta: "On the last day of Jace Wilson's life, the thirteen-year-old stood on a quarry ledge staring at cool, still water and finally understood something his mother had told him years before: Trouble might come for you when you showed fear, but trouble doubled-down when you lied about it."

1. The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke: "The moose head was fixed to the wall, the microphone in its mouth was broken, but the camera in its left eye was working just fine, and as far as the moose head could see, this was just another Friday night in the Lumber Lodge!"

What covers and first lines tickled your fancy this year? Share with us in the comments, we'd love to know. Tomorrow I'll have my favorite debuts and favorite audiobooks for 2014. See you then!

Conquest - John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard

First line: "In the beginning was the wormhole."

In my continued quest to cover crime genre books for younger readers as well as adults, I picked up the newest U.S. publication from John Connolly and his partner, Jennifer Ridyard. Not only did I find a book that is great for older young adults, but I was transported (possibly through the wormhole?) back to my own youth, the last time I enjoyed a sci-fi adventure like this. I let go of reality's gravitational pull and entered the world of Conquest, the first book in the Chronicles of the Invaders series.

Conquest opens on a very different Earth than our own. It has been invaded and is now controlled by an advanced life form not unlike humans, the Illyri. Across the planet a human organization known as The Resistance is battling to take back control of Earth. 

Meanwhile, within the ranks of the Illyri, there is unrest. The species is divided into the Military and the Diplomatic Corps who are constantly battling each other for the upper hand. 

Syl Hellais is the first Illyri born on Earth. She's also the daughter of Governor Andrus, the Illyri Military leader on Earth. When Syl and her friend Ani slip out of the castle in disguise on Syl's 16th birthday, they have no idea that it's a turning point in both of their lives. The girls encounter two human brothers, Paul and Steven, just before a bomb explodes on the Royal Mile. The brothers help the girls escape the scene unharmed and both Syl and Ani believe the encounter to be the end of their connection to the human boys.

But fate had other plans. Paul and Steven are both members of The Resistance. So they are prime targets to be framed for the bombing when they witness secret activity conducted by the Illyri Diplomatic Corps. The brothers are hauled in by the Securitat--the law enforcement group within the Diplomatic Corps--and sentenced to hang by Grand Consul Gradus, who has conveniently arrived on Earth to inform Governor Andrus of the Illyri President's death. This is essentially the end of Andrus' leadership and he finds himself powerless to undo the death sentence on the two boys.

Since Andrus is powerless to help Paul and Steven, Syl and Ani agree they will have to do it. And thus begins their life-altering odyssey.

While Conquest technically takes place on the same planet we inhabit, Connolly and Ridyard still managed to build an entirely new world in which to tell their story. The blending of Earth's geography and history with fictional technology, species, and governance gives the book a mystical element, almost a shift in dimension.

And through the enjoyment of this fantastical world come strong universal themes dealing with differences, conflict and ethics.

The differences in species can easily be translated to any kind of difference: race, religion, ethnicity. The lack of understanding and the unwillingness to try is the greatest enemy.

The conflict occurring between species and within species is symbolic of every range of human conflict from wars between nations to spats between individuals. The repeated message of taking the high road and doing the right thing instead of the easy thing reverberates through levels of the plot.

Technology plays a large role in the novel, so the ethical use also comes into play. As does the ethics of power and hierarchy.

Finally, a big part of Conquest is the idea of identity and one's true self.

Conquest is an exciting, action-packed adventure. The plot, populated with intensely memorable characters--both good and bad--will keep readers engaged for its well over 400 pages. The disappointment of the end will be mollified by the fact this is only Book 1 in the series; there is more to come. The added bonus is the rich and multiple layers of the story as well as the universal relevance of its themes.

If you have an older young adult around, I do recommend Conquest, quite highly. But I also recommend that if you're going to get them a copy, buy it early so you can read it yourself first...or buy your own copy as well. This is most definitely a book that can be enjoyed by all.

Conquest is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781476757124) from Emily Bestler/Atria Books and as an unabridged audio (ISBN: 9781442369078) narrated by Nicola Barber from Simon & Schuster Audio. Below is an audio excerpt for your listening pleasure!

The Creeps - John Connolly

First line: "In a small terraced house in the English town of Biddlecombe, a birthday party was underway."

Just in time for Halloween, John Connolly's third book in his Samuel Johnson series is available in the United States. This is my first outing with Samuel and his little dog Boswell, and I was chastised for it in the book's footnotes (yes, really, footnotes--you'll love them!)

"An adventure described in The Infernals, available from all good bookshops and some bad ones. If you haven't read it, please find a copy and turn to the second footnote in Chapter One, which will wag a finger disapprovingly at you for picking up the later books in a series without first reading the earlier ones."

I will pick up The Infernals because I had so much fun with The Creeps! I also plan to push these books into the hands of my niece and nephew. The Creeps--the series--is really great fun for readers of all ages.

Samuel, Boswell and Lucy are attending the grand opening of a new toy shop taking over the long vacated Wreckit & Son's building. But an atmosphere of trouble is brewing everywhere, so what should be a joyous occasion has a foreboding air.

In the sweet shop that is actually a not-so-secret laboratory, the new tea boy is witnessing ghosts. Dan and his Dwarfs have been hired to work as elves at the opening of the Wreckit & Sons toy shop. And the Hilary Mould statue is moving from place to place throughout Biddlecombe. Add to that a voice in the wall of Wreckit & Sons and Crudford scouring the Multiverse for Mrs. Abernathy's atoms and you have the building blocks of an adventure suitable for Hell.

The Creeps is chock full of delightful elements. I mentioned the footnotes but it also has playful chapter titles, illustrations and plenty of smart humor. From metaphors as witty as

"...said Professor Stefan in the tone of a man who has just discovered a large hole in his bucket of patience, and is now considering hitting someone over the head with the bucket,..."

to descriptions as vivid as

"'What we're looking for is a big, black, rotten heart-shaped thingy filled with nastiness.'"

the writing is both intelligent and whimsical. And underneath that whimsy is a fantastic depth of character and plot. With The Creeps, there's no having to choose which element of story you prefer because both are so deftly defined. The ideas of the Multiverse and Hell and the alignment of everything are complex and intriguing. While the relationships aren't confined to humans. They go beyond to all kind of beings, acknowledging the plausibility of compassion and empathy between those who aren't exactly the same.

While October is a perfect time for The Creeps to come out, and it would make a great treat for your favorite ghost or goblin's Halloween bag, it's a fantastically wonderful reading experience any time. And yes, Earth may have "become unmoored from reality" but really, can't we all benefit from a little unmooring from time to time?

The Creeps is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1476757094) from Emily Bestler Books (Atria) and also on unabridged audio (ISBN: 978-1442368705) from Simon and Schuster Audio, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds.

Five on Friday - Martyn Waites

Happy Friday friends! I hope you all had a nice week. We've been having some grand weather here in Northeast Ohio so I'm trying to take advantage of it. The wicked white stuff will be here before we know it, so I've got to enjoy while I can.

Speaking of enjoy, I'm finishing up John Connolly's The Creeps, and while I've been chastised--via footnotes, no less--in the book for reading it out of order, I'm loving it. So funny and rather appropriate for the time of year. Another addition to my younger reader coverage. More to come on that, but what are you reading that's really great right now?

If you're pondering the what to read question, of course you can always look at the reviews here. I love when you find something that piques your interest, but in addition, Pop Culture Nerd has the Nerdy Special List for October posted. You can see what I'm recommending for October (in addition to The Creeps, of course). I'll also be catching up on more reviews next week and FINALLY getting to the last Bouchercon report. I know, I'm so slow. I apologize.

How about some contests for this week?

Criminal Element has a variety of contests going on for all ages, so check out the sweepstakes page.

And Friday Reads has a couple of nice books you can win this week as well.

O.k. on to the fun stuff. I was very persistent because I reeeeeeeally wanted Martyn Waites to participate in Five on Friday. I'm such a fan of his work writing both as Martyn and with his wife as Tania Carver. So I'm over the moon that he's hanging out today.

Later this month Martyn has a book releasing in the U.K. that is a pretty big deal. He was wrangled in to write the sequel to Susan Hill's The Woman in Black. So his addition is The Woman in Black: Angel of Death. He's also the author of the Joe Donovan crime series, the Stephen Larkin crime series, and as Tania Carver he writes the Brennan and Esposito series.

Martyn has also worked as an actor and he has narrated his Joe Donovan books. So if you want to experience a little of Martyn's sound, you can do so that way. But for now, I'm thrilled to share with your his responses for Five on Friday:

Martyn looks pretty happy here!

The TV show I absolutely can’t miss is Breaking Bad. It’s the best thing on TV. Acting, directing, writing, everything. Set design, costume, the lot. The nearest thing to a perfect piece of drama I’ve ever seen.

Happiness is something other people seem to have the knack of doing. I’m kind of melancholic by nature but I try to hide it well. I thought that being a published writer would make me happy. But every step on the journey just brought a new set of obstacles to climb over.

My favorite vegetable is parsnip. Do you have them in the States? I’m sure you do. Root vegetable, like a yellow carrot but beautiful when they’re honey roasted.

The fictional character that most reflects my personality is Batman. Not so much for the dressing up and hitting people, but more for the taking bad experiences and trying to turn them into something positive. Or at least chathartic.

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is get the next novel written. Very, very boring I know. But if I don’t get it written then I can’t come out to play. That’s it. I don’t actually have a bucket list. Honest. I know people want to swim with dolphins and all that but I’m not that way inclined. 

Well then, I'm off to find some parsnips. I hope you've enjoyed Martyn's contribution to our fun series. Thanks so much to Martyn for not throttling me for my persistence and for sharing with us today.

Hope you all have a super wonderful weekend. And I hope you have great books to keep you company. Ta-ta!

Bouchercon - the end

As promised, I'll wrap up my Bouchercon weekend and pictures today. Before I get to that, if you'd like to check out an interview that's a little different for me, yesterday Shelf Awareness for Readers ran my interview with Simon Winchester who just published a book called SKULLS. Yes, that's correct, skulls, craniums, brain casings....whatever you want to call them, that's what this book is about. And it's essentially a coffee table book, so lots and lots of pictures of skulls. Mostly animal skulls, by the way. It really was a most fascinating interview, though.

Saturday started out with my second panel moderating and that panel was "Mysteries Made in the Midwest." I had a superb line-up of authors: Carla Buckley, Sharon Fiffer, Michael Harvey and John Rector. I have to admit that when I was first asked to moderate this panel, my thought was, "what the heck are we going to talk about with a topic like that?" But it actually turned out to be engaging and interesting because I had fab panelists. We talked about how the weather came into play in several of the authors' works. We addressed how Michael's setting in Chicago differed from the stereotypical "Midwest." And we talked about how the characters might be shaped and influenced by the Midwest. And the audience was extremely fun as well. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to be a part of the panel.

By the way, if anyone was there and took pictures of that panel, I'd really like to see them. 

The other panel I attended on Saturday was the "Heroes and Villains" panel. This panel I will admit was a bit on the disappointing side for me. I love all the authors who were on the panel: Mark Billingham, Martyn Waites, Karin Slaughter, Alafair Burke, and John Connolly, but I think I was expecting more - or maybe different. Some of the highlights though:

Alafair Burke and John Connolly

John Connolly mentioned that his hero is James Lee Burke, which made Alafair, sitting next to him, grin and maybe blush a little. Karin Slaughter said John was her hero for asking her to interview him for the Toastmaster interview. Martyn Waites' heroes are the people he worked with when he worked in the prison system. His appreciation of what they accomplished was very evident. I hope to sit down with Martyn some time and talk about his experiences working in the prison. They sound very interesting.

Karin Slaughter and Alafair Burke

Appropriate for the celebration of Banned Books Week, Martyn pointed out that he views people who ban books as villains.

Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites

John Connolly dislikes the animosity toward printed books. Personally, I've not really experienced that animosity. I've seen more animosity toward ereaders, but his ultimate statement that he'd like to see the two quietly co-exist is spot on!

As for what people prefer to WRITE, John says goodness is boring to write, so he likes his villains. Alafair says she strives to write characters who are hard to pinpoint as either good or bad.

Following this panel I was invited to a wonderful lunch with Jennifer McMahon. I was fortunate enough to be seated with Oline Cogdill and Janet Rudolph, who I don't get to see nearly enough. We had a great chat with Jennifer. That was a nice opportunity and I look forward to sharing with you about Jennifer's upcoming book in the next few months. I really enjoyed it!

Jennifer McMahon and Oline Cogdill

And the last day of the conference was short. I attended one panel and that was the Politically Charged Plots panel with Mike Lawson, Pete Morin, Allison Leotta, Stuart Neville and Lisa Brackmann as their moderator. Lisa, for the record, did an outstanding job moderating her panel. So kudos to her.

Lisa Brackmann, Pete Morin, and Allison Leotta

All the panelists were great and the content of their discussions was wonderful. I'm sorry more people didn't have a chance to experience it. One of the questions that arose with the panelists was if they get negative feedback feedback from readers on the politics in their books. Mike Lawson said his experience has been that he receives more feedback if he makes a mistake on a gun detail than anything about politics.

Stuart Neville and Mike Lawson

Stuart Neville explained that in Northern Ireland people are suspicious of every politician, yet they vote the same people back into office time after time.

Another question that arose dealt with how much political explanation has to go into books. The general consensus was to keep it lean. Mike Lawson says you'll bog the book down with too much detail and Stuart Neville said you have to trust your readers. They can Google what they don't know about or want to know more about. Allison Leotta said she starts out researching through interviews, then she fills in gaps with Google research and finally, she refers to all the collected data as little as possible so it doesn't come out as an info dump on the page.

I think my fascination with political crime novels has increased in the recent years. And really I credit part of that to Mike Lawson as his books have held me captive one after the other. So, I thoroughly enjoyed this panel. And afterward I was able to meet Mike, so that was fun for me. That was the first time I met him in person. And I was able to meet his wife as well. There's such a humanizing element to Bouchercon. There will always be people who intimidate me, but when you interact with the authors, publishers, publicists, other reviewers and readers at the conventions, it's rewarding and memorable.

I encourage everyone. If you haven't attended a Bouchercon, make an effort to go. If you need to wait for one closer to your stomping grounds, that's o.k., but don't miss the opportunity if it's close. It's really is worth your time and money if you're a fan of this genre.

And to throw in a little pitch for some other great events, I'll remind you that Murder and Mayhem in Muskego is next month up in Wisconsin. It's right outside Milwaukee. This will be my fourth year attending...wow! I can't believe it's been four years. I drive from Cleveland and I wouldn't miss it. It's wonderful. Great line-up this year. Very affordable. And best of all, there are great crime fiction fans there. Check it out.

I'll be going to my first Left Coast Crime in March. This one is in Colorado Springs and Craig Johnson and Laura Lippman are the guests of honor.  Special bonus, David Corbett is the toast master.

While I won't be attending this year - I do need to stay home some times I suppose - there is Love is Murder in Chicago in February.

And also be on the lookout for general book festivals. I love the LA Times Book Festival. I've been twice and it's amazing. I'm hoping to make the National Book Festival next year. I say that every year, so we'll see. And another book festival on my bucket list is the Tuscon Book Festival. I've heard wonderful things about this one as well. It won't be this year as it's very close to the Left Coast Crime dates, but someday....

O.k. so sorry, got a little carried away there with my book event love. Feel free to leave other events in the comments and let people know where and when they are! Thanks for humoring me. Have a great day and happy reading!

Let's Celebrate with a Giveaway!

Here in the U.S., this is an important weekend. We celebrate our Independence Day. So what better time to have a contest?

John Connolly is preparing for the U.S. release of his latest Charlie Parker novel, THE WHISPERERS. Previously, he created compilation CDs to go with his books THE BLACK ANGEL and THE UNQUIET. Well, he's done that again for THE WHISPERERS. Connolly says this will probably be the final compilation CD, and it will be available in limited quantities with a purchase of THE WHISPERERS through independent bookstores here in the U.S. However, I got my grubby little paws on a couple of copies that I can give away!! So here's your chance to make sure you get a copy of this final CD, titled LOVE & WHISPERS, with songs that Connolly was listening to while writing both THE LOVERS and THE WHISPERERS. There are 13 tracks on this CD; it is truly a stunning collection of music, including songs from Shack, De Rosa, Emma Pollock and Spiritualized.

So get yourself in a mood for the new Charlie Parker by winning the limited edition LOVE & WHISPERS.

This contest is open to U.S. Residents only. Simply fill out the form below; one entry per person. Entries will be taken through Friday, July 9th. I will employ the Random Number Generator on Saturday the 10th to pick two lucky winners. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or drop me an e-mail. Good luck!

Technorati Tags: John Connolly, giveaway

They Said WHAT?

It's the last Sunday of March already. Where the heck did March go? Although, I have to admit, I'm rarely sad to see March go. It means the warm weather is that much closer. However, March was great reading time for me. I hope it was for you, too. Here are some of the great lines from books I was reading this month.

In THE LOCK ARTIST by Steve Hamilton:

"I had learned on freestanding safes, where I could really get my body up next to them and feel what I was doing. As the Ghost had said so many times, when he was teaching me how to do this...It's like seducing a woman. Touching her in just the right way. Knowing what was going on inside her. How do you do that if every part of the woman except her face is hidden behind a wall?"

From Pat Conroy's SOUTH OF BROAD:

"I have an affinity for choosing the tightrope walk across the abyss and have developed a genius for the wrong turn."

"Living as I do in the backwaters of South Carolina, I had not fully appreciated the corroding effect of the celebrity obsession that has taken hold in America, leading to a maggoty and fly-spotted culture."

"As we sit there watching the water recede, I think about Niles in the orphanage on the day I met him, and I guess he had wanted someone, anyone, to hold his hand during the long, dreadful forced march of his childhood. It was the least I could do, as he had long ago taught me a lesson about the great inner strength sometimes granted to the most wounded of men. And how those men can sometimes grow up to be heroes."

In THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS by John Connolly:

"Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being. They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge."

Ed Lynskey wrote in TROGLODYTES:

"The CNN reporter talking in the background...said another GI had died in Iraq. I frowned. That made one more Gold Star mom. Before the war ended, we'd see a galaxy of them."

In May, Chris Grabenstein's ROLLING THUNDER is coming out, and I think you'll agree that this is one heck of a hook for the book:

"The day starts like so many others with John Ceepak: we bust an eight-year-old girl for wearing high heels."

I just love his opening sentences - every book!

And to round out this month's awesome lines, I was listening to the audio for THE FIRST RULE on the way back from Pittsburgh yesterday and was reminded of this great line:

"He moved back along the hall, thinking how different his own home was from the home that Frank Meyer built. Pike's furnishings were minimal, and the walls were bare. Pike did not have a family, so he had no pictures of family on the walls, and he did not keep pictures of his friends. Pike's life had led to blank walls, and now he wondered if his walls would ever be filled."

I find that excerpt hauntingly beautiful, but it was even more incredible in Robert Crais' gravelly Pike voice.

I hope your March was filled with wonderfully great lines as well. If you have any YOU'D like to share, feel free to leave them in the comments. And let's meet up here again next month to share some more! Happy Reading!