Every year, I make all sorts of resolutions, usually about reading and email and keeping in touch with people. I guess this year is no different, but I'm trying to keep my goals achievable. If you're reading this, I would love for you to share your goals and/or resolutions via a comment on this blog.
First, I have three stacks of books on my shelf, all in varying stages of reading completion. I don't really know what makes me put a book down unfinished, but usually it's because I'm not totally absorbed in it. It's very hard for me to sustain reading when I'm not completely engaged in a particular book. However, I came up with a goofy little plan that is already working for me, so I'm going to commit to it for the whole year and see what happens. I read two books at a time now, not counting my bathroom book and my purse book. I alternate reading a chapter in one book, then a chapter in the other. When one of them really grabs my attention and I feel compelled to keep reading, I do that until I finish the book or my interest level drops again. Using this method, I've alread finished three books that I had started and put down. (Oh, the other trick is to make sure that one of the books is something I actually want to read.)
Another goal I've set for myself is that I cannot buy another book until I've read 10 of the books I already own. Since I literally have thousands of books I haven't yet read, I'm hoping this will help me whittle down Mt. TBR. If you know me really well, you know I'm going to struggle with this one, so I have allowed myself one option: I can take books from the various swap shelves I visit, but I actually have to have a book to swap out for each book I want to take.
My reading goal remains the same: I want to read 183 books this year, and I'd like to average 300 pages per book. I fell short in 2008 by almost 20 books, and my page average was 279.5 (I read a lot of YA and listened to a few audiobooks), so I'm going to have to work harder this year to reach those goals.
The good news is, my dual book reading plan will mitigate my reluctance to tackle reading really long books. I kind of resent reading books over 500 pages, because it's a lot of time to invest on one book, and it skews my numbers. Reading two books at once, though, I'll be able to keep adding to my books read while at the same time tackling some of those super-long books that I keep petting but putting down.
Here's to a prolific reading year in 2009!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Somewhere I'll Find You, by Lisa Kleypas
Ordinarily, Lisa Kleypas is one of my go-to authors for romance novels set more or less in Britain's Regency era. This book, however, had so many problems that I can't actually say I loved it. I wanted to love it; I wasn't bored by it; but it just didn't hold together when everything was said and done.
The premise of the book is quite interesting: Julia Hargate and Damon Savage were married as children to fulfill their parents' respective needs: Damon's family needed money, and Julia's father wanted her to be a duchess. Julia, being a 21st-century heroine, bitterly resents her father's machinations and so runs away to become an actress. Meanwhile, Damon has been searching for Julia to address the issue of their marriage, but he has a mistress who claims to be pregnant with his baby, and he's deep in lust with the hottest actress in town, our own Julia under a stage name.
Kleypas's setup is flawed from the start, because she herself seems uncertain about whether or not this arranged marriage would hold up in a 19th-century court of law. Since the characters also seem to waffle back and forth on the issue, the average reader is likely to be thoroughly confused. The solution that Julia is presented with toward the end of the book has little impact because several hundred pages of uncertainty are summarily dismissed with a firm, unequivocal answer. It just doesn't work. Kleypas should have given the reader some insight into her research on the issue, for clarity's sake. If she didn't research it, she should have, because this detail was integral to her plot.
While Julia is a thoroughly modern heroine, Damon really ought to have been used in a medieval romance. Once he figures out that Jessica the actress is Julia his wife, he spends the rest of the book ranting about how she needs to give up her career and focus on him. He was so positively primeval that I really began to wonder if his name was actually Gaston. Julia and Damon allegedly fall in love, but the circumstances of this development are extremely murky, because they never DO anything together. What is the basis of this great romance? He hates her career and she can't imagine life without the theatre in it. The solution to this conflict is eminently predictable and completely unsatisfying, despite Kleypas's best efforts to force readers to accept it. It just doesn't work.
Yet another flaw is the "other man," Julia's boss at the theatre. It's a big mistake for an author to make another character more compelling than the heroine. I spent much of the book waiting for Kleypas to turn Logan into the real hero of the book, and while it seemed like that might happen, Kleypas opted to pick the humdrum route. This is clearly a case of the characters and plot wanting to go one way, with the author forcing them down a different path, much against their will. Logan's devotion to the theatre and his pragmatic approach to love and life invited a turnaround in the name of love. His interests and Julia's dovetail perfectly, and it would have been far more satisfying for Julia to have humanized Logan through her love and their mutual interests. Logan made such an impact before Damon even showed up in the novel that he shouldn't have been thrust to the side. Kleypas could save the situation by giving Logan a book and true love of his own, but the likelihood that it will still feel forced, because readers are still likely to think that this book didn't end as it should have. Alternately, Kleypas could have let Logan have Julia and come up with another heroine for Damon, but Damon just didn't hold up as a hero in his own right; he was more a type. All the ingredients are there, but the execution fell short.
Just for the heck of it, can we have a moratorium on the use of Savage for the hero's name? It's been done to death, done unto cliche. Let it go, already, authors!
Finally, and this actually has very little to do with Kleypas, I deplore the lack of capable editing at most publishing houses. While I would like to believe my favorite authors are cognizant of basic rules of grammar and turns of phrase, I know that that's why we have editors. I'm especially disappointed by the number of times the pronouns I and me are used incorrectly. That's Grammar 101, people. And when there's a mistake on the back of the book (in this case, combining the heroine's real first name with her assumed last name), it's even worse.
I almost always rate books an 8 or a 9, but I give this one a 6. I'll always remember it, but more for what it could have been than for what it actually was.
The premise of the book is quite interesting: Julia Hargate and Damon Savage were married as children to fulfill their parents' respective needs: Damon's family needed money, and Julia's father wanted her to be a duchess. Julia, being a 21st-century heroine, bitterly resents her father's machinations and so runs away to become an actress. Meanwhile, Damon has been searching for Julia to address the issue of their marriage, but he has a mistress who claims to be pregnant with his baby, and he's deep in lust with the hottest actress in town, our own Julia under a stage name.
Kleypas's setup is flawed from the start, because she herself seems uncertain about whether or not this arranged marriage would hold up in a 19th-century court of law. Since the characters also seem to waffle back and forth on the issue, the average reader is likely to be thoroughly confused. The solution that Julia is presented with toward the end of the book has little impact because several hundred pages of uncertainty are summarily dismissed with a firm, unequivocal answer. It just doesn't work. Kleypas should have given the reader some insight into her research on the issue, for clarity's sake. If she didn't research it, she should have, because this detail was integral to her plot.
While Julia is a thoroughly modern heroine, Damon really ought to have been used in a medieval romance. Once he figures out that Jessica the actress is Julia his wife, he spends the rest of the book ranting about how she needs to give up her career and focus on him. He was so positively primeval that I really began to wonder if his name was actually Gaston. Julia and Damon allegedly fall in love, but the circumstances of this development are extremely murky, because they never DO anything together. What is the basis of this great romance? He hates her career and she can't imagine life without the theatre in it. The solution to this conflict is eminently predictable and completely unsatisfying, despite Kleypas's best efforts to force readers to accept it. It just doesn't work.
Yet another flaw is the "other man," Julia's boss at the theatre. It's a big mistake for an author to make another character more compelling than the heroine. I spent much of the book waiting for Kleypas to turn Logan into the real hero of the book, and while it seemed like that might happen, Kleypas opted to pick the humdrum route. This is clearly a case of the characters and plot wanting to go one way, with the author forcing them down a different path, much against their will. Logan's devotion to the theatre and his pragmatic approach to love and life invited a turnaround in the name of love. His interests and Julia's dovetail perfectly, and it would have been far more satisfying for Julia to have humanized Logan through her love and their mutual interests. Logan made such an impact before Damon even showed up in the novel that he shouldn't have been thrust to the side. Kleypas could save the situation by giving Logan a book and true love of his own, but the likelihood that it will still feel forced, because readers are still likely to think that this book didn't end as it should have. Alternately, Kleypas could have let Logan have Julia and come up with another heroine for Damon, but Damon just didn't hold up as a hero in his own right; he was more a type. All the ingredients are there, but the execution fell short.
Just for the heck of it, can we have a moratorium on the use of Savage for the hero's name? It's been done to death, done unto cliche. Let it go, already, authors!
Finally, and this actually has very little to do with Kleypas, I deplore the lack of capable editing at most publishing houses. While I would like to believe my favorite authors are cognizant of basic rules of grammar and turns of phrase, I know that that's why we have editors. I'm especially disappointed by the number of times the pronouns I and me are used incorrectly. That's Grammar 101, people. And when there's a mistake on the back of the book (in this case, combining the heroine's real first name with her assumed last name), it's even worse.
I almost always rate books an 8 or a 9, but I give this one a 6. I'll always remember it, but more for what it could have been than for what it actually was.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
GENERAL BOOK CHATTER
I've read a lot of YA books this year. The Twilight series was really good, and I'm waiting for the movie nearly as eagerly as my middle students are. I just finished the third book in Marianne Curley's Guardians of Time trilogy, and I must say, I'm actually disappointed with the ending, which was quite abrupt and deeply unsatisfying. I must find out if there's another book, because there were so many loose ends that I can't believe she doesn't plan to write any more about this group of people.
I'm reading A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN right now. This is one of those classics that I've just never gotten around to before. I'm not very deep into it, but I think it's going to be one of those head-smacking, why didn't I read this sooner kind of books.
I was pretty excited to see that they were making a TV series of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, but I just can't figure out why there's so much sex in it, because I truly don't remember that from the books. Maybe it's just HBO and their need to titillate, but I think the show would have done just as well without it. On the other hand, I would still love to see Kim Harrison's books made into a series.
This hasn't been the greatest of reading years--only 143 books so far, with about six weeks of reading time left to reach my minimum goal of 185 books for the year. I'm sure I can do it, but it's a little disconcerting that even with the large number of YA books read, the total isn't higher. More disappointingly, my total pages average will be well under 300 pages per book. Sigh.
Suzanne Collins, author of the Gregor the Overlander series, hooked me with her latest book, THE HUNGER GAMES. Given the results of the latest election and the recession that seems likely to escalate into outright depression, the premise of the book is not nearly as far-fetched as it might have seemed a year or so ago. After catastrophic civil war, what used to be the United States has been regrouped into twelve districts, ruled by a thirteenth district which conquered all of them. In most of the districts, poverty is rampant and hunger a very real part of everyday life. Each year, each district must submit one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in a reality show where the participants hunt and kill each other. The show's producers intervene to stir things up if the show gets too boring. The last one standing is showered with wealth and privilege. I devoured this book, staying up late into the night when I could hardly keep my eyes open because it was such a compelling story and the characters so interesting. I thought I would die when I got to the end and discovered that it was first in a trilogy! And since the book just came out last month, it will be ages before the next installment! AARGGGHHH!
Another YA book in a similar vein is SURVIVING ANTARCTICA: REALITY TV 2083 by Andrea White. In this one, with a similar socioeconomic condition, a group of teens must recreate Robert Falcon Scott's journey to the Antarctic. This book took a lot more swipes at politics and TV than THE HUNGER GAMES did, but it had many elements in common with that book, too. Both are highly recommended.
Well, that's about it for the moment. Drop me a line and tell me what you're reading these days. There's always room for more books on Mt. TBR!
I'm reading A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN right now. This is one of those classics that I've just never gotten around to before. I'm not very deep into it, but I think it's going to be one of those head-smacking, why didn't I read this sooner kind of books.
I was pretty excited to see that they were making a TV series of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, but I just can't figure out why there's so much sex in it, because I truly don't remember that from the books. Maybe it's just HBO and their need to titillate, but I think the show would have done just as well without it. On the other hand, I would still love to see Kim Harrison's books made into a series.
This hasn't been the greatest of reading years--only 143 books so far, with about six weeks of reading time left to reach my minimum goal of 185 books for the year. I'm sure I can do it, but it's a little disconcerting that even with the large number of YA books read, the total isn't higher. More disappointingly, my total pages average will be well under 300 pages per book. Sigh.
Suzanne Collins, author of the Gregor the Overlander series, hooked me with her latest book, THE HUNGER GAMES. Given the results of the latest election and the recession that seems likely to escalate into outright depression, the premise of the book is not nearly as far-fetched as it might have seemed a year or so ago. After catastrophic civil war, what used to be the United States has been regrouped into twelve districts, ruled by a thirteenth district which conquered all of them. In most of the districts, poverty is rampant and hunger a very real part of everyday life. Each year, each district must submit one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in a reality show where the participants hunt and kill each other. The show's producers intervene to stir things up if the show gets too boring. The last one standing is showered with wealth and privilege. I devoured this book, staying up late into the night when I could hardly keep my eyes open because it was such a compelling story and the characters so interesting. I thought I would die when I got to the end and discovered that it was first in a trilogy! And since the book just came out last month, it will be ages before the next installment! AARGGGHHH!
Another YA book in a similar vein is SURVIVING ANTARCTICA: REALITY TV 2083 by Andrea White. In this one, with a similar socioeconomic condition, a group of teens must recreate Robert Falcon Scott's journey to the Antarctic. This book took a lot more swipes at politics and TV than THE HUNGER GAMES did, but it had many elements in common with that book, too. Both are highly recommended.
Well, that's about it for the moment. Drop me a line and tell me what you're reading these days. There's always room for more books on Mt. TBR!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Summer Reading
I figured being on vacation for most of the month of July would give me the opportunity to get lots of reading done, but that proved not to be the case. I've only read five books so far this month (more or less) and finished listening to one audiobook.
The good news is, I finally got a copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and bombed through it in less than two days. I've just started the sequel and will go directly on to book three as soon as possible. I've got about a week to read nine or ten books so my July goals will be met. I don't mind being off by a book or two, but half a dozen or more is just downright unacceptable.
The good news is, I finally got a copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and bombed through it in less than two days. I've just started the sequel and will go directly on to book three as soon as possible. I've got about a week to read nine or ten books so my July goals will be met. I don't mind being off by a book or two, but half a dozen or more is just downright unacceptable.
Monday, January 21, 2008
"Respectable" Reading
So I'm thinking today about an incident that occurred a couple of summers ago. I had brought a romance novel to church with me because I had gotten there early and had to kill time until children's choir started. Someone approached me to ask about my book, which I put away before she reached me because I knew what she would say about romance novels. I was right--she wrote a whole blog entry about me, sniffing at my reading choice and just generally being very unkind about it.
Fast forward to today. I'm busy adding books to my shelf at Shelfari (MUST recommend that site to anyone who wants to feel better about giving their books away--you can still have them on a shelf and look at them whenever you want to!), and it occurs to me that the format of a book makes a big difference in people's attitudes. If you read a paperback romance, there are oodles of people who will feel perfectly free to look down on you for it and snipe about your plebeian preferences. Put the same book in a trade paperback format and charge five or six bucks more for it, however, and suddenly it acquires this veneer of acceptability. Like, if you paid that much for it, it must be worthy?!
Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar. If you have, feel free to jump in and comment here, because I would love to see what others think about this issue.
Fast forward to today. I'm busy adding books to my shelf at Shelfari (MUST recommend that site to anyone who wants to feel better about giving their books away--you can still have them on a shelf and look at them whenever you want to!), and it occurs to me that the format of a book makes a big difference in people's attitudes. If you read a paperback romance, there are oodles of people who will feel perfectly free to look down on you for it and snipe about your plebeian preferences. Put the same book in a trade paperback format and charge five or six bucks more for it, however, and suddenly it acquires this veneer of acceptability. Like, if you paid that much for it, it must be worthy?!
Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar. If you have, feel free to jump in and comment here, because I would love to see what others think about this issue.
Plagiarism in the Romance World Again!
Since it came out lo, these many years ago that Janet Dailey had cribbed entire chunks of Nora Roberts' books, I have not bought another Janet Dailey book or allowed her books to be in my house. I've been very regretful about that, because there were some of Dailey's books that I really liked (mostly in her Harlequin Presents Americana collection).
Well, now it turns out that historical romance author Cassie Edwards has done something similar, although her choice of material to copy is much older. Edwards has plagiarized material for her western romances from some text published early in the 20th century. Her publishing house stood by her at first, denying that it was plagiarism, but as the details came out, had to admit that one of their bestselling authors had, indeed, copied entire passages from this older source.
I've seen the text, and it's clearly copied, right down to the word choices. Yes, she made minor variations here and there, but an author of her experience could have not doubt that what she was doing was cheating. Unlike Dailey, who had the chutzpah to copy one of the bestselling novelists in the world and then be kind of huffy about it when caught (including giving a throwaway "apology" that managed to offend many who read it), Edwards ripped her material from a more obscure source, and must have been fairly confident that she would not be caught out.
Unfortunately, the publishing world is smaller than ever due to the internet, and people have access to a lot more material than ever before. It's just crazy to think you can get away with this type of thing in this day and age.
I'm deeply grateful that I've never been a big Edwards fan, having read only one or two of her books. Nevertheless, she will join Dailey on my list of authors who, under no circumstances, will be allowed in my house. What a pity.
Well, now it turns out that historical romance author Cassie Edwards has done something similar, although her choice of material to copy is much older. Edwards has plagiarized material for her western romances from some text published early in the 20th century. Her publishing house stood by her at first, denying that it was plagiarism, but as the details came out, had to admit that one of their bestselling authors had, indeed, copied entire passages from this older source.
I've seen the text, and it's clearly copied, right down to the word choices. Yes, she made minor variations here and there, but an author of her experience could have not doubt that what she was doing was cheating. Unlike Dailey, who had the chutzpah to copy one of the bestselling novelists in the world and then be kind of huffy about it when caught (including giving a throwaway "apology" that managed to offend many who read it), Edwards ripped her material from a more obscure source, and must have been fairly confident that she would not be caught out.
Unfortunately, the publishing world is smaller than ever due to the internet, and people have access to a lot more material than ever before. It's just crazy to think you can get away with this type of thing in this day and age.
I'm deeply grateful that I've never been a big Edwards fan, having read only one or two of her books. Nevertheless, she will join Dailey on my list of authors who, under no circumstances, will be allowed in my house. What a pity.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Revenge Gifts, by Cindy Cruciger
REVENGE GIFTS
Cindy Cruciger
ISBN: 0-765-35225-7
Romance
Book #08-009
Tara Cole has a successful mail-order business selling an unusual product: gifts for people who want revenge against those who have wronged them. Among her most successful items are lacy pillows stuffed with cat hair (for people who are allergic to cats), boxer shorts guaranteed to set off metal detectors at the airport (for cheating husbands), and Candy-A-Day (a daily chocolate certain to help expand your worst enemy's hips). Tara's friend Kathy warns her that revenge is bad for her karma, but Tara has a pretty good life, even if her house is filled with ghosts who create chaos in her kitchen.
When a very cute guy named Howard shows up, wanting to buy into Tara's business, she's quick to assure him that she works alone, but she can't help being attracted to him. Unfortunately, just about the time Howard enters Tara's life, so does a series of increasingly larger black animals, harbingers of imminent disaster and evidence that someone has laid a curse on Tara. Howard may be attracted to her, but could he also be the one responsible for Tara's change of luck?
Cindy Cruciger has written a charmingly funny romantic suspense caper, redolent with the sizzling heat of the Florida keys in mid-summer. Tara is possibly the most curmudgeonly heroine in the history of romance novels, but her dry wit and acid tongue are hilarious. Tara and Howard (AKA Muffin) are steamy lovers, and Cruciger peoples her novel with other unique characters, such as the improbably debonair but deeply disturbing Darius, demented harpy Miss Good Voodoo, terrifyingly efficient Kimberly Case (Tara's nemesis from her previous job), and taciturn, scary Rique, the cook at Crusty's Bar, which Tara runs for her friend in exchange for free rent and use of a boat. Not to be overlooked are the ghost of Uncle Les, who turns the lights on and off at the most inopportune times, the kitchen poltergeist, who smashes eggs at night, and Zeke the kitten, cuddly and adorable.
REVENGE GIFTS is a perfect beach read, a quick-moving page-turner with something for everyone. This book is highly recommended, and readers will certainly be on the lookout for the next dishy confection from newcomer Cindy Cruciger.
Cindy Cruciger
ISBN: 0-765-35225-7
Romance
Book #08-009
Tara Cole has a successful mail-order business selling an unusual product: gifts for people who want revenge against those who have wronged them. Among her most successful items are lacy pillows stuffed with cat hair (for people who are allergic to cats), boxer shorts guaranteed to set off metal detectors at the airport (for cheating husbands), and Candy-A-Day (a daily chocolate certain to help expand your worst enemy's hips). Tara's friend Kathy warns her that revenge is bad for her karma, but Tara has a pretty good life, even if her house is filled with ghosts who create chaos in her kitchen.
When a very cute guy named Howard shows up, wanting to buy into Tara's business, she's quick to assure him that she works alone, but she can't help being attracted to him. Unfortunately, just about the time Howard enters Tara's life, so does a series of increasingly larger black animals, harbingers of imminent disaster and evidence that someone has laid a curse on Tara. Howard may be attracted to her, but could he also be the one responsible for Tara's change of luck?
Cindy Cruciger has written a charmingly funny romantic suspense caper, redolent with the sizzling heat of the Florida keys in mid-summer. Tara is possibly the most curmudgeonly heroine in the history of romance novels, but her dry wit and acid tongue are hilarious. Tara and Howard (AKA Muffin) are steamy lovers, and Cruciger peoples her novel with other unique characters, such as the improbably debonair but deeply disturbing Darius, demented harpy Miss Good Voodoo, terrifyingly efficient Kimberly Case (Tara's nemesis from her previous job), and taciturn, scary Rique, the cook at Crusty's Bar, which Tara runs for her friend in exchange for free rent and use of a boat. Not to be overlooked are the ghost of Uncle Les, who turns the lights on and off at the most inopportune times, the kitchen poltergeist, who smashes eggs at night, and Zeke the kitten, cuddly and adorable.
REVENGE GIFTS is a perfect beach read, a quick-moving page-turner with something for everyone. This book is highly recommended, and readers will certainly be on the lookout for the next dishy confection from newcomer Cindy Cruciger.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Book Give-away: Nora Roberts audiobook
This week's give-away is a four book audio collection of Nora Roberts' Dream trilogy plus Homeport. These audiobooks are abridged, and the reader generally does a good job (except for little girl voices--hers are ANNOYING). To win this book, all you have to do is comment on this post. If you are the winner (I'll announce this next Saturday), you'll need to send me your mailing info so I can send you your prize.
No one entered last week's give-away, so I'll put Devil in the White City on the swap shelf at work.
No one entered last week's give-away, so I'll put Devil in the White City on the swap shelf at work.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Book Give-away for January 19, 2008
Book Give-away for January 19, 2008
Last week's winner was Vicki. I would really like to see more entrants in my book give-aways, but I'm happy to be sending books off to new homes.
This week's book is THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson. This is an excellent murder mystery set during the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. It's even more compelling because the murders actually happened. If you think serial killers are a modern phenomenon, this book will give you pause.
To enter, all you have to do is make a response to this post. I will choose a winner on the 19th. Good luck, everyone!
Last week's winner was Vicki. I would really like to see more entrants in my book give-aways, but I'm happy to be sending books off to new homes.
This week's book is THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson. This is an excellent murder mystery set during the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. It's even more compelling because the murders actually happened. If you think serial killers are a modern phenomenon, this book will give you pause.
To enter, all you have to do is make a response to this post. I will choose a winner on the 19th. Good luck, everyone!
If His Kiss Is Wicked, by Jo Goodman
IF HIS KISS IS WICKED
Jo Goodman
ISBN: 0-8217-7777-7
Historical Romance
Book #08-006
Emma Hathaway has made a comfortable home for herself with her uncle, Sir Arthur Vega, and his daughter, the lovely Marisol, by making herself useful in her uncle's painting studio and being something of a companion/servant to her cousin. When Emma is asked to meet with Marisol's lover, the result is nearly fatal: Emma is kidnapped and beaten severely. Battered from her ordeal and in despair at her family's disbelief that she is still a target, Emma seeks help from the mysterious Restell Gardner.
Restell has made a name for himself by helping people solve problems of scandalous proportion. With a combination of cunning and finesse, and an ability to barter favors for information and other intangibles, Restell's unique skills are oddly suited to resolving Emma's issues. As he gets to know Emma, Restell finds himself captivating by her dry sense of humor, her beauty, and her strength. Amidst attempted murder and romantic intrigue, Restell and Emma are drawn into a passion that threatens to consume them.
Jo Goodman always writes with sureness and sensuality, and her talent does not fail to keep things simmering in this romantic mystery. The relationship between Emma and Restell is beautifully depicted, and
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the fact that they are married halfway into the book gives the romance an extra shimmer of tenderness. Much of the charm of this book is in the development of the trust and affection between the hero and heroine, and for these particular characters, nothing less than matrimony would have been acceptable. Being husband and wife allows Restell and Emma the freedom to explore their growing attraction without guilt or furtive measures tainting their pleasure in each other.
As always, Goodman's supporting cast are three-dimensional, fully believable characters in their own right. Goodman is skilled at layering information in her plots and then peeling it away in just the right increments to move the story forward without revealing too much, too soon. Readers will realize early on that nothing is as it seems in the Vega household, but red herrings and a complex plot will keep readers guessing right up until the final chapter. Marisol, the motherless beauty pampered by her adoring father, is jealous of Emma's closeness to Sir Arthur, yet she depends on Emma to make their lives more comfortable. Sir Arthur, crippled and unable to paint as he used to, relies on Emma to manage his social life as well as his artistic commitments. Marisol's fiance, Neven, was once attracted to Emma before he settled on her cousin, but his management of Sir Arthur's finances is suspect. Restell's family, whom we've met in previous books, are as warm and engaging as ever.
IF HIS KISS IS WICKED is yet another treasure from autobuy author Jo Goodman. Although the title is a bit random, the story delivers everything Goodman's readers have come to expect from her. This book is definitely a keeper.
Jo Goodman
ISBN: 0-8217-7777-7
Historical Romance
Book #08-006
Emma Hathaway has made a comfortable home for herself with her uncle, Sir Arthur Vega, and his daughter, the lovely Marisol, by making herself useful in her uncle's painting studio and being something of a companion/servant to her cousin. When Emma is asked to meet with Marisol's lover, the result is nearly fatal: Emma is kidnapped and beaten severely. Battered from her ordeal and in despair at her family's disbelief that she is still a target, Emma seeks help from the mysterious Restell Gardner.
Restell has made a name for himself by helping people solve problems of scandalous proportion. With a combination of cunning and finesse, and an ability to barter favors for information and other intangibles, Restell's unique skills are oddly suited to resolving Emma's issues. As he gets to know Emma, Restell finds himself captivating by her dry sense of humor, her beauty, and her strength. Amidst attempted murder and romantic intrigue, Restell and Emma are drawn into a passion that threatens to consume them.
Jo Goodman always writes with sureness and sensuality, and her talent does not fail to keep things simmering in this romantic mystery. The relationship between Emma and Restell is beautifully depicted, and
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the fact that they are married halfway into the book gives the romance an extra shimmer of tenderness. Much of the charm of this book is in the development of the trust and affection between the hero and heroine, and for these particular characters, nothing less than matrimony would have been acceptable. Being husband and wife allows Restell and Emma the freedom to explore their growing attraction without guilt or furtive measures tainting their pleasure in each other.
As always, Goodman's supporting cast are three-dimensional, fully believable characters in their own right. Goodman is skilled at layering information in her plots and then peeling it away in just the right increments to move the story forward without revealing too much, too soon. Readers will realize early on that nothing is as it seems in the Vega household, but red herrings and a complex plot will keep readers guessing right up until the final chapter. Marisol, the motherless beauty pampered by her adoring father, is jealous of Emma's closeness to Sir Arthur, yet she depends on Emma to make their lives more comfortable. Sir Arthur, crippled and unable to paint as he used to, relies on Emma to manage his social life as well as his artistic commitments. Marisol's fiance, Neven, was once attracted to Emma before he settled on her cousin, but his management of Sir Arthur's finances is suspect. Restell's family, whom we've met in previous books, are as warm and engaging as ever.
IF HIS KISS IS WICKED is yet another treasure from autobuy author Jo Goodman. Although the title is a bit random, the story delivers everything Goodman's readers have come to expect from her. This book is definitely a keeper.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
This week's winner, and next week's giveaway
This week's winner, of Emeril's Louisiana cookbook, is toyhabilitation. Congratulations!
My next giveaway is an audiobook, abridged and on cassette. The book is Hot Six (the sixth book in the Stephanie Plum series), by Janet Evanovich, read by Debi Mazar (who does a really good job of it, by the way). I bought it from my library's discard shelf, so it's been through some handling, but it played fine and was a fun listen during a recent trip to Memphis. All you have to do to be entered is to comment on this blog entry. If you'd like, you can email your address to me at magpye29@hotmail.com with a list of your reading preferences, and you could win a random book from me, as I tend to pass my books along as soon as I've read them.
Good luck, everyone!
My next giveaway is an audiobook, abridged and on cassette. The book is Hot Six (the sixth book in the Stephanie Plum series), by Janet Evanovich, read by Debi Mazar (who does a really good job of it, by the way). I bought it from my library's discard shelf, so it's been through some handling, but it played fine and was a fun listen during a recent trip to Memphis. All you have to do to be entered is to comment on this blog entry. If you'd like, you can email your address to me at magpye29@hotmail.com with a list of your reading preferences, and you could win a random book from me, as I tend to pass my books along as soon as I've read them.
Good luck, everyone!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Book Give-away
Last year I tried giving books away, but it turned out to be kind of hard to get people's addresses, and then things got away from me. I'm going to try giving books away again this year, every week, and I'm going to be switching up genres and books.
I'm also going to be doing random mystery give-aways. If you're interested in one of these, email me at magpye29@hotmail.com with your address and a list of your favorite genres and authors. I will not give your address to anyone, and I will not bother you with email; all that will happen is that you might get a random book from me. All I ask in return is that you make a journal entry at http://www.bookcrossing.com/ for any book(s) you might receive from me--there will be a sticker inside the book cover with directions on how to do the journal entry.
The first book give-away of 2008 is an Emeril cookbook. I don't have it right in front of me, but it's a Louisiana cookbook, autographed by the author. The dust jacket has been taped where it ripped down the front, but otherwise, the book is in good condition.
If you would like to be entered into the drawing for this book, please leave a comment on this post. Feel free to look around my blog and check out some of the sites I go to regularly, too. Good luck--I hope each of you will have a year filled with good books and all the things you love best. Check back on Saturday to see who the winner is!
I'm also going to be doing random mystery give-aways. If you're interested in one of these, email me at magpye29@hotmail.com with your address and a list of your favorite genres and authors. I will not give your address to anyone, and I will not bother you with email; all that will happen is that you might get a random book from me. All I ask in return is that you make a journal entry at http://www.bookcrossing.com/ for any book(s) you might receive from me--there will be a sticker inside the book cover with directions on how to do the journal entry.
The first book give-away of 2008 is an Emeril cookbook. I don't have it right in front of me, but it's a Louisiana cookbook, autographed by the author. The dust jacket has been taped where it ripped down the front, but otherwise, the book is in good condition.
If you would like to be entered into the drawing for this book, please leave a comment on this post. Feel free to look around my blog and check out some of the sites I go to regularly, too. Good luck--I hope each of you will have a year filled with good books and all the things you love best. Check back on Saturday to see who the winner is!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Books Read From January 2003 Through December 2007, alphabetical by title
- Abandoned Prayers--Gregg Olsen (7/03)
- Abner & Me--Dan Gutman (2/07)
- Absolutely Captivated--Kristine Grayson (2/04)
- Ace of Hearts--Barbara Metzger (12/05)
- Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell--Kristiana Gregory (8/04)
- Adventures of an Ice Princess--Liz Maverick (12/07)
- Adventures of a Scottish Heiress--Cathy Maxwell (4/04)
- The Adventures of Treehorn--Florence Parry Heide (4/03)
- Again the Magic--Lisa Kleypas (1/04)
- The Agony of Alice--Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (12/06)
- Ain't She Sweet?--Susan Elizabeth Phillips (7/04)
- Alex, Who Won His War--Chester Aaron (12/07)
- The Alibi--Sandra Brown (1/06)
- Alice's Tulips--Sandra Dallas (12/06)
- All a Woman Wants--Patricia Rice (2/03)
- All He Ever Wanted--Anita Shreve, read by Dennis Boutsikaris (8/07)
- All I Want for Christmas--Sheila Rabe (11/05)
- All Souls: A Family Story from Southie--Michael Patrick MacDonald (5/03)
- Almost a Bride--Jane Feather (5/05)
- Almost Like Being in Love--Christina Dodd (8/04)
- Almost Perfect--Julie Ortolon (8/05)
- Always--Jude Deveraux (1/05)
- America's Dumbest Criminals: Wild & Weird Stories of Fumbling Felons, Clumsy Crooks, and Ridiculous Robbers--Daniel Butler, Alan Ray, and Leland Gregory (11/05)
- Among the Hidden--Margaret Peterson Haddix (10/03)
- The Angel Doll: A Christmas Story--Jerry Bledsoe (4/05)
- The Angel of Darkness--Caleb Carr (7/04)
- Angels Among Us--A Guideposts Book (4/03)
- Angels Fall--Nora Roberts (11/06)
- Another Chance, Another Time--Catherine Snodgrass (1/03)
- The Anybodies by N. E. Body--Julianna Baggott (5/06)
- Ares of Westford--Robin Hardy
- Around the Next Corner--Elizabeth Warren (6/06)
- The Artful Miss Irvine--Jennifer Malin (1/04)
- As Big As Texas--K. N. Casper (2/06)
- Autobiography of a Face--Lucy Grealy (1/05)
- Awaken Me Darkly--Gena Showalter (8/07)
- The Baby on the Car Roof and 222 More Urban Legends--Thomas J. Craughwell (6/03)
- The Bad Beginning--Lemony Snicket (2/04)
- The Bad Seed--William March (3/03)
- The Ballad of Dixon Bell--Lynnette Kent (6/07)
- Basket Case--Carl Hiaasen, read by the author (12/07)
- Beautiful Child--Torey Hayden (1/03)
- Beauty and the Beast--Hannah Howell (5/07)
- Beauty Like the Night--Liz Carlyle (11/05)
- Because You're Mine--Nan Ryan (6/05)
- Been There, Done That--Carol Snow (8/06)
- Bella at Midnight--Diane Stanley (10/07)
- Be Mine Forever--Rosemary Laurey (1/06)
- Best Laid Plans--Constance O'Day-Flannery (5/06)
- The Best Man--Maggie Osborne (6/03)
- The Betrayal--Beverly Lewis (9/03)
- Betrayal in Death--J. D. Robb (7/05)
- Bet Your Bottom Dollar--Karin Gillespie (6/06)
- Beyond Paradise--Elizabeth Doyle (5/04)
- Beyond the Burning Time--Kathryn Lasky (8/05)
- Beyond the Highland Mist--Karen Marie Moning (6/04)
- Big Cherry Holler--Adriana Trigiani (8/05)
- Big Girls Don't Cry--Brenda Novak (2/06)
- Billy Dead--Lisa Reardon (5/06)
- Bird--Angela Johnson (2/07)
- Birthright--Nora Roberts (5/03)
- The Black Canary--Jane Louise Curry (12/07)
- Blindsighted--Karin Slaughter (2/06)
- Blizzard's Wake--Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (11/07)
- Blood and Lust: The Best of Court TV--David Jacobs (7/03)
- Blue Dahlia--Nora Roberts (10/04)
- Blue Jasmine--Kashmira Sheth (1/07)
- Blue Skies--Catherine Anderson (4/05)
- Blue Smoke--Nora Roberts (12/05)
- Blue Waltz--Linda Francis Lee (8/04)
- Boo--Rene Gutteridge (9/03)
- Boo Hiss--Rene Gutteridge (9/05)
- Bookends--Jane Green (5/03)
- Boo Who--Rene Gutteridge (9/04)
- Born in Death--J. D. Robb (5/07)
- Born in Sin--Kinley MacGregor (2/03)
- Boston Jane--Jennifer L. Holm (4/03)
- The Breaker Boys--Pat Hughes (3/07)
- A Break with Charity: A Story About the Salem Witch Trials--Ann Rinaldi (7/06)
- Breath of Scandal--Sandra Brown (3/05)
- Brian's Return--Gary Paulsen (11/05)
- Brian's Winter--Gary Paulsen (6/05)
- The Bridal Veil--Alexis Harrington (7/03)
- The Bride--Julie Garwood (12/05)
- The Bride and the Beast--Teresa Medeiros (12/05)
- A Bride Most Begrudging--Deeanne Gist (7/06)
- The Bride Quilt--Pamela Quint Chambers (10/03)
- Brides of Prairie Gold--Maggie Osborne (4/03)
- Bridget Jones's Diary--Helen Fielding (6/03)
- Broken Doll--Burl Barer (5/07)
- The Bronze Bow--Elizabeth George Speare (5/06)
- The Bronze Horseman--Paullina Simons (3/07)
- The Buck Stops Here--Mindy Starns Clark (7/04)
- The Cabin--Carla Neggers (10/05)
- Calculated Loss: A Madeline Carter Novel--Linda L. Richards (8/06)
- Carolina Isle--Jude Deveraux (12/06)
- Caroline's Waterloo--Betty Neels (1/03)
- A Case of Nosy Neighbors--Lori Copeland (10/04)
- Catching Katie--Robin Lee Hatcher (12/03)
- A Celebration of Babies--edited by Sally Emerson (6/03)
- Chagall--Marie-Therese Souverbie (12/07)
- Chalk's Woman--David Ballantine (10/04)
- Change of Life--Judith Arnold (4/06)
- Changing Habits--Debbie Macomber (5/03)
- Charlie's Run--Valerie Hobbs (11/07)
- Charming the Highlander--Janet Chapman (10/03)
- Chesapeake Blue--Nora Roberts (10/03)
- The Chick and the Dead--Casey Daniels (5/07)
- The Children's Blizzard--David Laskin (9/05)
- A Child's Promise--Deborah Bedford (1/05)
- Chill Factor--Sandra Brown (8/05)
- Chocolate for a Woman's Heart & Soul--Kay Allenbaugh (5/03)
- A Christmas Baby--Annette Blair (3/06)
- The Christmas Basket--Debbie Macomber (3/03)
- The Christmas Blessing--Donna VanLiere (12/07)
- The Christmas Doll--Elvira Woodruff (11/03)
- Christmas in Canaan--Kenny Rogers & Donald Davenport (1/03)
- A Christmas Legacy--Kathryn Shay (7/06)
- The Christmas Quilt--Jennifer Chiaverini (11/05)
- The Christmas Quilt--Thomas J. Davis (1/03)
- The Christmas Train--David Baldacci (11/04)
- The Cinderella Pact--Sarah Strohmeyer (6/06)
- Claiming the Highlander--Kinley MacGregor (3/03)
- Close to You--Christina Dodd (4/05)
- Club Dead--Charlaine Harris (7/07)
- A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska, Lattimer, Pennsylvania, 1896--Susan Campbell Bartoletti (7/05)
- Coffin on a Case--Eve Bunting (6/03)
- Colliding Forces--Constance O'Day-Flannery (5/06)
- Color the Sidewalk for Me--Brandilyn Collins (2/05)
- Comanche Woman--Joan Johnston (11/04)
- Complete Abandon--Cheryl Holt (6/04)
- Completely Smitten--Kristine Grayson (11/03)
- Copycat--Erica Spindler (5/06)
- Coraline--Neil Gaiman (12/03)
- The Cottage--Sandra Steffen (1/03)
- Count on Me--Kathryn Shay (11/03)
- The Courier--Melanie Jackson (5/06)
- Courting Claudia--Robyn DeHart (9/05)
- Covenant Child--Terri Blackstock (8/03)
- Cowboy Cristmas--Catherine Palmer, Linda Goodnight, and Lisa Harris (9/04)
- Crimson Stain--Jim Fisher (7/03)
- Cruel Doubt--Joe McGinniss (7/03)
- Cry for the Strangers--John Saul (7/04)
- Crystal--V. C. Andrews (9/03)
- Cupid's Dart--Maggie MacKeever (4/04)
- Daisy's Back in Town--Rachel Gibson (8/04)
- Damsel in Green--Betty Neels (7/03)
- Dangerous Attractions--Colleen Easton (1/03)
- Dangerous Evidence: The True Story of an Accused Man's Search for Justice--and the Woman Activist Who Fought for His Rights--Ellis A. Cohen with Milton J. Shapiro (2/05)
- Dark Gold--Christine Feehan (5/06)
- Dark Desire--Christine Feehan (5/06)
- Dark Prince--Christine Feehan (5/06)
- The DaVinci Code--Dan Brown (5/05)
- Dead as a Doornail--Charlaine Harris (9/07)
- Dead Certain--Mariah Stewart (6/05)
- Dead Ends: The Pursuit, Conviction, and Execution of Female Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos, The Damsel of Death--Michael Reynolds (2/05)
- Deadly American Beauty--John Glatt (11/05)
- Dead to the World--Charlaine Harris (9/07)
- Dead Until Dark--Charlaine Harris (7/07)
- Dead Witch Walking--Kim Harrison (2/05)
- A Deal with the Devil--Liz Carlyle (9/05)
- Dear Dr. Bell...Your friend, Helen Keller--Judith St. George (5/06)
- Dear Maggie--Brenda Novak (9/04)
- Death, Bones, and Stately Homes--Valerie S. Malmont (5/06)
- Deck the Halls--Arlene James (4/07)
- Definitely Dead--Charlaine Harris (10/07)
- Depraved: A True Story of Sadistic Murder in the Heartland--John Glatt (1/06)
- The Destiny--Kathleen Givens (3/03)
- The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America--Erik Larson (7/06)
- Devilish--Jo Beverly (7/04)
- The Devil's Heiress--Jo Beverly (5/04)
- The Devil Wears Prada--Lauren Weisberger (5/05)
- Dime Store Magic--Kelley Armstrong (11/05)
- Divided in Death--J. D. Robb (1/04)
- Dollar Daze--Karin Gillespie (11/07)
- A Dollar Short--Karin Gillespie (6/06)
- The Doll People--Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin (5/03)
- Don of the Dead--Casey Michaels (6/07)
- Do They Wear High Heels in Heaven?--Erica Orloff (1/06)
- Double Dare--Rhonda Nelson (11/04)
- Dovey Coe--Frances O'Roark Dowell (11/05)
- Down By the River--Robyn Carr (6/03)
- Down the Rabbit Hole--Peter Abrahams (10/07)
- Dream On--Beverly Brandt (2/05)
- Dreamwold Castle--Florence Hightower (2/04)
- The Drifter--Lori Copeland (5/06)
- Dr. Laura: The Unauthorized Biography--Vickie L. Bane (1/05)
- Drop-Dead Blonde--Nancy Martin, Elaine Viets, Denise Swanson, and Victoria Laurie (6/05)
- The Duchess's Next Husband--Terri Brisbin (6/05)
- Dwelling Places--Vinita Hampton Wright (4/07)
- Dying Declaration--Randy Singer (5/06)
- The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906--Laurence Yep (11/07)
- Eat Cake--Jeanne Ray (12/05)
- Ellen Foster--Kaye Gibbons (2/03)
- An Elm Creek Quilts Sampler--Jennifer Chiaverini (11/03)
- Emma's Journal--Ed Rowell (11/03)
- Empty Promises--Ann Rule (6/05)
- The Enchanted April--Elizabeth Von Arnim, read by Josie Lawrence (11/07)
- Enchanted, Inc.--Shanna Swendson (10/06)
- Enchantress from the Stars--Sylvia Louise Engdahl (5/04)
- The Endearment--LaVyrle Spencer (10/03)
- England's Perfect Hero--Suzanne Enoch (9/04)
- Every Storm--Lori Wick (7/04)
- Everything's Coming Up Josey--Susan May Warren (7/06)
- Every Which Way but Dead--Kim Harrison (7/05)
- Evidence of Murder--Bill McClellan (7/03)
- Evvy's Civil War--Miriam Brenaman (12/07)
- Except My Love--Mary Burchell (5/05)
- Eye of the Beholder--Ingrid Weaver (2/03)
- The Eye of the Dream--Elizabeth Sinclair (8/06)
- A Face First--Priscilla Cummings (1/04)
- Fairest--Gail Carson Levine (12/06)
- The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood--Barb Bentler Ullman (11/07)
- Fanged and Fabulous--Michelle Rowen (8/07)
- Fantasy Lover--Sherrilyn Kenyon (4/05)
- Fast Food Nation--Eric Schlosser (2/06)
- Fate Is Remarkable--Betty Neels (5/05)
- Feet First--Leanne Banks (8/05)
- Fever 1793--Laurie Halse Anderson (11/05)
- Finders Keepers--Shirl Henke (12/05)
- Finding Mary Blaine--Jodi Thomas (11/05)
- Firestarter--Stephen King (9/03)
- Firestorm--Iris Johansen (6/06)
- The First Day--Barbara McMahon (11/04)
- First Impressions--Jude Deveraux (11/06)
- First Love, Second Chance--K. N. Casper (11/07)
- A Fistful of Charms--Kim Harrison (7/06)
- Five Children and It--E. Nesbit (7/06)
- Five Kids, One Christmas--Terese Ramin (3/05)
- The Five People You Meet in Heaven--Mitch Albom (2/05)
- Flash Point--Sally John (2/06)
- Flesh & Blood: Guilty As Sin, Erotic Tales of Crime and Passion--edited by Max Allan Collins & Jeff Gelb
- The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle--Lois Battle (11/04)
- Flour Babies--Anne Fine (4/05)
- Fog Magic--Julia L. Sauer (3/04)
- For a Few Demons More--Kim Harrison (12/07)
- Forbidden--Helen Kirkman (6/05)
- Forbidden Magic--Cheyenne McCray (12/07
- The Forest Lover--Susan Vreeland (1/06)
- Forever and Always--Jude Deveraux (9/03)
- Forgive the Wind--Cindy Holby (8/05)
- Four to Score--Janet Evanovich (3/06)
- Freedom's Wings: Corey's Diary, Kentucky to Ohio, 1857 (My America)--Sharon Denis Wyeth (7/06)
- Friday--Robert A. Heinlein (1/05)
- Friday's Child--Georgette Heyer (6/06)
- Frisco's Kid--Suzanne Brockmann (5/06)
- The Frog Princess--E. D. Baker (5/05)
- Front Porch Princess--Kathryn Springer (2/07)
- A Garden in the Rain--Lynn Kurland (5/04)
- A Gentle Awakening--Betty Neels (2/03)
- A Gentleman at Heart--Barbara Pierce (11/03)
- A Gentleman By Any Other Name--Kasey Michaels (6/07)
- Georgie's Moon--Chris Woodworth (12/07)
- Getting Lucky--Susan Andersen (6/03)
- The Ghost Children--Eve Bunting (9/05)
- Ghost Girl--Torey L. Hayden (2/05)
- Ghost Girl: A Blue Ridge Mountain Story--Delia Ray (8/04)
- Ghost Stories of Ohio--Edrick Thay (11/06)
- The Gift--Julie Garwood (4/03)
- The Girl in the Blue Dress--Mary Burchell (5/06)
- The Girls--Amy Goldman Koss (8/07)
- Girls' Poker Night--Jill A. Davis (6/04)
- The Goblin Wood--Hilari Bell (6/06)
- The Good, the Bad, and the Undead--Kim Harrison (5/05)
- Grail Prince--Nancy Affleck McKenzie (1/03)
- A Great and Terrible Beauty--Libba Bray (12/06)
- The Great Good Thing--Roderick Townley (5/03)
- The Great Little Madison--Jean Fritz (9/06)
- The Great Mom Swap--Betsy Haynes (5/06)
- Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane--Suzanne Collins (9/04)
- Gregor the Overlander--Suzanne Collins (6/04)
- Growing Wings--Laurel Winter (1/04)
- The Hadassah Covenant: A Queen's Legacy--Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen (12/05)
- Hadassah: One Night with the King--Tommy Tenney with Mark Andrew Olsen (3/04)
- Half-Magic--Edward Eager (5/04)
- Halos--Kristen Heitzmann (5/05)
- Hand Quilted with Love--Joyce Livingston (6/05)
- Hannah's Vow--Pam Crooks (1/05)
- Hard Eight--Janet Evanovich (7/06)
- Harmony--Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle (5/04)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--J. K. Rowling (7/07)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince--J. K. Rowling (4/06)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix--J. K. Rowling (6/03)
- Hatchet--Gary Paulsen (5/05)
- Haunted--Kelley Armstrong (1/06)
- Haunted--Heather Graham (2/05)
- Haven--Bobbi Smith writing as Julie Marshall (3/05)
- Hawk's Way--Joan Johnston (11/03)
- Head Over Heels--Susan Andersen (2/05)
- Heart Choice--Robin D. Owens (8/05)
- Heart Dance--Robin D. Owens (10/07)
- Heart Duel--Robin D. Owens (3/04)
- The Heart Reader--Terri Blackstock (8/05)
- Heart Thief--Robin D. Owens (5/04)
- Heaven on Earth--Constance O'Day-Flannery (9/04)
- Hello, Darkness--Sandra Brown (9/03)
- The Helmet of Navarre--Burke Wilkinson (11/05)
- Here Today--Ann M. Martin (1/07)
- Her Man Friday--Elizabeth Bevarly (12/05)
- Hero Worship--Dawn Calvert (9/07)
- Her Perfect Stranger--Jill Shalvis (11/04)
- Hers to Desire--Margaret Moore (7/06)
- Hidden--Tara Taylor Quinn (5/05)
- High Energy--Dara Joy (6/04)
- High Five--Janet Evanovich (3/06)
- Highlander in Love--Julia London (8/07)
- The High Rocks--Loren Estleman (3/07)
- His Every Kiss--Laura Lee Guhrke (10/04)
- Holding the Dream--Nora Roberts (3/04)
- Holes--Louis Sachar (5/03)
- Holly--Jude Deveraux (11/04)
- Homeport--Nora Roberts (3/05)
- Honey Moon--Susan Elizabeth Phillips (4/03)
- Hosea's Bride--Dorothy Clark (4/05)
- Hot and Bothered--Susan Andersen (4/05)
- Hot Six--Janet Evanovich (6/06)
- Hot Under the Collar--Kirstin Hill (10/03)
- The House Where the Hardest Things Happened--Kate Young Caley (8/03)
- Howl's Moving Castle--Diana Wynne Jones (10/04)
- The Husband Quest--Lori Handeland (6/06)
- The Ideal Bride--Stephanie Laurens (2/04)
- The Ideal Bride--Nonnie St. George (1/04)
- The Ideal Husband--Shari Anton (12/03)
- I Do, I Do, I Do--Maggie Osborne (12/03)
- If I Gained the World--Linda Nichols (8/04)
- If Tomorrow Comes--Sidney Sheldon (6/06)
- If You Could Read My Mind--Pamela Labud (5/07)
- If You Only Knew (The Frienship Ring)--Rachel Vail (3/06)
- If You Really Loved Me--Ann Rule (6/04)
- I'll Be Home for Christmas--Linda Lael Miller, Catherine Mulvany, Julie Leto, and Roxanne St. Claire (1/07)
- Imitation in Death--J. D. Robb (10/03)
- In a Dark Wood--Amanda Craig (8/05)
- In Deep Voodoo--Stephanie Bond (3/06)
- An Independent Wife--Linda Howard (3/04)
- An Independent Woman--Betty Neels (5/03)
- Industrial Magic--Kelley Armstrong (12/05)
- Infernal Affairs--Jane Heller (2/06)
- Inklings--Melanie M. Jeschke (6/04)
- The Inn at Oak Creek--Linda Barrett (2/04)
- Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey--Alison Weir (5/07)
- In Quest of Ghosts--Hans Holzer (7/04)
- In Search of Eden--Linda Nichols (8/07)
- In the Country of the Young--Lisa Carey (6/06)
- In the Name of Love and Other True Cases: Ann Rule's Crime Files, Volume 4--Ann Rule (11/05; 9/07)
- Into the Water--Diane Fanning (1/06)
- Involuntary Daddy--Rachel Lee (8/05)
- It Happened One Autumn--Lisa Kleypas (11/05)
- "I" The Creation of a Serial Killer--Jack Olsen (5/04)
- It's in His Kiss--Julia Quinn (9/05)
- Jack and Jill--Louisa May Alcott (10/04)
- Jack of Clubs--Barbara Metzger (3/06)
- Jack of Hearts--Marjorie Farrell (9/03)
- Jackson Rule--Dinah McCall (6/03)
- Jane-Emily--Patricia Clapp (4/03)
- Jane Millionaire--Janice Lynn (12/05)
- Jane's Warlord--Angela Knight (1/06)
- January 1905--Katharine Boling (11/06)
- John Adams--David McCullough (5/07)
- John the Deliverer--Rhiannon Neeley (8/03)
- Journeys: A Reading and Literature Program--Richard J. Smith and Max F. Schulz (5/05)
- Judas Child--Carol O'Connell (4/05)
- Just Before Daybreak--Elizabeth Turner (1/03)
- Just Ella--Margaret Peterson Haddix (4/03)
- Just for Kicks--Susan Andersen (8/06)
- Just Imagine--Pat Lowery Collins (10/07)
- Just Over the Mountain--Robyn Carr (2/03)
- Just Perfect--Julie Ortolon (9/05)
- Just the Way You Are--Christina Dodd (6/03)
- Kaleidoscope--Lauralee Bliss, Gloria Brandt, DiAnn Mills, and Kathleen Paul (3/04)
- Kansas Brides: Four Marriages Face Conflict in the Town of Cedar Springs--Denise Hunter (4/05)
- Katie's Dream--Leisha Kelly (10/04)
- Katrina's Wings--Patricia Hickman (8/07)
- Key of Knowledge--Nora Roberts (5/04)
- Key of Light--Nora Roberts (5/04)
- Key of Valor--Nora Roberts (5/04)
- A Killing in the Family--Stephen Singular with Tim and Danielle Hill (6/04)
- A Kingdom of Dreams--Julie Garwood (10/05)
- King of Hearts--Pat Pritchard (10/03)
- Kirsten on the Trail--Janet Shaw (2/06)
- A Kiss for Julie--Betty Neels (3/04)
- The Kissing Game--Kasey Michaels (3/03)
- Kiss Me Again--Margaret Moore (1/04)
- Kiss Me, Kill Me--Ann Rule (12/04)
- A Kiss of Fate--Mary Jo Putney (6/06)
- Kiss the Bride--Patricia Cabot (10/05)
- The Kitchen Witch--Annette Blair (9/04)
- The Kite Runner--Khaled Hosseini (12/06)
- The Knight at Dawn: Magic Tree House #2--Mary Pope Osborne (1/06)
- Kushiel's Avatar--Jacqueline Carey (5/03)
- Lady Danger--Sarah McKerrigan (3/06)
- A Lady of His Own--Stephanie Laurens (10/04)
- Lancaster's Orphans--Robert J. Randisi (9/04)
- Landing It: My Life On and Off the Ice--Scott Hamilton with Lorenzo Benet (2/06)
- A Lantern in Her Hand--Bess Streeter Aldrich (9/03)
- A Lawman for Christmas--Pat Pritchard (12/05)
- Leaving Ireland--Ann Moore (3/05)
- Leaving Protection--Will Hobbs (8/07)
- The Legend MacKinnon--Donna Kauffman (9/04)
- Lethal Lies--Laurie Breton (11/05)
- Life in These United States--Reader's Digest (11/04)
- Lincoln: A Photobiography--Russell Freedman (4/06)
- The Living End--Lisa Samson (12/03)
- Little Girl Blue--David Cray (9/03)
- The Little Lame Prince and the Adventures of a Brownie--Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (3/06)
- Live Bait--P. J. Tracy (2/07)
- Living Dead in Dallas--Charlaine Harris (7/07)
- Long Time Coming--Edie Claire (12/03)
- Looking for Bobowicz--Daniel Pinkwater (2/07)
- Looking for Lacey--Linda Francis Lee (7/03)
- Lord Logic and the Wedding Wish--Melynda Beth Skinner(1/03)
- Loser--Jerry Spinelli (6/06)
- Lost and Found--Carolyn Parkhurst (8/06)
- The Lost Boy--Dave Pelzer (12/05)
- Love Comes Softly--Janette Oke (4/06)
- Love, Loss and What I Wore--Ilene Beckerman (5/06)
- Love of My Life--Meredith Bond (7/07)
- Lover Beware--Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, Fiona Brand, and Eileen Wilks 6/03)
- Loverboy--Lauren Agony & Jan Springer (2/03)
- A Loving Scoundrel--Johanna Lindsey (7/03; 12/04)
- Lyon's Gate--Catherine Coulter (10/07)
- Macaroni Boy--Katherine Ayres (10/07)
- Maggie's Miracle--Karen Kingsbury (7/03)
- Maggy--Sara Seale (11/03)
- Magic Lessons--Justine Larbalestier (9/07)
- Magic or Madness--Justine Larbalestier (9/06)
- The Magic World--E. Nesbit (4/04)
- The Mansion in the Mist--John Bellairs (10/03)
- A Man to Call My Own--Johanna Lindsey (8/03)
- March--Geraldine Brooks, read by Richard Easton (6/07)
- The Marriage Contract--Cathy Maxwell (8/07)
- Marriage Most Scandalous--Johanna Lindsey (11/06)
- The Marriage Spell--Mary Jo Putney (6/07)
- Master of Dragons--Angela Knight (11/07)
- The Master Quilter--Jennifer Chiaverini (4/04)
- Match Me If You Can--Susan Elizabeth Phillips (9/06)
- The Meanest Doll in the World--Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin (1/05)
- Measle and the Wrathmonk--Ian Ogilvy (1/07)
- Memory in Death--J. D. Robb (7/06)
- Mercy--Jodi Picoult (2/06)
- Mercy at Midnight--Lois Hoadley Dick (9/05)
- The Messies Manual: The Procrastinator's Guide to Good Housekeeping--Sandra Felton (6/05)
- Midnight Is a Place--Joan Aiken (9/04)
- Midnight Magic--Avi (9/04)
- Mind Game--Christine Feehan (2/07)
- Mind Reader--Victoria Cole (2/06)
- Mine for All Time--Julia Hanlon (12/03)
- The Mirror--Marlys Millhiser (8/05)
- The Misadventures of Maude March--Audrey Couloumbis (12/07)
- Mischief and Marriage--Emma Darcy (11/04)
- The Misconception--Darlene Gardner (5/04)
- Missing Incorporated--Tess Pendergrass (5/06)
- Miss Parker's Ponies--Victoria Hinshaw (9/03)
- Mistress to a Tycoon--Emma Darcy (11/04)
- Monkeewrench--P. J. Tracy (2/07)
- The Monkey's Paw and Other Tales of Terror--read by Victor Garber (8/05)
- Moon's Crossing--Barbara Croft (5/07)
- The Moorchild--Eloise McGraw (6/06)
- More Than You Know--Evelyn Rogers (9/05)
- The Morning After--Lisa Jackson (12/05)
- Mortal Sin--Laurie Breton (1/06)
- Mossflower--Brian Jacques (4/06)
- Mostly Mayhem--Lisa Manuel (11/05)
- A Most Unsuitable Man--Jo Beverley (6/05)
- Mr. Blue--Myles Connolly (7/05)
- Mr. McAllister Sets His Cap--Laura Paquet (4/03)
- Mrs. Mike--Benedict and Nancy Freedman (2/03)
- Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch--Alice Hegan Rice (6/06)
- The Mulberry Tree--Jude Deveraux (3/03)
- Murder of a Small-Town Honey--Denise Swanson (2/05)
- Murder in Spokane--Mark Fuhrman (7/03)
- My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding--edited by P. N. Elrod (10/07)
- My Big Old Texas Heartache--Geralyn Dawson (4/05)
- My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, A Prairie Teacher--Jim Murphy 7/04)
- My Father's Dragon--Ruth Stiles Gannett (4/03)
- My Outlaw--Linda Lael Miller (9/03)
- My Pleasure--Connie Brockway (10/04)
- My Seduction--Connie Brockway (9/04)
- My Sunshine--Catherine Anderson (9/05)
- Nancy and Plum--Betty MacDonald (1/06)
- Naples: 1940s to 1970s (Images of America)--Lynne Howard Frazer (5/07)
- Natural Born Charmer--Susan Elizabeth Phillips (2/07)
- Nellie Bly, Reporter--Nina Brown Baker (10/04)
- Nerd in Shining Armor--Vicki Lewis Thompson (6/04)
- Neurotica--Sue Margolis (5/04)
- Never Mind--Avi and Rachel Vail (1/07)
- The New Yorker Book of Lawyer Cartoons--The New Yorker (11/05)
- The Next Ex: A Madeline Carter Novel--Linda L. Richards (11/05)
- Night Fire--Catherine Coulter (3/04)
- The Night Lives On--Walter Lord (1/05)
- Night's Edge--Maggie Shayne, Barbara Hambly, and Charlaine Harris (11/04)
- Noble Destiny--Katie MacAlister (11/04)
- The Nobodies, by N. E. Bode--Julianna Baggott (11/06)
- No, Daddy, Don't: A Father's Murderous Act of Revenge--Irene Pence (4/05)
- No Flying in the House--Betty Brock (8/04)
- No Need to Say Goodbye--Betty Neels (4/03)
- No Ordinary Child--Darlene Graham (4/04)
- No Regrets and Other True Cases: Ann Rule's Crime Files, Volume 11--Ann Rule (8/07)
- Northern Lights--Nora Roberts (10/04)
- No Safe Place--Bill G. Cox (7/05)
- The No Spin Zone--Bill O'Reilly (1/03)
- Not a Sparrow Falls--Linda Nichols (8/04; 12/06)
- Nothing Sacred--Tara Taylor Quinn (1/05)
- Not Just for Tonight--Susan Johnson, Katherine O'Neal, and Diane Whiteside (7/05)
- Not Quite Married--Betina Krahn (8/04)
- The Observatory--Emily Grayson, read by Laural Merlington (6/07)
- Oceans of Fire--Christine Feehan (9/05)
- An Old-Fashioned Girl--Betty Neels (4/03)
- Once a Bride--Shari Anton (8/04)
- Once a Dreamer--Candice Hern (1/03)
- Once Upon a Prince--Holly Jacobs (3/06)
- One Day, My Prince--Linda Jones (8/03)
- One Forbidden Evening--Jo Goodman (8/06)
- One for the Money--Janet Evanovich (1/04)
- One Good Knight--Mercedes Lackey (5/07)
- One Last Christmas--Joyce Livingston (5/06)
- One Last Time--John Edward (5/05)
- One Night of Passion--Elizabeth Boyle (2/04)
- One Night of Scandal--Teresa Medeiros (8/03)
- Only for a Knight--Sue-Ellen Welfonder (1/06)
- Only the Wind Remembers--Marlo Schalesky (10/03)
- The O'Reilly Factor--Bill O'Reilly (1/03)
- Orphan Train West Collection--Jane Peart (3/07)
- The Outlaw Groom--Pat Pritchard (2/06)
- Over Hexed--Vicki Lewis Thompson (11/07)
- Over the Edge--Michael Fleeman (11/04)
- A Painted House--John Grisham (3/05)
- The Painted Rose--Donna Birdsell (5/06)
- Pamela's Second Season--Donna Simpson (2/03)
- Passage--Connie Willis (12/06)
- Passions of the Ghost--Sarah Mackenzie (9/07)
- Patience--Lori Copeland (1/04)
- Pay It Forward--Catherine Ryan Hyde (7/04)
- The Peacemaker--Lori Copeland (5/06)
- A Perfect Hero--Samantha James (1/06)
- A Perfect Husband--Aphrodite Jones (2/05)
- The Perfect Match--Susan May Warren (6/04)
- The Perfect Wife--Jane Goodger (5/03)
- The Perfect Wife--Lynsay Sands (12/06)
- Phoebe--Diane Noble (10/03)
- Picket Fence--Kimberly Cates (8/06)
- The Pied Piper's Bride--Myrna MacKenzie (4/04)
- Pilgrim's Promise--Emma Goldrick (1/03)
- Pillow Talk--Hailey North (6/05)
- A Place Called Bliss--Ruth Glover (9/06)
- Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish--Sue Bender (11/05)
- Plain Jane--Fern Michaels (9/05)
- Plain Jane: A Novel of Jane Seymour--Laurien Gardner (6/06)
- Playing with Fire--Gena Showalter (6/07)
- The Pleasure of His Company--Mary Blayney (3/04)
- Poisoned Love--Caitlin Rother (4/07)
- Poisoned Vows--Clifford L. Linedecker (6/05)
- Portrait in Death--J. D. Robb (4/03)
- Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed--Patricia Cornwell (3/05)
- Prairie Moon--Maggie Osborne (7/04)
- Prairie Rose--Susan Kirby (3/05)
- Prairie Whispers--Frances Arrington (10/07)
- A Pretend Engagement--Jessica Steele (9/06)
- Prince Charming's Child--Jennifer Greene (11/04)
- Prince of Frogs--Barbara Plum (5/06)
- Prince of Ice--Emma Holly (12/07)
- The Prince of Midnight--Laura Kinsale (5/06)
- Princess Academy--Shannon Hale (6/06)
- Princess Charming--Beth Pattillo (6/04)
- The Princess Diaries--Meg Cabot (10/04)
- Princess Nevermore--Dian Curtis Regan (6/05)
- Prisoners of Hope--Robin Hardy (10/05)
- The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio--Terry Ryan (1/03)
- The Promise of Happiness--Betty Neels (11/06)
- The Promise of Jenny Jones--Maggie Osborne (6/03)
- The Prophecy of the Stones--Flavia Bujor (11/06)
- The Quiet Little Woman: A Christmas Story--Louisa May Alcott (1/05)
- A Rage to Kill and Other True Cases--Ann Rule (7/03)
- Rainsinger--Ruth Wind (5/06)
- Reason and romance--Debra White Smith (7/04)
- Recipes for Easy Living--Curtiss Ann Matlock (10/03)
- Reconstructing Natalie--Laura Jensen Walker (6/06)
- Redeeming Love--Francine Rivers (10/03)
- The Redemption of Sarah Cain--Beverly Lewis (12/04)
- Red Lily--Nora Roberts (2/06)
- Rejar--Dara Joy (6/04)
- The Replacement--Anne Marie Duquette (8/03)
- The Reptile Room: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book the Second--Lemony Snicket (11/04, 6/06)
- The Restless Sleep: Inside New York City's Cold Case Squad-Stacy Horn (8/07)
- Retrieval--Jeanie London (11/06)
- Riding in Cars with Boys--Beverly Donofrio (3/03)
- River Rising--Dorothy Garlock (5/07)
- Roller Skates--Ruth Sawyer (1/04)
- The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold--Francesca Lia Block (6/03)
- Rose Daughter--Robin McKinley (8/04)
- A Rose for Her Grave and Other True Cases--Ann Rule (8/03)
- Rose in Bloom--Louisa May Alcott (2/03)
- The Rose of York: Love and War--Sandra Worth (5/03)
- Rosie Dunne--Cecelia Ahern, read by Roger Rees, Moira Quirk, Rosalyn Landor, and Russell Copley (6/07)
- The Rules of Silence--David Lindsey, read by Lou Diamond Phillips (11/07)
- Ruthie's Gift--Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (3/06)
- The Sacrifice--Beverly Lewis (6/04)
- Salem Witch Trials--Kathryn Wesley (8/05)
- The Same Stuff as Stars--Katherine Paterson (12/07)
- Sand Dollar Summer--Kimberly K. Jones (12/07)
- Sarah's Song--Karen Kingsbury (10/04)
- The Saving Graces--Patricia Gaffney, read by Judith Ivey (11/07)
- A Scandalous Marriage--Debbie Raleigh (4/03)
- Scandalous Virtue--Brenda Hiatt (7/03)
- A School for Sorcery--E. Rose Sabin (12/03)
- Schoolroom in the Parlor--Rebecca Caudill (2/06)
- The School Story--Andrew Clements (6/06)
- The Scottish Bride--Catherine Coulter (4/05)
- Scrib--David Ives (4/07)
- Seabiscuit: An American Legend--Laura Hillenbrand (7/03)
- Searching for David's Heart--Cherie Bennett (9/06)
- The Searching Hearts--Dorothy Garlock (8/05)
- A Season of Miracles--Heather Graham (7/05)
- Second Sight--Beth Amos (3/05)
- A Secret Infatuation--Betty Neels (4/03)
- Secret Santa--Robert Tate Miller and Beth Polson (7/04)
- Secret Santa--Anne Osborn Poelman (8/04)
- The Secret School--Avi (6/05)
- The Seductive One--Susan Mallery (2/05)
- Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, California Territory, 1849 (Dear America)--Kristiana Gregory (3/05)
- Seen By Moonlight--Kathleen Eschenburg (12/03)
- Serial Murderers--edited by Art Crockett (7/03)
- Seven Days to Forever--Ingrid Weaver (3/03)
- Seven Up--Janet Evanovich (6/06)
- Sex and the Single Vampire--Katie MacAlister (7/05)
- Sex, Lies, and Vampires--Katie MacAlister (7/05)
- Shades of Gray--Wendy Douglas (4/05)
- The Shadow--Shelley Munro (6/06)
- Shadowed Secrets--Lois Richer (5/06)
- Shadow Game--Christine Feehan (7/03)
- Shadowheart--Laura Kinsale (5/05)
- Shattered Love--Richard Chamberlain (7/03)
- The Sheriff of Heartbreak County--Kathleen Creighton (6/07)
- She's Come Undone--Wally Lamb (10/04)
- The Shop on Blossom Street--Debbie Macomber (7/04)
- Shotgun Wedding--Maggie Osborne (11/03)
- Silver Bells--Luanne Rice (11/04)
- Silver Blades: In the Spotlight--Melissa Lowell (1/06)
- Silver Blades: The Competition--Melissa Lowell (2/06)
- Silverbridge--Joan Wolf (6/04)
- Silver Lining--Maggie Osborne (9/03)
- Silverwing--Kenneth Oppel (2/06)
- Simply Irresistible--Kristine Grayson (4/05)
- Single White Vampire--Lynsay Sands (10/03)
- Sins of Midnight--Kimberly Logan (9/06)
- Sins of the Night--Sherrilyn Kenyon (9/05)
- The Sister Secret--Jessica Steele (2/06)
- Skating Shoes--Noel Streatfeild (6/03)
- Skylark--Jo Beverley (3/05)
- The Sleeping Beauty--David Halliday (5/06)
- Sleep, My Child, Forever--John Coston (7/03)
- Slow Way Home--Michael Morris (6/05)
- The Smoke Thief--Shana Abe (11/06)
- Snowbird--Stef Ann Holm (7/04)
- Snow Treasure--Marie McSwigan (11/07)
- So Far from Home: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, An Irish Mill Girl--Barry Denenberg (8/04)
- Somebody's Baby--Tara Taylor Quinn (12/06)
- Some Like It Wicked--Deborah Raleigh (11/05)
- Something Wicked--Evelyn Vaughn (6/07)
- Son: A Psychopath and His Victims--Jack Olsen (7/03)
- Song of Redemption--Lynn Austin (8/05)
- Song of the Road--Dorothy Garlock (12/04)
- Sophie and the Rising Sun--Augusta Trobaugh (4/07)
- The Soul Collector--Kathleen Kane (5/03)
- Special of the Day--Elaine Fox (5/05)
- Spell of the Highlander--Karen Marie Moning (8/07)
- The Spiderwick Chronicles, Books 3 and 4: Lucinda's Secret and The Ironwood Tree--Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, read by Mark Hamill (5/07)
- Spindle's End--Robin McKinley (1/04)
- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down--Anne Fadiman (8/07)
- Spy Goddess: Live and Let Shop--Michael R. Spradlin (1/07)
- The Stand--Stephen King (12/04)
- Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 (Dear America)--Mary Pope Osborne (6/05)
- Stardust--Alane Ferguson (2/03)
- Stargazer--Colby Hodge (5/07)
- Star in the Storm--Joan Hiatt Harlow (11/07)
- Stay with Me--Beverly Long (12/06)
- A Stockingful of Joy--Mary Jo Putney, Jill Barnett, Justine Dare, and Susan King (5/07)
- Stolen Magic--M. J. Putney (9/06)
- The Stone Prince--Gena Showalter (3/07)
- Stonewords: A Ghost Story--Pam Conrad (8/05)
- Storm Front--Jim Butcher (10/07)
- Storm Warning--Dinah McCall (1/03)
- Strong for Potatoes--Cynthia Thayer (11/04)
- Stuck on You--Patti Berg (2/03)
- Suddenly Gone--Dan Mitrione (7/03)
- The Sugar Camp Quilt--Jennifer Chiaverini (3/06)
- Summer Breeze--Catherine Anderson (1/06)
- Summer Lovin'--Carly Phillips (7/05)
- Summer of Storms--Judith Kelman (2/03)
- Summer Reading Is Killing Me!--Jon Scieszka (5/06)
- Summer's End--Lyn Cote (10/03)
- Sun and Candlelight--Betty Neels (10/03)
- Sunwing--Kenneth Oppel (9/07)
- Survivor in Death--J. D. Robb (10/05)
- Sweet Adventure--Mary Burchell (8/05)
- Sweet Deceit--Lynn McKay (7/04)
- Sweet Everlasting--Patricia Gaffney (1/05)
- Sweet Grass--Dee Marvine (7/06)
- Sweethearts of the Twilight Lanes--Luanne Jones (4/04)
- Sweet Hush--Deborah Smith (7/04)
- Sweet Memories--LaVyrle Spencer (4/05)
- Sweet Violet--Catherine Palmer (2/06)
- Sybil--Flora Rheta Schreiber (10/03)
- The Tail of Emily Windsnap--Liz Kessler ((8/07)
- Take Me, I'm Yours--Elizabeth Bevarly (7/05)
- Taken--Barbara Freethy (11/07)
- Taming the Heiress--Susan King (6/04)
- The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society--Augusta Trobaugh (8/06)
- The Tea Rose--Jennifer Donnelly (3/04)
- Temptation--Nora Roberts (10/03)
- Temptation of a Proper Governess--Cathy Maxwell (8/04)
- Tempting Fortune--Jo Beverley (4/05)
- Tempting the Highlander--Janet Chapman (9/04)
- The Texan's Dream--Jodi Thomas (8/03)
- A Texan's Luck--Jodi Thomas (12/04)
- The Texan's Reward--Jodi Thomas (12/05)
- Their Very Special Gift--Jackie Braun (7/07)
- There's Something About Christmas--Debbie Macomber (11/05)
- The Thief and the Beanstalk--P. W. Catanese (3/06)
- The Thief Lord--Cornelia Funke (6/06)
- The Thief of Always--Clive Barker (5/04)
- The Things We Do for Love--Kristin Hannah (6/06)
- This Is Graceanne's Book--P. L. Whitney (8/05)
- Thorn in My Heart--Liz Curtis Higgs (2/03)
- Thorns in Eden--Rita Gerlach (10/03)
- Thoroughly Kissed--Kristine Grayson (11/03)
- The Thrall's Tale--Judith Lindbergh (3/06)
- Three Roads Home--Travis Thrasher (8/03)
- Three to Get Deadly--Janet Evanovich (3/06)
- Through the Window--Diane Fanning (5/03)
- Thy Heart in Mine--Cara West (1/06)
- Tiger Lillie--Lisa Samson (9/04)
- Time and Again--Kathryn Jensen (1/05)
- Time for Andrew--Mary Downing Hahn (6/03)
- Time Stops for No Mouse--Michael Hoeye (9/05)
- 'Tis Herself--Maureen O'Hara with John Nicoletti (12/06)
- To Find You Again--Maureen McKade (4/06)
- To Love an Older Man--Debbi Rawlins (6/06)
- To Love a Scottish Lord--Karen Ranney (1/05)
- Tombs of Endearment--Casey Daniels (12/07)
- Too Close to Home--Maureen Tan (10/06)
- To Pleasure a Prince--Sabrina Jeffries (6/05)
- Torvill and Dean: The Autobiography of Ice Dancing's Gold Medal Winners--Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean with John Man (9/07)
- To Sing Me Home--Doris E. Smith (11/03)
- To Sir Phillip, With Love--Julia Quinn (6/03)
- Total Rush--Deirdre Martin (5/05)
- To Tame a Highland Warrior--Karen Marie Moning (7/05)
- To the Last Breath--Carlton Stowers (3/04)
- Touch the Dark--Karen Chance (8/07)
- Trading Places--Fern Michaels (3/04)
- Triangle: The Fire that Changed America--David Von Drehle (1/05)
- A Trick of the Light--Tina Wainscott (3/05)
- Troll Fell--Katherine Langrish (11/05)
- The Trouble with Harry--Katie MacAlister (7/04)
- The Trouble with Valentine's Day--Rachel Gibson (3/05)
- Truesight--David Stahler, Jr. (3/07)
- Truly a Wife--Rebecca Hagan Lee (7/05)
- Trust Me: Men of Steele--Caroline Cross (1/06)
- The Truth About Sparrows--Marian Hale (2/07)
- Turnabout--Margaret Peterson Haddix (8/07)
- Turning for Home--Sarah Challis (5/06)
- Tweed--Lass Small (6/05)
- The Twilight Before Christmas--Christine Feehan (1/04)
- Twins Times Two--Lisa Bingham (4/04)
- Two for the Dough--Janet Evanovich (2/06)
- Two Hearts in Time--Eugenia Riley (12/03)
- Two Short and One Long--Nina Ring Aamundsen (10/03)
- Tying the Knot--Susan May Warren (9/03)
- Uncertain Magic--Laura Kinsale (5/04)
- The Unchosen--Nan Gilbert (4/07)
- Uncle John's Second Bathroom Reader--Bathroom Readers' Institute (6/05)
- Undead and Unappreciated--MaryJanice Davidson (6/05)
- Undead and Unappreciated--MaryJanice Davidson, read by Nancy Wu (7/07)
- Undead and Unwed--MaryJanice Davidson (6/04)
- Under a Lucky Star--Diane Farr (1/05)
- Underfoot--Leanne Banks (6/07)
- Understudy--Carole Bellacera (6/03)
- The Unknown Twin--Kathryn Shay (9/05)
- An Unmistakable Rogue--Annette Blair (12/03)
- An Unquiet Grave--P. J. Parrish (7/06)
- The Unwilling Bride--Margaret Moore (9/05)
- Upon a Wicked Time--Karen Ranney (5/04)
- Utterly Charming--Kristine Grayson (5/07)
- The Vampire Who Loved Me--Teresa Medeiros (9/07)
- The Veil of Night--Lydia Joyce (5/05)
- A Victorian Rose--Catherine Palmer (1/03)
- The Viscount in Her Bedroom--Gayle Callen (10/07)
- Visions in Death--J. D. Robb (10/04)
- Visions of Sugar Plums--Janet Evanovich (12/06)
- Vital Signs--Bobby Hutchinson (2/04)
- Wait for the Sunrise--Cassandra Austin (6/06)
- The Wall and the Wing--Laura Ruby (11/07)
- Waltz with a Vampire--Maggie MacKeever (12/05)
- Wanted Across Time--Eugenia Riley (7/04)
- Warrior in Her Bed--Cathleen Galitz (7/06)
- The Wedding--Nicholas Sparks (7/05)
- The Wedding Deception--Adrienne Basso (11/05)
- The Wedding Escape--Karyn Monk (6/03)
- The Wedding Night--Barbara Dawson Smith (3/04)
- A Week in the Zone--Barry Sears, Ph.D. (8/07)
- Well Wished--Franny Billingsley (7/04)
- What Do You Say to a Naked Elf?--Cheryl Stirling (5/05)
- What Lies Beneath--Anne Stuart, Joanna Wayne, and Caroline Burns (11/04)
- What They Did for Love: The Untold Story Behind the Making of A Chorus Line--Denny Martin Flinn (9/05)
- When a Texan Gambles--Jodi Thomas (12/03)
- When He Was Wicked--Julia Quinn (11/04)
- When It's Perfect--Adele Ashworth (6/03)
- When Will This Cruel War Be Over? The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864 (Dear America)--Barry Denenberg (6/05)
- When You Believe--Deborah Bedford (7/03)
- Where I'd Like to Be--Frances O'Roark Dowell (6/06)
- Where Mercy Flows--Karen Harter (10/06)
- Where the Bodies Are Buried--Fannie Weinstein and Melinda Wilson (9/04)
- While Innocents Slept--Adrian Havill (8/03)
- Whippoorwill--Sharon Sala (2/05)
- Whispers--Belva Plain (11/04)
- White Deception--Susan Edwards (8/05)
- White Lies--Linda Howard (7/03)
- Whose Child?--Susan Gable (8/05)
- Wicked Angel--Shirl Henke (6/07)
- The Widows of Wichita County--Jodi Thomas (8/03)
- Wild Desire--Phoebe Conn (4/04)
- Wild Horses--Bethany Campbell (5/05)
- Wild Orchids--Jude Deveraux (5/03)
- Wild Women: Crusaders, Curmudgeons, and Completely Corsetless Ladies in the Otherwise Virtuous Victorian Era--Autumn Stephens (8/05)
- Windfall--Cindy Holby (8/05)
- The Wings of Pegasus--Anne McCaffrey (10/07)
- The Winter Mantle--Elizabeth Chadwick (1/06)
- Winter of Change--Betty Neels (5/04)
- The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 (Dear America)--Kristiana Gregory (6/06)
- The Winter Seeking--Vinita Hampton Wright (12/03)
- The Wishing Chalice--Sandra Landry (4/04)
- With All My Heart--Barbara Dawson Smith (5/04)
- With Love from Bliss--Ruth Glover (9/06)
- Without Pity: Ann Rule's Most Dangerous Killers--True Cases From Ann Rule's Crime Files, Volumes 1-8--Ann Rule (2/05)
- The Wizard Test--Hilari Bell (7/06)
- A Woman in the House--William E. Barrett (9/04)
- The Woman in the Wall--Patrice Kindl (1/03)
- A Woman's Innocence--Gayle Callen (6/05)
- World of Pies--Karen Stolz (9/05)
- Ya-Yas in Bloom--Rebecca Wells, read by Judith Ivey (9/07)
- A Year and a Day--Sara M. Harvey (12/07)
- Yellow--Janni Visman (7/06)
- Yesterday and Forever--Vickie Presley (10/03)
- Yet Love Remains--Mary Burchell (5/05)
- Young Pioneers--Rose Wilder Lane (5/04)
- Yours Always--Gabriella Anderson (5/04)
- Yours Until Dawn--Teresa Medeiros (11/04)
- You Slay Me--Katie MacAlister (8/05)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Restless Sleep, by Stacy Horn
THE RESTLESS SLEEP: INSIDE NEW YORK CITY'S COLD CASE SQUAD
Stacy Horn
ISBN: 0-14-303729-3
Nonfiction
Book #07-077
Between 1985 and 2004, there were nearly 9,000 unsolved murders in New York City. The longer it takes to track down information and evidence about a murder, the more likely it is to go "cold," which often means the criminal goes free while the case is relegated to a back burner for lack of progress. In 1995, Jack Maple and Edward Norris came up with the idea that became New York City's Cold Case Squad, a group of detectives whose sole purpose was to examine file cases that had stalled and breathe new life into them in order to find the killer(s) and close the cases.
Stacy Horn has focused on several cases spanning fifty years: the 1951 strangulation of a young wife, the murder of a cop by a meat hook in 1979, the killing of a misfit girl in 1988, and a couple murdered in front of their three young sons in a 1996 drug-related incident. Horn does a good job of switching back and forth between the development of the Cold Case Squad and the details of the crimes and their related investigations. Her account of NYPD politics is riveting and insightful, and her take on the city's unsung heroes is clear-eyed and realistic.
Horn's prose is both compelling and easy to read, although some readers may be put off by her casual profanity. Each case is deftly introduced, and the victims, although clearly flawed, are nonetheless sympathetic figures. Horn is particularly adept at explaining the ins and outs of organized crime and its deterioration since its heyday. Readers will be invested in the outcome of the detectives' investigations and surprised at the differences between reality and popular TV crime shows. Ultimately, The Restless Sleep is a must-have addition to anyone's true crime library.
Stacy Horn
ISBN: 0-14-303729-3
Nonfiction
Book #07-077
Between 1985 and 2004, there were nearly 9,000 unsolved murders in New York City. The longer it takes to track down information and evidence about a murder, the more likely it is to go "cold," which often means the criminal goes free while the case is relegated to a back burner for lack of progress. In 1995, Jack Maple and Edward Norris came up with the idea that became New York City's Cold Case Squad, a group of detectives whose sole purpose was to examine file cases that had stalled and breathe new life into them in order to find the killer(s) and close the cases.
Stacy Horn has focused on several cases spanning fifty years: the 1951 strangulation of a young wife, the murder of a cop by a meat hook in 1979, the killing of a misfit girl in 1988, and a couple murdered in front of their three young sons in a 1996 drug-related incident. Horn does a good job of switching back and forth between the development of the Cold Case Squad and the details of the crimes and their related investigations. Her account of NYPD politics is riveting and insightful, and her take on the city's unsung heroes is clear-eyed and realistic.
Horn's prose is both compelling and easy to read, although some readers may be put off by her casual profanity. Each case is deftly introduced, and the victims, although clearly flawed, are nonetheless sympathetic figures. Horn is particularly adept at explaining the ins and outs of organized crime and its deterioration since its heyday. Readers will be invested in the outcome of the detectives' investigations and surprised at the differences between reality and popular TV crime shows. Ultimately, The Restless Sleep is a must-have addition to anyone's true crime library.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Book Give-Away for September 1, 2007
For September 1, I'm giving away Ann Rule's book No Regrets and Other Cases--Ann Rule's Crime Files: Volume 11. My review of this book is already posted, for those who would like to know more about it.
To be entered into the drawing for this book, simply comment on this post. I will draw the winner on Saturday, September 1, and mail the book the following Monday. Be sure to check back on the first to see if you won!
To be entered into the drawing for this book, simply comment on this post. I will draw the winner on Saturday, September 1, and mail the book the following Monday. Be sure to check back on the first to see if you won!
No Regrets and Other True Cases, by Ann Rule
NO REGRETS AND OTHER TRUE CASES--ANN RULE'S CRIME FILES: VOLUME 11
Ann Rule
ISBN: 0-7434-4875-8
Book #07-076
True Crime
Ann Rule is probably America's best-known true crime writer. In this volume of her accounts of case files, she focuses on crimes where the perpetrators apparently had no regrets about their actions.
The main case of the book is the mysterious disappearance of ship's pilot Rolf Neslund, an eighty-year-old man whose stellar career was eclipsed by one unfortunate event at its end, the crashing of the ship he was piloting into a bridge. Rolf's wife, Ruth, told various stories to explain his absence, but eventually two of her nieces came forward and claimed that their aunt had admitted to killing her husband and burning the pieces of his body. It took years for Ruth to be brought to justice. The highlight of this account are the limericks by horror author John Saul, whose poetry displays a keen wit and wicked humor.
The other cases in the book all share an improbable pathos. The young mother whose religious fervor led her to kill her two young children is especially tragic, because she sought help from multiple sources, who all brushed her off. The bank robber who shot an elderly man during his escape, the woman whose marriage fell apart after she was kidnapped and raped, and the teen runaway who teased her boyfriend until he murdered her are equally sad. The most memorable case, in some ways, is that of the young prostitute who was savagely beaten and left for dead, but managed to crawl for help. In an unusual oversight, Rule neglects to mention the fate of the young woman's infant son during the many hours of her ordeal.
As always, Rule gives readers her special insight into these cases, and shares her opinions of the various crimes. Her dry, biting humor is again on display. Readers will have NO REGRETS at spending several hours with Rule's rogues' gallery of hapless criminals.
Ann Rule
ISBN: 0-7434-4875-8
Book #07-076
True Crime
Ann Rule is probably America's best-known true crime writer. In this volume of her accounts of case files, she focuses on crimes where the perpetrators apparently had no regrets about their actions.
The main case of the book is the mysterious disappearance of ship's pilot Rolf Neslund, an eighty-year-old man whose stellar career was eclipsed by one unfortunate event at its end, the crashing of the ship he was piloting into a bridge. Rolf's wife, Ruth, told various stories to explain his absence, but eventually two of her nieces came forward and claimed that their aunt had admitted to killing her husband and burning the pieces of his body. It took years for Ruth to be brought to justice. The highlight of this account are the limericks by horror author John Saul, whose poetry displays a keen wit and wicked humor.
The other cases in the book all share an improbable pathos. The young mother whose religious fervor led her to kill her two young children is especially tragic, because she sought help from multiple sources, who all brushed her off. The bank robber who shot an elderly man during his escape, the woman whose marriage fell apart after she was kidnapped and raped, and the teen runaway who teased her boyfriend until he murdered her are equally sad. The most memorable case, in some ways, is that of the young prostitute who was savagely beaten and left for dead, but managed to crawl for help. In an unusual oversight, Rule neglects to mention the fate of the young woman's infant son during the many hours of her ordeal.
As always, Rule gives readers her special insight into these cases, and shares her opinions of the various crimes. Her dry, biting humor is again on display. Readers will have NO REGRETS at spending several hours with Rule's rogues' gallery of hapless criminals.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Book Give-Away for August 18, 2007
In memory of Ben, I am giving away two brand new sets of E. B. White paperbacks. They are still in shrink-wrap and do not have BookCrossing labels. I wanted this give-away to be totally altruistic in honor of my little friend, who was a fine reader and will be deeply missed.
Monday, August 06, 2007
BOOK GIVE-AWAY FOR AUGUST 11, 2007
I'm giving another book away. Sorry for the delay in the first one--I spent a chunk of my weekend in the hospital to find out why the right side of my face is paralyzed. Turns out I have Bell's Palsy, which, as a diabetic, I was four times more likely than the general population to contract. Sigh. I should see some improvement by the end of the week, and there's an 80% chance of full recovery within three months. Let me just say, I look and feel like a freak.
So, because I'm really stressed about this, my give-away book for the week is INSIDE MY HEART: CHOOSING TO LIVE WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE by Robin McGraw (AKA Mrs. Dr. Phil). There are likely to be several copies of this available in hardcover. These books are brand-new, except that there is a BookCrossing label inside each cover. Winners, please make a journal entry at http://www.bookcrossing.com/ when you recieve your books. You don't have to join BookCrossing, and you can do an anonymous journal entry that simply says that you received the book. After that, I don't care what you do with the books, because they will be yours.
I will choose and announce the winners here on Saturday, August 11th, and mail the books on the following Monday.
I hope to see a lot of entries this time out. Just make a comment on this post, and you will be entered. Good luck, everyone!
So, because I'm really stressed about this, my give-away book for the week is INSIDE MY HEART: CHOOSING TO LIVE WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE by Robin McGraw (AKA Mrs. Dr. Phil). There are likely to be several copies of this available in hardcover. These books are brand-new, except that there is a BookCrossing label inside each cover. Winners, please make a journal entry at http://www.bookcrossing.com/ when you recieve your books. You don't have to join BookCrossing, and you can do an anonymous journal entry that simply says that you received the book. After that, I don't care what you do with the books, because they will be yours.
I will choose and announce the winners here on Saturday, August 11th, and mail the books on the following Monday.
I hope to see a lot of entries this time out. Just make a comment on this post, and you will be entered. Good luck, everyone!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Living Dead in Dallas, by Charlaine Harris
LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS
Charlaine Harris
ISBN: 0-441-00923-9
Fantasy/Mystery
Book #07-061
Sookie Stackhouse is an ordinary young woman with an extraordinary "dis"ability: she can read minds. This ability has caused her grief throughout her life, particularly when it comes to romance, because as she says, how can you make love with someone when you know what they really think about you and your body? When Sookie meets Bill the Vampire and realizes that she can't hear his thoughts, the mental silence is very attractive to her, and before long, she's got a real, live (not) boyfriend.
Being involved with a vampire has its own special problems. When Bill's vampire colleagues save Sookie's life, she feels obligated to accomodate when asked for a favor, she agrees to read the minds of people involved in the case of a missing vampire. Sookie's only condition is that if her abilities reveal the culprits, they must be handed over to the authorities and dealt with through legal channels.
Once in Dallas, Sookie encounters the Fellowship of the Sun, a fanatical anti-vampire group. The resulting chaos and carnage make for fast, frantic reading as Charlaine Harris masterfully pits the vampires and their foes against each other, with the intrepid Sookie smack in the middle. In this second installment of Harris's Stackhouse series, readers get more of Sookie's scrupulously honest self-analysis and her amusingly pragmatic approach to life. Harris has created a detailed depiction of vampire politics, and Eric, Bill's supervisor, proves to be a formidable enemy and a seriously good kisser.
Charlaine Harris keeps the action and the angst coming in this completely delectable page-turner. Sookie is a heroine readers can identify with, and her wise-cracking sense of humor leavens many a tense moment. Harris gives her imagination free rein, and the resultant account of modern vampire life is a marvel of wit and wonder. LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is in high demand with readers, and that popularity shows no sign of declining any time soon. With Sookie Stackhouse, Charlaine Harris has earned her spot on the paranormal keepers shelf.
Charlaine Harris
ISBN: 0-441-00923-9
Fantasy/Mystery
Book #07-061
Sookie Stackhouse is an ordinary young woman with an extraordinary "dis"ability: she can read minds. This ability has caused her grief throughout her life, particularly when it comes to romance, because as she says, how can you make love with someone when you know what they really think about you and your body? When Sookie meets Bill the Vampire and realizes that she can't hear his thoughts, the mental silence is very attractive to her, and before long, she's got a real, live (not) boyfriend.
Being involved with a vampire has its own special problems. When Bill's vampire colleagues save Sookie's life, she feels obligated to accomodate when asked for a favor, she agrees to read the minds of people involved in the case of a missing vampire. Sookie's only condition is that if her abilities reveal the culprits, they must be handed over to the authorities and dealt with through legal channels.
Once in Dallas, Sookie encounters the Fellowship of the Sun, a fanatical anti-vampire group. The resulting chaos and carnage make for fast, frantic reading as Charlaine Harris masterfully pits the vampires and their foes against each other, with the intrepid Sookie smack in the middle. In this second installment of Harris's Stackhouse series, readers get more of Sookie's scrupulously honest self-analysis and her amusingly pragmatic approach to life. Harris has created a detailed depiction of vampire politics, and Eric, Bill's supervisor, proves to be a formidable enemy and a seriously good kisser.
Charlaine Harris keeps the action and the angst coming in this completely delectable page-turner. Sookie is a heroine readers can identify with, and her wise-cracking sense of humor leavens many a tense moment. Harris gives her imagination free rein, and the resultant account of modern vampire life is a marvel of wit and wonder. LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is in high demand with readers, and that popularity shows no sign of declining any time soon. With Sookie Stackhouse, Charlaine Harris has earned her spot on the paranormal keepers shelf.
Mostly Paranormal Bookbox Going Out Soon
I've put together a box of paperback books that I no longer want, and I've made a list of people who would like to play bookswap with me. Basically, you get the box, take out the books you want and replace them with your own books that you no longer want, log the information on the list that you find in the box, then mail it off to the next person. When the box gets back to me, with any luck, I'll find books I haven't read, but more importantly, I've passed along books I've already read.
A few points of interest: all my books are logged at http://www.bookcrossing.com/, so I expect people to make a journal entry on any of my books that they choose from the box. Usually people wait to make entries once they've read a book, but I need instant gratification that I've actually passed a book along, so I ask that the entry be made when a book is taken.
Postage for these boxes can vary, but they generally go media mail with delivery confirmation.
This box contains mostly paranormal romances, but there are books of other genres in it, too. You don't have to match genres, it's simply a one-for-one trade.
I'll have other boxes going out soon. One will be trade paperbacks, and one will be audiobooks on cassette and CD.
If this is something you'd like to do, please go to Bartered_Book@yahoogroups.com and sign up. Once I approve your membership, you will need to send me your mailing address so I can put you on the flight list. This box was supposed to go out a few weeks ago, but I'm notoriously poky about getting my boxes started. I will be sending it out next Thursday, the 9th of August.
Hope to see you there!
A few points of interest: all my books are logged at http://www.bookcrossing.com/, so I expect people to make a journal entry on any of my books that they choose from the box. Usually people wait to make entries once they've read a book, but I need instant gratification that I've actually passed a book along, so I ask that the entry be made when a book is taken.
Postage for these boxes can vary, but they generally go media mail with delivery confirmation.
This box contains mostly paranormal romances, but there are books of other genres in it, too. You don't have to match genres, it's simply a one-for-one trade.
I'll have other boxes going out soon. One will be trade paperbacks, and one will be audiobooks on cassette and CD.
If this is something you'd like to do, please go to Bartered_Book@yahoogroups.com and sign up. Once I approve your membership, you will need to send me your mailing address so I can put you on the flight list. This box was supposed to go out a few weeks ago, but I'm notoriously poky about getting my boxes started. I will be sending it out next Thursday, the 9th of August.
Hope to see you there!
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