It was a dark and stormy night...it really WAS, and the satallite had bitten the dust because of the bad weather, so I went in search of something to read. Scary stories are the best for nights like this one, and I thought the perfect book to raise goosebumps would be "Dead After Dark" by Charlaine Harris. Opening it up, I looked forward to the vampire-biting, bloodcurdling thrill I would get from the story, and as I read on, I found myself amused more than scared, but in a surprisingly good way. Sookie Stackhouse, Harris's main character, is a cocktail waitress surrounded by vampires; some who are good-natured in a vampirish way, and some who live up to their reputation as vicious blood-hounds. This book, the first in the "Southern Vampire" series, has me hooked enough to read the next in the series, and here are some other new fiction titles at the Jasper County Library that can entertain during the next dark and stormy night.
Despite the trials that every marriage faces at one time or another, Tim Farnsworth and his wife Jane still share a strong bond. Farnsworth loves his wife, his daughter, his house, even his kitchen, with the copper pots and pans hanging above the kitchen's island. Why, then, does he decide one day to just walk out, and away from all he holds dear? "The Unnamed" by Joshua Ferris explores the ties of marriage and family and the forces of nature that interfere with the best laid plans of Tim Farnsworth.
Mama threw Daddy out of the house, and after she did, she made her two daughters, Lulu and Merry, promise never to let him back into her home again. When Daddy came calling, ten year old Lulu relented and opened up the door to him, only to have him kill her mother and stab her little five year old sister, Merry. "The Murderer's Daughters" by Randy Susan Meyers is the story of two little girls, orphaned by the death and subsequent imprisonment of their father, who grow into women and continue to carry the scars of their past, carving their lives in the shadow of the tragedy that always hovers in the distance.
United States Senator, Ellen Fisher is a Democrat, now in her second term. Going head to head with the Vice President over national security, Ellen and her staff find themselves under attack, the ensuing barrage of threats endangering not only their careers, but their very lives in "Blind Trust," book number 2 in the Senator Ellen Fisher series by Barbara Boxer.
Jack and Joy Griffin have been married for thirty years, and for the most part, the plan that they made on their Cape Cod honeymoon thirty years before has been fulfilled. Now, Jack returns to the Cape, this time for the wedding of his daughter's best friend, Laura. Carrying his father's ashes around in the trunk of his car, and yet another urn makes its way on this trip. Coupled with the fact that Jack and Joy have brought along new dates to the event, "That Old Cape Magic" by Richard Russo offers a comical and surprising look at life during middle age.
It is, yet again, a dark and stormy night, and the satellite has made a repeat performance of going AWOL, so I think I'll pick up my old friend Sookie Stackhouse and see what's happening in the world of vampires these days.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
What is Your Idea of Adventure?
On a recent trip to the vet, a middle aged couple was wrapping up thier visit. With a large, Black Lab in tow on a leash trailing behind them, the husband and wife began to climb into their full size, extended cab pickup truck. Watching them from inside of the office, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw the front and back doors of the truck swing open with the woman climbing into the back seat, the man into the driver's seat, and the Black Lab into the front passenger seat of the truck. As they pulled out of the parking lot, that Black Lab sat proudly, facing forward, clearly enjoying his adventure. You'll find your own version of adventure by paging through these new fiction titles from the Jasper County Public Library. Check these out!
An act of violence so horrific against 8 year old Michael literally leaves the little boy speechless. As he grows, he comes into his own, discovering that he can open any lock, anywhere, any time. This special talent makes Michael a hot commodity and in high demand. When a simple heist turns into a nightmare, Michael's life falls apart, and he decides to go back home to find the one true love of his life, and face the horrible past that took his voice in "The Lock Artist" by Steve Hamilton.
George Flynn is a seventeen year old, all around decent guy who has just relocated, along with his family, to DesMoines. Befriending the Schell sisters, George has found his niche in his new hometown. Emily is a free spirited, aspiring actress, and Katie is full of humor and wit despite her battle with multiple sclerosis. When tragedy strikes and upsets the delicate balance of their lives, George has to find a way to step up to the plate and help them through in "Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter" by Michael J. White.
Bandy Dorner has just returned home from Vietnam, and discovers that his life is in a shambles. His pregnant wife is leaving him for another man, and within minutes, a cop lies bloodied in the road and Bandy is headed for prison. Eighteen years later when he is released, Bandy returns to the family ranch and meets the teenage son that he never got a chance to know, and following close behind is Bandy's ex-wife, Iona. All three are changed, haunted by their past, but try to put together the pieces of their lives in "Then Came the Evening" by Brian Hart.
The real estate market is tough, but gets tougher for Jackie Swaitkowski when a client of his turns up dead. The mystery surrounding the untimey demise of his client leaves Jackie in search of clues, leading him on a dangerously rocky ride in "Short Squeeze" by Chris Knopf.
This article is dedicated to my Bo, a part Lab pooch with a heart as big as all outdoors who decided after a 12 year reign as captain of my heart that it was time to move on to explore his very own adventures over the rainbow. He would've loved to sit on the front seat of my car on our excursions, but was hard pressed to sit in the passenger seat of my little Toyota. Thanks for the memories, Bo. You were one of a kind.
An act of violence so horrific against 8 year old Michael literally leaves the little boy speechless. As he grows, he comes into his own, discovering that he can open any lock, anywhere, any time. This special talent makes Michael a hot commodity and in high demand. When a simple heist turns into a nightmare, Michael's life falls apart, and he decides to go back home to find the one true love of his life, and face the horrible past that took his voice in "The Lock Artist" by Steve Hamilton.
George Flynn is a seventeen year old, all around decent guy who has just relocated, along with his family, to DesMoines. Befriending the Schell sisters, George has found his niche in his new hometown. Emily is a free spirited, aspiring actress, and Katie is full of humor and wit despite her battle with multiple sclerosis. When tragedy strikes and upsets the delicate balance of their lives, George has to find a way to step up to the plate and help them through in "Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter" by Michael J. White.
Bandy Dorner has just returned home from Vietnam, and discovers that his life is in a shambles. His pregnant wife is leaving him for another man, and within minutes, a cop lies bloodied in the road and Bandy is headed for prison. Eighteen years later when he is released, Bandy returns to the family ranch and meets the teenage son that he never got a chance to know, and following close behind is Bandy's ex-wife, Iona. All three are changed, haunted by their past, but try to put together the pieces of their lives in "Then Came the Evening" by Brian Hart.
The real estate market is tough, but gets tougher for Jackie Swaitkowski when a client of his turns up dead. The mystery surrounding the untimey demise of his client leaves Jackie in search of clues, leading him on a dangerously rocky ride in "Short Squeeze" by Chris Knopf.
This article is dedicated to my Bo, a part Lab pooch with a heart as big as all outdoors who decided after a 12 year reign as captain of my heart that it was time to move on to explore his very own adventures over the rainbow. He would've loved to sit on the front seat of my car on our excursions, but was hard pressed to sit in the passenger seat of my little Toyota. Thanks for the memories, Bo. You were one of a kind.
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