July 21, 2005

Hi all, I'm back after a few days off to think about what direction to take with this blog. I decided to keep things pretty similar, however, I may not post on the exact days listed in my description, and I'll be more flexible with my content. I just can't keep up the fast pace of my reading at this point; I have outside commitments to slow me down (namely my house is on the market and I'm homeschooling one of my kids). But I do still read every day. I just might take a bit longer to finish a book so I might talk about something else associated with reading. After all, if you are reading this now you must enjoy reading as much as I do! So, here we go and thanks for visiting!

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"--John Lennon (not talking about reading, but doesn't it fit right in with the subject of fiction!?)

I've decided that when I do review a book that I will give it an arbitrary rating code so that I am clear about exactly how the book affected me. Of course your mileage may vary, but if you like the types of books I do, maybe my opinion will count for something!

Rating Code:

* star Could not finish it, or didn't care for it. Don't waste your time!

** stars It was just okay, take it or leave it. Pick it up at a yard sale!

*** stars Generally good, perhaps uneven. Worth checking out of a library!

**** stars Very good, worth a try. Buy it at a used book store or order online

***** stars Wow- Recommended whole-heartedly! Buy it at your local bookstore without delay!

A Word About Fiction Series:

As I was browsing my local bookstore recently, I was thinking about series with recurring characters, and how I have stopped reading a few good authors because I wasn't enjoying their series anymore. I have listed a few that I have lost touch with in the past year or so...

Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware for one. I missed buying a new release, then another, and now it is out of sight, out of mind. How will I know if he gets back together with the lovely Robin?

Then there is another Alex, Alex Cross from the James Patterson series. The graphic violence towards women and children got to be a bit depressing for me.

Also I stopped reading Iris Johansen's books about the strong Eve Duncan. They started to feel too similar for me.

Good ol' Kay Scarpetta from Patricia Cornwell. Geez, I've read and passed around so many "Kays" but that wolfman theme was getting old. I most enjoyed the first several, then I found the stories getting repetitious and sometimes far-fetched. I do miss the series, but not enough to buy another right now. And the police series she did, well, I couldn't get into it.

And finally, the Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles series from Tess Gerritsen. I have read all but the last two from Ms. Gerritsen, and I do love her books, but I don't feel a connection to this duo. I enjoy her stand-alone books much more! (I met Ms. Gerritsen in person and she is a fabulous speaker!)

Incidentally, I am not author-bashing here! I really enjoy the writing styles of these folks, just don't have much interest in their main characters anymore. Sorry if you might disagree.
One series I am debating whether to start is the J.A. Jance mystery series.
Actually she has two series that I know of: J.P. Beaumont, and Joanna Brady. If I do invest the time in one of these series, I will have to order up her back-list, since she started these awhile ago.

Now for a review of a book that I hope will become a series:

"The Nanny Murders" by Merry Jones ***** stars
(336 pages) hardcover
Thomas Dunne Books c. May 2005

This mystery was a pleasant surprise for me, not what I had been expecting! Without a friend's recommendation or prior publicity on tv, I was taking a shot in the dark to pick this up, but I am glad I did! Its main character is a very believable Zoe Hayes, around thirtyish, divorced and a single adoptive parent of Molly. One day Molly is playing in the snow outside their Philadelphia brownstone and discovers a preserved finger from a female hand. Is it from a missing nanny? You see, in this neighborhood, which is a bit down at the heels and bordering a wealthier area, nannies and au pairs are disappearing left and right, and one is presumed dead. The finger brings Det. Nick Stiles on the scene, to solve the mystery and to win over Zoe's heart. But can Nick, with his troubled past, be trusted?

And what about the other characters on Zoe's radar: her manic-depressive attorney friend who alternates between compulsive baking and pouting, her tough-as-nails babysitter who knows self-defense, the psychologist who wants to sink her nails into Det. Nick, the eccentric old man who spies on all the passersby on the block, the mentally challenged patients at the facility where Zoe is an art therapist, the gymnastics mommy-clique at the gym,or her ex-husband who is practically stalking her to get her to return a family heirloom ring that he wants for his young fiancee?

This is a fun read, sometimes amusing, sometimes serious, never graphic-- despite that finger, and worth a trip to your local bookseller to pick up for your summer vacation!

What I am reading tonight:
"Suspicious Origin" by Patricia MacDonald (mystery in the Mary Higgins Clark genre)
Good so far, will let you know.

Well, my to-read pile is starting to multiply thanks to a trip to Borders and my local bookseller,
so my son could get "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and my husband got "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova, and I just had to 'sample the wares'. It's like going to a bakery and just looking! Hey, books and cinnamon buns, a great combination!

As always, happy reading...