Library Bound

Returned:


I tried to read Insatiable by Meg Cabot, but couldn't get into it. It seemed like it could be a fun story, just not the best execution. Got to page 50-something.

Shit My Dad Says had to to go back, was requested by another member.

Vision in White by Nora Roberts. I'll get to it someday. She's a consistent read.

Still Life by Louise Penny was on audio. I've read the book, the first in the Armand Gamace/Three Pines series. Excellent reading. Didn't get to the audio.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on DVD. Requested by another member, but I'll check it out again before HP7 part 1 next month.

The two Playaway audios were by Charlaine Harris. Already read them, but wanted to try out a Playaway. Interesting format, good little system.

Assorted magazines - the library is an awesome place, isn't it?

Food Rules by Michael Pollan was a good read. Useful pieces of information, about a page apiece. Even if you only remember one or two, you'll be better off for it.

The road is paved with good intentions, and littered with mysteries*

Honestly, I am trying to get this thing off the ground.

I have the best of intentions, and a backlog of books to review.

Faithful Place by Tana French
Broken by Karin Slaughter
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
H is for Hitchcock by Susan Kandel

I am currently reading Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny and OH MY GOD I love it! She is excellent! Gamache is a wonderful character. And I want to visit Canada even more now.

At the top of the TBR pile is the first solo Jennifer Crusie in SIX years, Maybe This Time. Why have I waited to read it? I might be a bit nervous. It has been six years. She's been collaborating during this time, but she's going in a new direction. I totally approve of wing-spreading, and don't want anyone to feel stuck, but when you love a writer's work, you develop certain expectations and there is a fear of disappointment.

I've been checking things out from the library on a weekly basis, but haven't read nearly as much as I would like. Lots of titles are going back with their spines un-cracked. By me, anyways. Tonight will be no exception. But I do have a few to pick up, so we'll see.

*I tend to forget that it's really "The road to hell is paved..." I do read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. It probably ties together.

Review: Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Touted by: Lisa Gardner, Chelsea Cain, Gillian Flynn, Karin Slaughter, many more
Found out about from: Recommended by bookseller friend
Where I got it: Library
Shelf-life: Loan it
Rating: B

Sometimes, I ruin books for myself. I'm not quite Harry Burns, but somewhere around the middle of a story, I feel the urge to flip to the back and scan the last sentence or two. And then I get mad at myself, 'cause duh. Sure, the journey is more important than the destination, blah blah blah. I read a lot of mysteries tho, so this can be a chancy process. Also, I like to find out if the first word of the book is the same as the last word. Not sure where I got that from.

The last sentence of Still Missing doesn't give it all away, there's too much going on for that. But I did find out the answer to a question, and lessened the impact of that answer. So, boo for me. Plus, it would totally ruin a plot point if you flipped back there too early. Don't do it! At least, not until you've read past page 154.

Before and after page 154, however, there's plenty to hook you. The story of Annie O'Sullivan is certainly plausible. Realtor runs an open house, alone like they do, and is abducted. She is held captive for a year. Once she comes home, her ordeal is not over. How her story is told is interesting; Annie has some very much-needed sessions with a therapist and basically has a confessional-style conversational flow. It's all one-sided, which is a bit maddening. These flashbacks are intertwined with the on-going investigation and Annie's re-acclimation into what's left of her previous life.

If you're looking for gruesome and explicit details, you may be disappointed. Still Missing has tense moments and some truly distasteful depictions, but it's not a slasher-fest. This is a story of a woman who is rightly pissed about some god-awful stuff and trying to work her way through it as best she knows how.

The twist (because every book seems to have one these days) at the end is... well, I kinda liked it. I mean, I got it, but it was a bit convenient. Parts were conceivable, but the foundation was a bit weak. There were some nice touches throughout, and I think that speaks well for the career longevity of the author. A fresh turn of phrase, a realistically touching exchange between two people, these can go a long way to forgiving the flaws of a debut.

Overall, I say it's a good read. Definitely worth adding your name to the request list at the library. And a good buy once it comes out in paperback. If you've got the disposable income to buy hardcovers, I don't think you'll regret it.

Levity, thy name is not Klobuchar

The sun may shine, the moon may glow, but it is always Twilight.
Everywhere. All the time. Forever and ever, Amen.

While coverage of Elena Kagan's Twilight evasion tactics has been thorough, it was Rose Fox, from PW's Genreville, who found the true politics of it all.

All I wanted to know was if she had a new book coming out*

This set of links brought to you by Google and Wendy McClure, directly and indirectly, respectively. (But sponsored by the derivational suffix ly.)

How Weight Watchers stayed in business, I do not know.

My mother collected these and I "borrowed" them one summer. We are not proud.

They must make this available here! The frog, too.

Your DVR and Netflix queue will thank you for it.

And throughout my journey, I've been stalked by ads for ModCloth, which makes me wonder, why? Little do they know, I haven't worn a skirt or dress in over 7 years. Or maybe they do know, and are trying to lure me back into the fold... of their lacy aprons!

Full disclosure: some of these dresses make me want to eat lettuce.

*She does!