Reading Resolution, 2013

In 2012 I made a reading resolution for New Year's: listen to at least one audiobook each month. It turned out to be so much fun that I decided to set a new reading resolution for 2013: read at least one mystery novel each month.

As much as I enjoyed adding audiobooks to my reading routine, it seems that mysteries just aren't my genre. While I greatly enjoy books that incorporate elements of mystery and suspense, if the main focus of a story is whodunit I'm done with it the minute that I solve the puzzle. The result is that I checked out a number of mysteries this year, but only read a few cover to cover. Below I've listed the ones that I enjoyed the most.

Suspect by Robert Crais
I started my year off with the newest title by Robert Crais, Suspect. Crais is known for his series of hardboiled mysteries featuring Elvis Cole, an LA private eye. I wasn't looking to jump into a series though, so I was happy to see that Suspect is a stand alone title. It's a suspenseful and fast-paced tale of a LAPD cop, Scott James, who is hunting for the men who killed his partner.  James is aided in his investigation by his new partner, Maggie, a German Shepard. Maggie carries her own wounds from her deployment in Afghanistan. I liked this book so much that I've already blogged about it once, and I went and bought a copy for my mom to read.

Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbøl & Agnete Friis
Invisible Murder is actually the second book in a series, I recommended the first, The Boy in the Suitcase, in an earlier blog post. While you could certainly jump into this series with the second book, if you skip the first, though, you'll miss a lot of the character development. This fast-paced, gritty series is the product of Danish coauthors Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis. Nina isn't a detective, she's a dedicated nurse, who finds herself unable to balance the pressures of her job working with refugees for the Red Cross with her life as a wife and mother.


The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes is known for writing humorous chick-lit, not mysteries, but! with a title like The Mystery of Mercy Close and a main character who is a private investigator, I'm going to go ahead and count this as a mystery. Because this is the fifth novel in her series following the Walsh sisters, that means I have four other books to read and enjoy. Helen Walsh is struggling with a bout of suicidal depression, a new relationship, and a missing person case involving a former boy band (that her ex is managing). I listened to the audiobook, and Irish narrator Caroline Lennon provided a clear and lively delivery.


The Last Policeman by Ben Winters
At first glance, the premise of a setting where there are only six months until the end of the world might seem unbearably depressing, and that isn't wrong. The Last Policeman, first of a trilogy, is not a cheerful book, but there is something hopeful in the story. Hank Palace was promoted to detective shortly after the announcement that the asteroid Maia is on an unavoidable collision course with Earth. Hank has dreamed of being a detective since he was a kid, but trying to solve his first murder in the chaos of looming disaster is nothing like he expected. The plot is fast-paced and twisted, but it's the characters that make the story shine. Even the characters who don't rate names are vividly alive, and it's terrible to think how they'll all be dead so very soon.


Trying to read 12 mysteries in 2013 left me feeling pressured (self-imposed goal or no), but I never would've discovered these books without reading books outside my comfort zone. I want to keep pushing my reading interests, so for 2014, I plan to explore the world of superhero comics. It's hard to tell where to start with a genre that's been building backstory for decades, but luckily I have coworkers to help guide me on my journey.

Staff Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

As a Reader's Advisory librarian I try to keep abreast of what's hot in the world of books. I may not have time to read all of the latest best sellers, but as long as I have an idea what "everybody" is reading, I'll be ready to help a fan of Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones find an alternate book to enjoy while they wait out the hold list.

I'm willing to bet though that most Dubuquers haven't heard of Austenland, much less read Shannon Hale's engaging work of chick lit. Although, now that a movie adaption starring Keri Russell is due for a theatrical release on August 15th, I could be wrong!

Jane Austen and her novels remain a perennial favorite, and over the years we've been treated to any number of adaptions, remixes, continuations, and homages. You can trace Austen's influence across a wide variety of literature and pop cultural sources. All around the world readers swoon for the taciturn charms of Mr. Darcy.

Jane Hayes falls squarely into the category of Darcy-obsessives, particularly the Colin-Firth-as-Darcy-obsessives (much like Bridget Jones before her). When Jane's beloved great-aunt dies, she's given an unusual inheritance, an all expenses paid luxury vacation to Austen-themed resort in England. This isn't a serious work of literature, but it's a fun bit of escapism for us Austenholics with a charming little romance and some genuinely funny bits.

Essentially, if you liked Lost in Austen, you'll probably enjoy Austenland! If you haven't heard of Lost in Austen either, it's a charming romantic comedy about a young woman named Amanda who suddenly finds that she's switched places with Elizabeth Bennet. And if you find yourself wishing you could visit Austenland, keep hope! A recent celebration of Pride and Prejudice's 200th anniversary saw people attending a fancy dress Regency dinner in England.

Still not enough for you? Great! I've got more!

Images from the 2005 Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice paired with quotes from Parks & Recreation.'

Pamela Aidan first self-published her retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but her charming story quickly gained a large audience and a traditional publisher. A richly detailed view of the familiar story from the perspective of Darcy told in three novels. The series starts with An Assembly Such As This.


Thug Notes is the creation of Sparky Sweets, PhD. A series of videos mash-up hip-hop with analysis of literary classics (think Alistair Cookie and Monsterpiece Theater). I'm endlessly tickled by the Thug Notes video for Pride & Prejudice (there are a few swears):

-Sarah, Adult Services

Chick Lit

To celebrate my tenth year of keeping chickens, I’m reviewing four books related to gallus domesticus.  The first two titles focus on the basics of becoming a chicken wrangler; the second two titles are more playful.

As urban flocks and small chicken holdings become more popular, the market for chick lit has greatly expanded.  Instead of technically proper but emotionally sterile writing and presentation, readers of chick lit now demand brightly colored covers, photographs, drawings, pretty graphics and interesting prose.  The front cover of Chick Days features nine chickens in different poses while the back shows five photographs of one chicken from hatchling to laying hen.  Instead of a standard table of contents in outline form, Chick Days has twelve eggs of various hues, each containing the chapter title and page information.  Every set of pages in the book has a color photo, graphic, table or chart similar to glossy magazines, but don’t think the content suffers.  The book manages to present the information necessary to decide which chickens to raise, where to house them, how to feed them and keep them alive.  Three appendices provide a breed chart, details on chicken health and a list of resources.  The stories of Honey, Tilda and Ameila, the hens making up the photographer’s first flock, personalize the text.

Robert and Hannah Litt’s A Chicken in Every Yard is more text heavy than Chick Days.  It’s a longer book with fewer illustrations and photographs, but the pictures are used to good effect.  The contents follow the same pattern as Chick Days; why raise chickens, which breed is best for your situation, how to plan, prepare and then enjoy your flock and keep it healthy followed by a list of chicken resources.  The Litts offer a few more recipes including flan, Sunday morning crepes and perfect poached eggs.  While an average reader might be satisfied to stop reading after Chick Days, a true chick lit fan will devour A Chicken in Every Yard and be searching for more titles.

It’s probably a stretch to include Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop as true chick lit since only one chapter deals directly with fowl, but the book is way too much fun to skip or ignore.  In March it won the Diagram Prize from the trade magazine The Bookseller for year's oddest book title.  Author Reginald Bakeley’s tongue-in-cheek style in very proper British form kept me smiling as I read: “Chickens Yes!  Goblins No!  If you believe your hen cottage may be infested with malicious, uncouth goblins, Reginald Bakeley would like to know about it.  He requests your photographs of suspected goblin hens, roosters, chicks and eggs.  For further instructions, visit www.goblinproofing.com.”  I wonder if he knows anything about mice masquerading as goblins.

 The tiny drawings by Lauren Scheuer scattered throughout her book Once Upon a Flock are irresistible to me.  Her illustrations are reminiscent of the Garth Williams’ sketches from the beloved Little House series I’m now reading with my granddaughter.  Scheuer includes actual photographs, too, but irregularly framed and edged as if the pictures were cut out and pasted in a scrapbook.  This is not to slight the prose, which is equally appealing.   Scheuer’s chickens may be anthropomorphized, yet consider that this writing style has sold lots of books recently.  Think of Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie mystery series, nonfiction titles like Marley and Me or the fictional The Art of Racing in the Rain.  Once Upon a Flock is classified as nonfiction; can you believe the flyleaf says “Lauren discovers that love, loss, passion, and resilience are not only parts of the human experience, but of the chicken experience as well.”  Read some chick lit and become a believer!
~ Michelle, Adult Services


Chick Days: an Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens from Hatchlings to Laying Hens by Jenna Woginrich with photography by Mars Vilaubi. 2010. (636.5 WOG)

A Chicken in Every Yard: The Urban Farm Store’s Guide to Chicken Keeping by Robert and Hannah Litt.  2011. (636.5 LIT)

Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop and Other Practical Advice in our Campaign against the Fairy Kingdom by Reginald Bakeley. 2012. (818.602 BAK)

Once upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens by Lauren Scheuer. 2013. (636.5092 SCH)

Read Alike: Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella has already been the topic for a Friday Read Alike post, but I recently read her latest book, I've Got Your Number and loved it so much I couldn't resist a revisit!

Ms. Kinsella is best known as the author of the Chick Lit series following Shopaholic Becky Bloomwood. For those not in the know Chick Lit novels focus on a twenty or thirty something woman as she struggles to balance career, romance, family, and her own peace of mind. Always character-driven, often funny, typically deal with serious issues and personal growth, and don't always have the happily ever after of a Romance.

I've Got Your Number falls closer to the Contemporary Romance end of the spectrum, with a focus on the developing romantic relationship between the characters. Poppy Wyatt has her life figured out. She has a career she loves, close friends, a wonderful relationship with her family, and she's about to check a perfect marriage off the list, when her cell phone is stolen. She takes possession of a phone abandoned in a trash bin by Sam Roxton's former assistant, and Poppy's life becomes complicated.
 
For more lighthearted contemporary romances, check out these authors:

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Ms. Crusie is best known for her hilarious romances and intelligent, quirky heroines, though in recent years her pen has turned toward the supernatural. But for a fast-paced, sexy read, Bet Me is a sure winner. At bar, shortly after getting dumped and weeks from her sister's wedding, sensible Min Dobbs overhears her ex bet Cal Morrisey that he can't get Min to sleep with him.

Stay by Allie Larkin
Ms. Larkin's debut novel, Stay, has humor, romance, and a large German Shepherd named Joe. After the man she's been dreaming of for years marries her best friend, Savannah spends the evening with a bottle of vodka and wakes up to realize she's ordered a dog from the internet. Joe's new vet is attractive and available, but then the newlyweds find that married life isn't all a honeymoon.

Big Girls Don't Cry by Cathie Linz
Ms. Linz is known for the humor and witty banter to be found in her upbeat romances. Her heroines are independent and capable, and her heroes often have a military background. Start with Big Girls Don't Cry, Leena has returned to her small hometown from life as a plus sized model in Chicago to work as a receptionist for the local veterinarian, Cole. Cole is, of course, the boy Leena punched in high school for making fun of her weight.

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins
Ms. Higgins' humorous romances feature independent heroines and colorful, supportive secondary characters. She's also known for writing in the first-person. Start with Just One of the Guys, Chastity, the only daughter in a family of macho guys (firefighters, military heroes, etc) is witty, athletic, capable, and intelligent, but unlucky in love. Possibly because the man she's always loved treats her like a sister.

It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Ms. Phillips’ contemporary romances often feature bad boys who are bad in all the best ways who find their match in her strong heroines. Funny, fast-paced, and more than a little steamy, her novels are fun without being fluff. Start with It Had to Be You, the first in her series of novels centered around a fictional Chicago football team. Phoebe has been encouraging her reputation as a flighty socialite, and the team’s coach is less than pleased with her arrival.

A few Romantic Comedies available on DVD
The Holiday
Two Weeks Notice
His Girl Friday
Friends With Benefits
Sweet Home Alabama 

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich is best known for her Stephanie Plum series beginning with One for the Money. Anyone familiar with that series knows that there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and quirky characters. With that in mind I picked up Evanovich's latest novel, Love in a Nutshell, co-authored with Dorien Kelley.

In this stand-alone story, Kate Appleton has been fired from her job as a magazine editor and moves to Keene's Harbor, Michigan to live in her family's summer home known as The Nutshell. Kate plans to turn the house into a bed and breakfast but she runs into one problem after another. The biggest problem is that Kate is months behind on the mortgage, the house is in need of major repairs and she is broke. Out of desperation Kate essentially forces brewery/restaurant owner Matt Culhane to give her a job. Matt owns The Depot and lately someone has been sabotaging his business. Matt is sure it is an inside job and decides that Kate, being new to town, can snoop around for him without arousing suspicion. If Kate finds the culprit, Matt will give her a $20,000 bonus.

I had high hopes for Love in a Nutshell. Having read the Stephanie Plum series I expected some wacky hijinks and quirky characters. I knew that Matt and Kate would end up together and that on their road to happiness there would be obstacles to overcome. This is a romance novel after all and given the title of the book I don't think I'm spoiling the story for anyone. Sadly, I was disappointed. Love in a Nutshell had the potential to be a really funny, nice romance story. If I could pinpoint the one big flaw I would have to say it suffers from too many secondary characters and random plotlines that initially seem to be important to the story but fizzle out in the end. Perhaps if this were the first book in a series all the additional characters and plots would serve as a incentive to read the next book, but as a stand-alone all they do is confuse the story and act as filler.

Not everything about this book is bad. There are some hijinks and wackiness surrounding The Nutshell. Kate's house has a lot of problems spanning from bad plumbing to a bee infestation. She is plagued by an incompetent handyman who hauls around a mysterious blue cooler. The best part of the book is the mystery surrounding the saboteur. When Kate is linked to Matt romantically the sabotage moves from petty little annoyances to more destructive and dangerous incidents. This widens the pool of suspects from those who want to ruin Matt's business to those who also want to hurt Matt personally. I honestly had no idea who the culprit was until the big reveal at the end.

I have not read any of Evanovich's other series or stand alone novels. Out of fairness I have to say I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I read it without my Stephanie "Plum" colored glasses.

~Amy, Adult Services

P.S. If you are a fan of Janet Evanovich and want to try similar authors please check out our Read-Alike blog post here.

Read Alike: Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is best known for her Shopaholic series, laugh-out loud books about scatterbrained Becky Bloomwood and her obsession with shopping. Kinsella’s stories are told in the present tense from a first-person point of view. They are set in contemporary cities, usually London and Kinsella uses the urban life to set her heroine up for comic situation in both her personal and professional life. Kinsella also writes under the pen name Madeleine Wickham. Wickham’s novels are more prone to black humor and are not as light-hearted as those written as Sophie Kinsella.

If you are looking for a funny, upbeat light-hearted romance similar to those written by Sophie Kinsella my we suggest one of these authors:

The Finishing Touches by Hester Browne (Romance)

Business-savvy Betsy Phillimore may have bitten off more than she can chew when she agree to bring a fading English finishing school into the twenty-first-century. Not only does she have to win over the school's snobby headmistress and its handsome but risk-averse treasurer, she has to face some very personal unfinished business.

Second Thyme Around by Katie Fforde (Fiction)

Journey backstage at a gourmet cooking show to capture the romantic trials and tribulations of Perdita, an independent, sensible organic gardener who hates the limelight. You will also meet Lucas, a brilliant but egotistical chef who happens to be Perdita’s ex-husband.

Something Blue by Emily Griffin (Fiction)

Her belief in the power of beauty shattered when her fiancé dumps her for a plain woman, a pregnant Darcy flees to London and struggles to rebuild her glamorous life before realizing that her past methods no longer work.

Swapping Lives by Jane Green (Fiction)

Longing for a traditional family life in the country in spite of her successful career, magazine director Vicky Townsley participates in a contest that has her switching places for one month with Amber Winslow, a busy wife and mother.

One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell (Fiction)

Moving back in with her mother after her geeky boyfriend ends their relationship, Ana dreams about living the life of her pop singer half-sister, Bee, whose untimely death introduces Ana to the mysterious dangers of Bee's world.

Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes (Fiction)

Thirty something best friends Tara and Katherine are losers at love until a mutual friend forces them to make a promise--Katherine must give up her monogamous relationship with her remote control, and Tara must abandon the boyfriend who treats her like dirt.

Being Committed by Anna Maxted (Fiction)

Refusing her long-time boyfriend's marriage proposal, private investigator Hannah regrets her actions when he becomes engaged to his traditional next-door neighbor, a situation that forces her to rethink her beliefs about faithfulness.

The Agency by Ally O’Brien (Fiction)

Struggling with the egos and back-stabbing behavior of her colleagues at a multi-national media agency, Tess Drake finds her career in jeopardy when a rival is unexpectedly promoted, challenging Tess's ambition to start her own agency.

The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate (Fiction)

Rebecca Strand ignores her lawyer boyfriend Michael's concerns about her inheritance and seeks out her long-lost sibling Joy Jayhawk, who operates a singles tour dubbed "The Love Bus". Rebecca soon finds out that she will have to change her thinking if Joy is going to want anything to do with her.

Also try one of these authors: Madeleine Wickham (a pen name of Sophie Kinsella), Lauren Weisberger, Jennifer Weiner, Meg Cabot, Mary Kay Andrews, Isabel Wolff, Robyn Sisman and Helen Fielding.

Annotations courtesy of Novelist.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!