BOOKS 6 & 7

Travelling, with extended weather delays, has its advantages. One gets to read. Alot. Two books in 3 days is pretty good. And for the last leg of my trip from Atlanta to Dallas, I only had about 10 pages in my second book. I thought about buying a new book but couldn't do it. Couldn't disrespect the pledge. Instead I slept on the way home.

Soulless was rollickin' good fun. A combination mystery/romance/vampires and werewolves kind of novel. The main character is a "spinster" of 28 who has no soul. Soullessness neutralizes supernatural abilities. So when she comes into contact with any supernatural being, they can not harm her and revert to their human state. This book again set in the 1800s (what is with me and the 1800s lately, anyway?) is funny and sweet and I swooned in all the right parts when she fell in love with the werewolf. I definitely recommend this book. It is the first in the series with the second one coming out this April. Damn.

And of course, for travelling, one can never go wrong with a good John Sandford book and Dead Watch stayed true to the Sandford formula. Lots of shadows and spies and government conspiracy always make long lulls in airports not so bad. I actually would say that Dead Watch is one of his finest in his long list of books. I definitely recommend this one as well.

Running Behind....as usual.....

OK, so I'm a little late to the show, but I did finish reading The Black Tower last night. I did not love it as much as Karen, but I did find it very enjoyable. I say that I like historical fiction, but maybe, really I don't. I loved Vidocq's character, and that alone will encourage me to check out Bayard's other book....that I DO ALREADY have in my stack.

BOOK #5

The Pale Blue Eye is Bayard's 2007 release following Mr. Timothy. Not quite as good as The Black Tower but definitely better than Mr. Timothy. For a change, this book takes place at the West Point Academy (vs London in his other books) in the late 1800s. For this book, we meet Edgar Allan Poe. As a cadet. And Bayard cleverly inserts him into the mystery without BEING the mystery.

His take on a young Poe is as I would have imagined him. An outsider, beyond brilliant, a little lost and a big romantic. Bayard drew him perfectly in my mind. For this romp, Poe is only assisting the main detective, Mr. Landor but they make a great team. I enjoyed this duo more than any Sherlock Holmes story. The story gets graphic at times but after reading Bayard's other works, I would not expect less from him.

This would make a great film.

But, fair warning, don't sit and eat while you read the last 2o pages or so. I was eating my lunch and pretty much lost it due to Bayard's famous twists and turns at the last minute. But, as Bayard said in his reply to my email about the ending - "Hey, hearts are nutritious too!"

Be intrigued.

last of the Library Books

Fort Worth Public Library, how I will miss you. I'm devoted to the pledge, but I'll still miss browsing for books while some hippy in a costume sings and plays guitar for a bunch of little kids sitting on the floor. Good times...

As a farewell, but not forever, here's my "review" of my last library book for a long while.

It's called In the Garden of Iden, but Kage Baker (cool name, right? I hope it's her real name. That would be neat!). Again, here I am with the chick sci-fi, but it was really entertaining. It had semi-time-traveling cyborg humans, who lived in Tudor England (good old Bloody Mary - she makes fear an easy story element, with all the burning-at-the-stake); it had lovely gardens, thanks to English weather; and also, thanks to the English weather, lots of sexy moments by the fire.

Time travel, cyborgs, Tudor England and cheap romance novel steaminess.... yeah!!!
I'm going to latch on to this series once I'm through with the pledge!

15 DAYS IN!

I'm holding steady with the pledge and it hasn't been as difficult as I imagined. Talk to me in six months. The others are doing well also. Although at dinner last week, there seemed to be alot of questions regarding loopholes. And the only one loophole we have found is we are allowed to receive books as gifts. But they cannot be read until all the others are finished. Again, on the honor system.

I miss the hunting down and finding my next great book but look how much money I'm saving! (this is what I try to tell myself).

Thoughts?

BOOK #4

A few pages into Mr. Bayard's 2009 release The Black Tower, I decided not only was he my new favorite author but my new BFF as well. Well, the BFF part is only in my head but he is INDEED my new favorite author.

Mr. Timothy is his 2004 release and while not AS enchanting as The Black Tower, it was still a great story. Basically, he picks up Tim Cratchit (or Tiny Tim as we all know him) and deposits him into the underbelly of London in 1860. Tim is struggling to 'find himself' after losing his parents and his siblings are lost to him- emotionally and physically. He gets involved in murders and kidnappings on a ride not to be expected of such a beloved character. Mr. Bayard's perfect English prose in this book takes a while to get used to but after a few pages the rhythm catches on and you get sucked into the story.

By turns, it is funny and sad, sadistic and sweet and as with The Black Tower, Bayard proves to be a master at big surprises. I swore at Bayard when he killed off a great character but I suppose it made sense. I still cried though.

My next book is another Bayard release, The Pale Blue Eye and I'm eager for another good round of well-written words.



P.S. I reached out and sent Bayard an email to tell him that he was my new BFF and author and since then we've exchanged some funny emails. Funny, smart, hip guy.

DAMN YOU, STEPHEN KING.

I just stumbled across his Best Books of 2009.
All his best of lists (movies, TV, CDs, books) are always well thought out.
I'm trying very hard NOT to read any book blogs or book columns or anything that smells of books.
But, this link was on one of my daily blogs.
I read all of the books on his summer recommended reading list and Drood was on that so that's one down...

DAMN YOU, STEPHEN KING!