A Whole New Mind

Ah, the beauty of bookgroups is that you read what you otherwise might not have. Let me admit right up front that I dipped and skimmed this book, but found it intriguing enough that I want to go back and re-read it. Daniel Pink is advocating for the development and employment of more right-brain directed types of activities in the work world, claiming that most of the left-brain directed stuff has been largely outsourced (computer programming, accounting, etc.) to developing nations where the labor is cheaper. He focuses on Empathy, Design, Symphony, Play, Story, and Meaning; he offers a bit of independent research, a lot of summarizing of other people's work, and some nice activities and resources at the end of each chapter. Some of the quote (almost all taken from other people) that I really loved are:"listening is an act of love" and "we are the authors of our own lives." He talked about labyrinths, and gratitude, and learning through stories...in short, a lot of things that resonated with me personally. I even got some good ideas to try out in classes and meetings and right now I'm needing all the help I can get with meetings. There's a 5 minute video of him talking about the book here.

Rough Weather

Oooohhh-- I sneaked a little indulgence in between all the reading I've been doing for review sources and writing projects of late. I haven't read a Robert Parker Spenser novel in ages and it was a treat. I just never get tired of Spenser's smart alecky remarks and his repartee with Hawk. Like the Evanovich novels, fairly predictable but highly enjoyable. In this book, Spenser gets hired to be a stand-in date for a seemingly wealthy woman whose daughter is getting married. His old nemesis, the Gray Man, shows up with several men toting automatic weapons and kills the security guards and the groom (right after the vows--that's significant) and then kidnaps the bride. The whole thing seems very staged and not at all consistent with the Gray Man's usual MO. Spenser thinks the mother of the bride knows way more than she's telling and he's trying to get to the bottom of things while not getting killed by the Gray Man. Hawk is enlisted as his back-up and straight man. There's more relationship between Hawk and Susan than I remember from previous books, which was also fun. It was a pleasure to get reacquainted!

Rain Gods

I don't know why I have stayed away from James Lee Burke for so long. He is a master of character and setting and this book is no exception. Set in the Rio Grande borderlands of Texas, there are bad people out there killing Asian women behind an abandoned church and a few good ones like Sheriff Hack Holland who is bound and determined to bring them to justice. And the nature of justice is certainly a question at play here. Even the bad guy has his own "code"--somewhat reminiscent of the psychopath in No Country for Old Men-- but that doesn't mean you would want him to date your daughter. Hack is a pretty tortured soul after the death of his 2nd wife, trying to find peace in a simple existence that includes creating beautiful gardens in the inhospitable Texas hardpan. He carries a load of guilt for past transgressions both as a husband to his first wife and as a prisoner in a Chinese camp. Nevertheless, the people who work with him see his integrity and compassion and are drawn to him, in spite of his prickly stubborness. Human beings are complicated and so are their relationships; Burke's ability to draw you into knowing his characters is what sets these novels apart from lesser police/detective procedurals, much as with P.D. James' work. I was a big fan of the Dave Robichaux novels (Burke's earliest protagonist) and I think I will get to know some of his newer ones now that I've reconnected. This is a thoughtful book that takes time to read and digest, and it's worth savoring.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Stephanie Plum is at it again in the latest of the numbered series from Janet Evanovich. As I read in an interview with the author, she just can't decide whether Stephanie should go marry Joe Morelli and have lots of kids or live dangerously with Ranger, and that indecision is evident in this episode. True to form, Stephanie destroys cars--more than usual--and ends up in truly ridiculous and humiliating situations, like being in a hot dog costume and then falling over and not being able to get up. This time Lula is also setting things on fire in her quest to win the big barbecue contest with Grandma Mazur as her assistant chef. And as usual, the book is just laugh-out-loud funny, even if totally predictable. As long as she keeps writing them, I'll keep reading them.

Sworn to Silence

This is the first book I've read by Linda Castillo who apparently intends to write other episodes with the same protagonist, Kate Burkholder. Burkholder was raised Amish near Painters Mill, Ohio, and only left after a rape and a self-defense murder sent her off the deep end. She was shunned and ran away to the big city, but eventually found her footing, worked her way into law enforcement, and took a job back in her home town as chief of police. In this book, a serial murderer has resurfaced. She thought the person responsible for the first series of murders 16 years ago was the man she had killed as a young woman, but the MO is identical and so Kate is now uncertain--did the man she shot really die? Her siblings, who also knew of the death and were sworn to silence by Kate's parents, are dragged into Kate's conundrum about finding out if the man she shot is really dead before she brings in outside law enforcement agencies to help solve these new killings. The murders are absolutely grisly so if that isn't something you can stomach, stay away. But the character is engaging, place is well established and the plotting will keep you on the edge of your seat. And you get a little love interest, fairly predictable, in the end.

The Sorceress

This is the third installment in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by folklorist Michael Scott (you need to read The Alchemyst and The Magician -- in that order before you read this) and I had imagined that it would be the end of a trilogy. No such luck! The Sorceress is Perenelle, Flamel's wife and she doesn't really figure any more prominently in this volume than in the previous ones. Nevertheless this is a fun read. All the action takes place in just a few short days, and nothing less than the continued existence of the humani (that's us) is at stake. The Dark Elders are bound and determined to re-assert dominance over the earth and they have summoned and collected every imaginable monster of myth and legend to move forward their plans. The first task is to get rid of Nicholas Flamel who is desperately trying to protect and train the "twins of legend", aka Josh and Sophie, who thought that they were just two ordinary teenagers living with an aunt in the bay area while their parents were on an archaeological dig. Now Sophie has mastered two of the elemental magics and Josh is learning as well. They battle the evil forces with their growing powers, with enchanted swords, and through sheer determination. Perry is trapped on Alcatraz with a whole array of creatures intent on her demise, the ghost of an old Spanish explorer who is trying to protect her, and a giant spider and a crow goddess who have become unlikely allies. Immortals in the employ of the Dark Elders have also been sent to kill her. Consequently, she is unable to assist in the action taking place in England as Flamel tries to reach the ley lines at Stonehenge that will return them to San Francisco before they are captured or murdered. William Shakespeare, Billy the Kid, and Machiavelli are just a few of the immortals who round out this colorful cast of characters.

Abide with Me

Written by Elizabeth Strout, Abide with Me tells the story of Tyler Caskey, who has come to be the minister for the small town of West Annette in upper New England. He loves God and his congregation, his wife and their daughters. But his wife does not take to small town life or to the confines of being a minister's wife. She spends more money on clothes and make-up than Tyler earns, refuses to socialize with the townsfolk, and then has the audacity to get cancer and die. Tyler goes from grief to depression, while his older daughter, Katherine, becomes mute and angry. His congregation also loses its way as his sermons become repetitions of old work rather than inspirations flowing from Tyler's former sense of grace and goodness in the world. Negative rumors about Tyler's behavior and his suitability as a father and minister are started as people imagine slights based on his unresponsiveness. People act badly and then pull themselves together. We are reminded that everyone has feet of clay and yet most of us are capable of tremendous compassion. The beautyof this book is in the small descriptive details, the pacing, and the ordinarinous of life made significant.

Dog Stories

I've been on vacation and reading just for fun. My sister-in-law handed me a couple of books where dogs figure prominently: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski and The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
Edgar Sawtelle introduces us to one family that for several generations has worked to selectively breed and train dogs that are highly intuitive in relation to their humans. Edgar's grandfather started out selecting promising dogs through chance encounters, based on stories (e.g., the tale of the Japanese dog who came back to meet his master at the train station for years after the man had died), and occasionally from respected kennels. The dogs were then bred and trained for an extended period of time before they were sold. They were tracked for their entire lifespan and reports of their behavior helped refine the breeding program for what became known as the Sawtelle dogs. Young Edgar, his father was also Edgar but went by Gar, is in early adolescence for most of this story; although we do hear of his early years. He was born mute, but not deaf, and has his own special dog that grew up with him, Almondine. From several perspectives--including that of the dogs--we learn of a family's devotion to creating an extraordinary group of dogs, and about the relationships between the family members, and between the dogs and the people. Edgar's father dies suddenly and his paternal uncle, Claude, who has recently re-entered the picture, begins to take over the running of the kennel and Edgar's mother's affections. Edgar is extremely intuitive in his own right and has an encounter with his father's ghost during a rainstorm; his father points Edgar to evidence that Claude killed him. Edgar's attempts to prove the murder have disastrous consequences and he runs away with several of the younger dogs; however, he can't stay away from his mother and Almondine. I couldn't stop reading the book. It is beautifully written, occasionally the phrasing and descriptions are just exquisite. But it is also the second "Oprah" recommended book I've read (She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb was the first) with such an irredeemably grim ending that I am swearing off reading anything on her list--again. One evil person is allowed to manipulate and then destroy everything good this family created. I guess that means I don't like books that offer no glimpse of hope.
Racing in the Rain, on the other hand, is infinitely hopeful, although bad things happen to one of the protagonists, and the narrator dies in the end. This is also a family story, about Denny Swift, an aspiring and gifted race car driver, his wife Eve, whose parents think she has married beneath her class, their daughter Zoe, and Enzo the narrator. Enzo happens to be Denny's dog but is at heart a philosopher who firmly believes the Mongolian legend that a dog who is ready to leave his dogness behind will be reborn as a man. He saw it once in a documentary on TV, which he watches during the day to learn how to be a person in his next life. There is a lot about car racing, but it is all tied to how one lives life with integrity and awareness. I loved this story. Don't be deterred by Enzo's death; he has learned what he needed to learn in this lifetime and he is happy to go.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

A big claim to be sure, but in fact, people did come from all over the U.S. and even from countries as far away as Japan to meet this remarkable orange cat in Spencer, Iowa. This is not only the story of a amazing cat, but also a semi-autobiography of the library's director and author of the book, Vicki Myron. Additionally, we learn about the town of Spencer, and its economic trials and tribulations, as family farms became an endangered species.
As a young kitten, Dewey Readmore Books (his full name) was found in the book drop-box one morning after a night of sub-freezing temperatures, with frost-bitten feet that required weeks of recovery. But he quickly took possession of the library, won the hearts of staff and patrons, and seemed intuitively to know who needed a cat on their lap at any given hour. He had a bad habit of eating rubber bands and so they were banned from the library. He roamed the light fixtures high overhead at will. He greeted people at the door. He excited the children of all ages and even some oldsters. This is an absolutely touching story about the amazing impact that one animal can have on individual lives and the community as a whole.

NEWS UPDATE: There's an upcoming picture book and maybe even a movie (supposedly starring Meryl Streep --man she's busy). Here's the article in Publisher's Weekly.

The Devil in the White City

Thanks to my friends Pete and Betsy (formerly of Seattle, and now in Boise), I got to read this book by Erik Larson right before going to my library conference in Chicago. It interweaves the two stories of the creation of the Columbian Exposition, aka the 1893 World's Fair, in Chicago (see photo at right) and the story of a serial killer operating in the area at the same time. The book opens with two quotes:
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood," spoken by Daniel Burnham, Director of Works for the Exposition.
And this from the confession of H.H.Holmes, "I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing."

Although I expected the opposite, I found the account of building the World's Fair infinitely more interesting. Neither of these tales is fictionalized; both are based on documentary evidence and detailed research. I have to say that my visit to Chicago was enormously enriched by reading this book, which alerted me to the seminal role that Chicago played in American architecture. It was the home of the first skyscrapers--by ten years! Many of the major architectural styles, such as modernism, received critical impetus from the work of local architects. Everyone knows that Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright also started their careers here. Chicago was celebrating the 100th anniversary of Burnham's design for the whole city while I was there and so posters of him, as well as books about him, and about the Exposition, were abundant at the Architecture Foundation's gift shop. I also found there a book of postcard with paintings and archival photographs of the "White City" and I have to say that my major criticism of the book is that more of these were not included in the book. Chicago's architecture is truly monumental and it's definitely worth taking either the land or water tour sponsored by the Architecture Foundation next time you go. Oh, and read the book, too, so you can learn about how the first Ferris Wheel almost didn't get created, or why the Exposition was called the White City, or how a serial killer almost got away unnoticed.

Blindfold Game

Dana Stabenow is one of my long-time favorite mystery writers; I have read and enjoyed a number of her series featuring Kate Shugak, Aleut native who homesteads in Alaska and occasionally works as a private investigator. This novel is a departure from the series and tackles an international terrorist plot to explode a dirty bomb over southern Alaska. Two strong protagonists, married but living apart, each carry a significant part of the action. Hugh Rincon is a CIA analyst who can't seem to convince his superiors that there really is a threat. Sara Lange is second in command on a Coast Guard cutter working in the Bering Sea, and it is to her that Hugh turns when the information suggests the bomb is headed for their home state. As engrossing and atmospheric as everything else of hers I've read.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I was so impressed by hearing Sherman Alexie's keynote address at the Association of College and Research Libraries conference in Seattle this March, that I determined to actually read some of his books. What better way to start than with his new YA (young adult) book! As with so many high quality YA books, this one deserves to be read by adults as well, although the abundance of gross boy humor will certainly make it appealing to male teens. Arnold aka "Junior" Spirit lives on the Spokane Indian reservation with his parents and older sister Mary. The rez is a close knit community but Arnold has been singled out for abuse by peers and even adults because he was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain). He is both verbally and physically abused by all and sundry except for his best friend Rowdy who defends Arnold against all comers--usually pretty successfully since Rowdy is strong and mean. A fit of anger precipitates a conversation with one of his teachers, and Arnold decides to attend school off the rez, and thereby earns the enmity of an even larger proportion of the tribe, including his former best friend Rowdy. Like Alexie's speech at ACRL, this book is painful and funny and eye-opening. Hear Alexie read a portion of the book.

The Master and the Margarita

Written by Russian dissident Mikhail Bulgakov in the final 12 years of his life, The Master and the Margarita was not published until 26 years after his death (in 1940). From 1930 on he was unable to publish at all in Russia although, strangely enough, he was allowed to produce others' plays as literary consultant to the Moscow Art Theatre. For a quick overview of his work and life, see the Wikipedia entry. The translation I read was by Mirra Ginsburg. I have to say this is not my favorite genre. Bulgakov is taking the atheist state on with a tale about the devil coming to Moscow and wreaking havoc with the lives of those who profess not to believe in either God or the devil. There are lots of plays on words, which are surely influenced strongly by the translation. There is a second story within the main one about the crucifixtion of Jesus. The devil was present and a contemporary author in Moscow, the Master, has written the story. The tale culminates with Satan's ball over which the Master's lover, Margarita, presides in the form of a beautiful witch. All the people the devil considers to have integrity (i.e., the Master and Margarita) get to go off to their own private paradise in the end. And the citizens of Moscow are left trying to make sense of the whole series of puzzling events that the devil whipped up while he and his entourage were in town. The hypocrites--again according to the devil's evaluation--all get their come-uppance.

Some stray YA books

I picked up a couple of books by well-known young adult authors at the big book sale at CML a couple of weeks ago and since I won't be submitting reviews for them to the children's lit database, I thought I would make notes about them here.
The Rogues (alternate title is Rogue's Apprentice) is apparently the 4th in a series collaboration between Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris. These are historic adventure stories set in Scotland, this particular one being centered around the Highland Clearances that took place in the 18th century. As the large landowners enjoyed the benefits of more peaceful times, they no longer needed to be able to call on their clans, usually tenant farmers, for defense. And they found that money was to be made by grazing a new breed of English sheep. Many of them drove the farmers off their land in most brutal fashion, by burning people out of the homes and off the farms that had sustained them for generations. Many went to cities and many came to the New World, i.e., America. This tale revolves around the son of one such family--Roddy Macallan-- as he throws his lot in with a bootlegger in order to try and recover a family heirloom also stolen by the laird who burned his village and tried to kill him. I enjoy historical fiction because I learn new things in a richer fashion. I never knew why there was a wave of Scottish immigration to North America, prior to reading this, or at least I didn't remember if I ever did know.
The other "oldie but goody" I read was Eoin Colfer's first in the Artemis Fowl series. Artemis is a 12-year old criminal mastermind trying to re-establish the family's ill-gotten fortune after some bad investments by his late father left them somewhat strapped for cash. His plan is to kidnap a faery and ransom him/her for gold. He is indeed brilliant and the brawn is supplied by his bodyguard manservant, Butler. But even their combined resources are no match for Holly Short, an officer in the Lower Elements Police (aka LEPrecon) once she gets her magic back. This is really a great bit of fun filled with magical characters, action, and a lot of tongue in cheek humor. I'll definitely go on to read the sequels--of which there are many.

The Hounds and the Fury

This is one of a great series of books by Rita Mae Brown featuring master of the hounds, Jane Arnold, aka "Sister" and other members of the Jefferson Hunt Club. Sister is a most endearing character, smart, 73 years old, still riding to hunt several times a week, and running her farm in the between. She is a true friend to those she cares about, young and old. These books have given me a totally new perspective on fox hunting, at least as it is carried out in the United States. Sister not only makes sure the foxes don't go hungry in winter by supplementing their wild catch with kibble laced with vitamins and, periodically, worming medicine, but she knows and loves each of the hounds in her pack. And they all have voices! Delia, Dragon, Cora--each with a distinct personality--share their opinions of the humans who ride behind them and the wily foxes who run in front of them. We also hear from the horses, a couple of neighborhood owls, the foxes of course, Sister's household dogs and cat and...well, you get the picture. But Sister is the only human talking so that keeps the story centered. As in all her book series, she creates a rich and engaging picture of the South through the characters who live there and their relationships with one another. As mentioned in earlier posts, Brown also co-authors a series of books with her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown, that feature two felines and a corgi as the protagonists and their owner, Mary Harristeen, as their nosy owner who is always getting in over her head. And if you want to read one of my top ten favorite books of all time, read Six of One by Brown. It is one of the few books that just makes me laugh out loud.

Shadow of the Wind

Magical realism has never been my thing and yet I really enjoyed this story within a story by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. In post WWI Barcelona, a young boy lays claim to a work by Julian Carax in the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" that becomes his sole responsibility to preserve. He stays awake all night reading the tale of a boy searching for his father and vows to find everything the author has written. As the son of an antiquarian book dealer with lots of contacts, it should be a fairly easy task, but, in fact, it turns out that someone has been systematically searching out the works of Carax and burning them. Motherless Daniel falls in love with the blind (and much older) daughter of another book dealer as he reads the book to her and is later broken hearted to find she has taken a lover. In the course of his quest to solve the mystery of the disappearing books, he is threatened by a character from the book, rescues and partners with a homeless man who is really a former spy, tracks down and gets involved with several people who knew Carax, and eventually finds his true love. This is a richly detailed, darkly Gothic and engrossing novel. Well-translated and sumptuous in creating the atmosphere of a city steeped in history and struggling to find a future.

Another book I didn't finish

I hardly ever stop reading part-way through, so it was with heavy heart that I laid aside Phantom by Terry Goodkind, a respected fantasy author. I am a big fan of the genre that involves alternate worlds told in saga like format (think LOTR or The Golden Compass) but this one was just too ponderous. It suffered from lack of good editing in my personal opinion. Maybe if it had been told in half the number of pages I could have stayed with it, but each event seemed to be belabored endlessly, much as I am doing now with this non-recommendation. The premise is interesting enough. The phantom is a woman who has disappeared from everyone's memory as a consequence of evil machinations to control powerful tools of magic. But it's only part of a chain of events that are unwinding the power of magic throughout the world, leaving it vulnerable to a takeover by a life-negating philosophy and army. The particular religious order that fuels this destructive force rings remarkably similar to most organized religions that have been used to wreak havoc on a massive scale through the course of human history. The book is also rife with detailed explanations of magic that are too complex for someone jumping in without being grounded through prequels. The last chapter sets it up for a sequel, but don't think I'll go there.

Bangkok Tattoo

I was so intrigued by the worlds revealed in John Burdett's other two books (see Bangkok 8 and The Last Six Million Seconds) that I came back for more. This is the sequel to Bangkok 8 and continues with protagonist detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep of the Royal Thai Police Force, who is now a partner (with his mother and his commanding officer, Commander Vikorn) in a brothel that caters to older foreigners--they can get Viagra and dope for just a small extra fee. Predictably, the book opens with a grisly murder--this time of an American CIA agent--but I won't try to convey the elaborate plot except to note that the prime suspect is one of the brothel's star employees and a soul mate of Sonchai's. He is sure they shared a former life, so he is determined to find out if she in fact committed the murder --which she neither denies nor admits--and if so, why. What keeps me engaged are the occasional insertions of a uniquely non-American (sometimes Thai/ Buddhist, or in this book occasionally Muslim) perspective on the events and characters. Some examples:

• In speaking to Sonchai about the dead agent, a Muslim imam who knew him says, "The Western mind is wild and unpredictable, devoid of center. You Buddhists have your nirvana, we have Allah, even true Christians have a path of sorts, beset though it is by childish miracles. But what of these products of Capitalism like Mr. Turner? Human souls locked out from God forever. One hears their screams of anguish even while they drop their bombs, these young people who have no idea who they are. They think they are killing others. They are killing themsleves" (p. 53).
  
• Later, through his son, the imam also says, "...without a war [speaking of the 'war on terrorism'], America would descend into total confusion and would have to turn itself into a police state to survive, because its people no longer have any internal structure. Americans can never be defeated by war. It is peace they find intolderable" (p.73).
  
• In her diary, Chanya, the prostitute and suspected murderer, notes during her time in America that "Even bag people walk with purpose and energy and with total certainty about the direction they want to go in...They don't know where they're going, they just know how to look as if they do. They walk like that because they're scared. Some demon is whipping them from inside." (p.173).
  
• Another CIA agent who is investigating the murder, says in a drunken entreaty to Sonchai, "Freedom? What kind of dumb all-purpose Band-Aid is that? ...what are we selling exactly? Money is the state religion of the West. We pray to it every waking minute--and we're gonna make damned sure every last human on earth gets down on their knees with us . All our wars are wars of religion" (p.202).
  
• Finally, Sonchai himself, listening to one of his favorite radio talk shows, begins to rant about how far we are from enlightenment, "You see dear reader, you are a ramshackle collection of coincidences held together by a desperate and irrational clinging, there is no center at all...In a bumper sticker: The fear of letting go prevents you from letting go of the fear of letting go" (p.214).

This one took a little more determination to keep going, but it was worth the effort.

Gertrude Bell -- revisited

This is NOT a book review, although it is related to my earlier book review of Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations. This website is a collection of primary source materials--pictures, letters, etc.--from and about Gertrude. She is definitely one of my heroines, right up there with Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. They were so brave in ways I wish I was. Here's the review from Choice (authored by S. Kowtko from Spokane CC) which pretty much says it all: "The Gertrude Bell Project is a representative example of the future of Internet research and primary source access. The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Robinson Library worked for four years to complete the transcription of manuscripts and recatalog and digitize photographs to make this resource available to the general public through a basic, user-friendly Web site. The goal was not to analyze and interpret the masses of documents left by Gertrude Bell, but to make a full digital collection available to those who could use these sources for their own academic pursuits. As a female traveler at the turn of the century who did not stick to standard patterns of Western travel, Gertrude Bell's life and experience offer researchers a unique look through Western eyes at the world, especially the Middle East. With over 1,600 letters to her parents, 16 diaries, 7,000 photographs, and other miscellaneous items, this archive is a rich resource quickly becoming fully digitally available. The layout of the home page consists of a short introduction to Gertrude Bell and her life, as well as links to the collection itself. At the bottom of the page, there are links to a help page, the photos, the diaries, and the letter collection. The help page is an especially useful and rather detailed introduction to the storage, layout, and presentation of the archival material. The search option is also basic, but useful if users have an idea of the subjects they are looking for in the documents..."

Goodies for word sluts

I'll tell you right (write!) now that this is NOT a book review, but I justify putting this here because I'm convinced that at least part of my addiction to reading is word lust.
Lake Superior State University is known for its annual List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. Read people's comments about why they want to send the words/phrases packing.
On the other end of the spectrum, is Wayne State University's endeavor to revitalize underused words of merit, Word Warrior. You can engage in an abecedarian activity byreading through the whole list.

Plum Spooky

Just like all the men in her life, you have to love Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich's indominable protagonist because she's just so...well...spunky. She never lets her lack of skill or penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time get in the way of pursuing those pesky FTA's (failure to appear) that are the source of income for a bounty hunter. Something always blows up, her car always gets trashed, there are always too many gorgeous sexy men vying for her attention, Grandma Mazur and other incredibly weird and wonderful characters always make you laugh. How can you argue with a formula like that. The main hunk in this book is one I hadn't met before--Diesel (with no last name). He has an uncanny ability to open locked doors, start cars without keys and just general spooky things ordinary humans can't. But his cousin Wolf, who Diesel is hunting, and who is hunting Stephanie for not good motives, is even spookier. He can kill just by touching you, so you don't want to piss him off. Have fun--I did!

Pillars of the Earth

I haven't read Ken Follett in a very long time (think Eye of the Needle, or Key to Rebecca) but I wanted something that would last the length of time I had to spend in airports and planes while travelling in December, and this certainly met the bill. You would have to say this is a "meaty" work with substantial amounts of detail, not just about the political maneuverings during this time period (England from 1123 - 1174), but about the nitty gritty of how to build a cathedral. I certainly can't fault Follett on his research, but I did feel bogged down occasionally. You did truly come to know the characters and there is quite a cast, including some wonderful strong women who broke the mold and paid the consequences; however, I doubt that they would have chosen to try and conform if they had it to do over. Some wielded power by manipulating men, some by gaining money, and some by withdrawing from general society. Apparently there is now (18 years after Pillars) a sequel to this work called World without End.