Sunday, April 29, 2012

Las Vegas: an Irreverent History; Unholy Night; Dead Zone

"Las Vegas: an Irreverent History" by Michelle Ferrari was a fun look at Sin City that included some beautiful old pictures. I love old pictures, especially of a place like Vegas, which started out as a barren, dusty, desert town and exploded into the light filled city with the oddly shaped, rising buildings that it is today. "Unholy Night" by Seth Grahame-Smith was hilarious good fun. He imagines that the three wise men who attended Jesus' birth were not actually holy men but three thieves on the run from Herod. It was clever and very nicely done. And I finished rereading another Stephen King this morning, "Dead Zone". It was never one of my favorites as a kid, so I don't think I've read it in over 20 years. I remembered a lot of it, but not how *good* it really is. John Smith is in a bad car accident, in a coma for over four years. When he awakens, he has the disturbing ability to see things, things in the future. He is labeled a psychic, and called a huckster by many, but he just wants to be left alone. There is a great little section where Sheriff George Bannerman of Castle Rock calls and asks him to help him catch the strangler who has been preying on women and young girls in Castle Rock for six years. John reluctantly goes and when he tells Bannerman that the killer is one of his own deputies, Frank Dodd, Bannerman is stunned and doesn't want to believe it. John persuades him to go to Dodd's house, and they find Dodd has committed suicide. When I read it last, I didn't like the whole Greg Stillson storyline, it bored me, but now, 20 years older and hopefully a little wiser, I can appreciate the brilliance of it. The ending was so great, just spot on, how John doesn't actually kill Stillson like he wants but still is able to discredit him and make him look like a fool. I have a million library books to read that are all due within the next few weeks, so I might take a short break from SK rereads for a bit. Plus I have his newest "Wind Through the Keyhole" to get through, but I think I'll pick up with "Dark Half" next. I remember liking that one quite a bit when I was younger.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Recipes and Wooden Spoons; Needful Things; Lunatics; Cujo

Gah, I'm sure I'm forgetting one. Anyway... "Recipes and Wooden Spoons" by Judy Baer is a Grace Chapel Inn story. Jane is thrilled when she finds an old cookbook that belonged to her mother. She cherishes the notes her mother left in it and finds it to be a way to connect to the women she never knew. But her sisters are on her case about the operating expenses of the Inn, and things are tense until of course it all works out. There was a lot more praying in this one, I think maybe Baer is more keen on it than Melody Carlson. I'm rereading some Stephen King books I haven't read in a long time. I reread "IT" and "The Stand" fairly often, but I hardly ever dive into the others. I decided to make some time to do it, and grabbed "Needful Things". Man, is it good! There were a lot of things I'd forgotten about. In case you haven't read it (and why haven't you? Why are you reading this? Go read "Needful Things", I'll wait...) it's about Castle Rock, Maine. A new store comes to town called Needful Things. Its proprietor, Leland Gaunt, is all about making deals, and he seems to have a little something for everyone. Of course, things aren't really what they seem and the good citizens of Castle Rock are paying a heck of a lot more than they bargained for for those innocent little baubles and trinkets. "Lunatics" by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel was hilarious. Through a series of mishaps, Jeffrey and Philip (who hate each other) end up starting a revolution in Cuba, feeding starving refugees in Africa, and running for President of the United States under two different tickets. It was zany and wacky and lots of fun. I've always enjoyed Dave Barry's novels. "Cujo", another one in the parade of Stephen King masterpieces. I'd forgotten how good this one is. You know why it's good? Because there's nothing supernatural about it. It is something that very well could have happened (not today, probably, what with cell phones and all, but still). "Cujo" is about a rabid dog holding a woman and her little boy hostage in a Pinto. He times the tension perfectly in this, from having Donna gain hope that the mailman will save them, only to find out the Joe Cambers stopped the mail service. Then the arrival of Sheriff Bannerman, only to have the dog kill him, too. Every time a glimmer of hope pops up, rabid Cujo is there to snap it away. Brilliant.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Sugar Rush; The Midwife's Confession; A River Runs Through It; Sweet Stuff

"Sugar Rush" by Donna Kaufamann is a bit outside my normal reading tastes. It's chick lit/romance, but it was fun and harmless fluff. Leilani has left behind fast paced New York to open her own cupcake bakery on the small Georgia island of Sugarberry, where her mother grew up. Part of her reason for leaving New York was Baxter Dunne, her boss and wildly successful celebrity chef. Lani had a big crush on him and thought distancing herself would make it go away. But then Baxter shows up on the island, filming an episode of his TV show and wanting Lani's help. Baxter has decided he can't live without her and is determined to break down her defenses.
"The Midwife's Confession" by Diane Chamberlain was very good. She reminds me of Jodi Picoult with the way she makes you see both sides of a difficult issue. Noelle, a midwife, commits suicide and her two best friends, Tara and Emerson, are stunned and go about trying to determine why Noelle would do such a thing. Noelle was hiding a dark secret, well several actually, and as each one comes to light Tara and Emerson find it hard to believe they ever even knew Noelle. It had a big twist at the end that I didn't see coming but I liked a lot.
"A River Runs Through It and Other Stories" by Norman Maclean was a group of three novellas set in Montana with common themes of a preacher's son looking to strike out on his own in the world. They had some interesting dry, dark humor but all and all they didn't really hold my interest.
"Sweet Stuff" by Donna Kaufmann is her second cupcake book. Riley moved to Sugarberry two years earlier after she caught her fiance cheating on her. She has sworn off men, until gorgeous author Quinn Brannigan comes to the island, looking for peace and quiet to finish his latest novel. They are both instantly attracted to one another, but Riley is wary of letting another man into her heart and Quinn has never really had a long term successful relationship. They finally do get together though and it is very hot and steamy.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Virgin's Daughters; Size 14 Is Not Fat Either; Triangles; Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown; Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill; Big Boned

"Virgin's Daughters" by Jeane Westin wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was hoping, by the title, that it was some juicy scandalous fiction about Queen Elizabeth having illegitimate twins with Dudley, but alas, it was referring to her pet name for her ladies in waiting. And Elizabeth was not in her finest hour when dealing with many of her ladies, including her poor cousin Catherine Grey, who only wanted to marry Edward Seymour and live out her life in quiet solitude. Elizabeth was cruel and Catherine's story of imprisonment and exile without ever seeing her husband and sons again always makes me sad.
"Size 14 Is Not Fat, Either" by Meg Cabot is the second Heather Wells mystery, and it was light and fun. A cheerleader's head is found in the cafeteria, and Heather goes on the hunt to find the killer, since it seems like the detectives are looking in all the wrong places. Her crush on Cooper intensifies but goes nowhere, even after she manages to discover the killers are a couple of drug dealing frat boys.
"Triangles" by Ellen Hopkins was very, very good. It made me cry. I love her YA stuff, and this adult novel by her did not disappoint. Three women, mothers, wives, approaching middle age all deal with it in different ways. Holly has the seemingly perfect life: loving husband who has a good job and supports her, three great kids. Holly is bored, and starts writing erotica. Then she decides she needs some hands on research for it, and starts a torrid affair with one of the men in her writing group. Andrea, divorced, single mom, is having no luck finding a decent man until she starts comforting Holly's cuckolded husband, Jace. And Marissa, just trying to hold things together, dealing with a dying daughter, a gay son, and a cheating husband. I love how Hopkins doesn't wrap up everything neatly in a bow at the end because real life doesn't do that, either.
Some Maud Hart Lovelace books I hadn't read before: "Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill" and "Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown". They were sweet and fun. I like their adventures. I wish I would have read them when I was a kid, but oh well. You're never too old to enjoy children's fiction :)
And finally, "Big Boned" by Meg Cabot. The third Heather Wells mystery was very short, so I read it fast. Heather is dating her math professor, Tad, who is outdoorsy and vegan, so you can just about imagine how well that bodes for any long term plans for them. Still, Heather is happy to have someone--she just wishes it were Cooper. Her boss is shot in his office one morning, and Heather sets out to prove the student who was arrested wasn't responsible for the crime. Happy ending: Cooper finally admits he feels the same way about Heather, and they plan on eloping. Well. How nice for her. If only real life worked out the same for everyone. No, I'm not bitter at all. Why do you ask?