Library Fun

I've slowed things down on my blog lately, and I discovered something. I miss going into my library, finding a book I WANT to read and checking it out. Don't get me wrong, with the book reviews I get to read a lot of great stuff. Some of them even coming my way by my own shameless begging. But to look through a bunch of books and choose some, discard others. My other voracious readers know what I'm talking about, it's what drives us to visit the bookstore even though we have an e-reader and a TBR list a mile long!

So, what have I made my way through?

Little Night by Luanne Rice, a story about a woman who has been finding her way after being released from prison for attacking her sister's abusive husband. She never stopped loving her sister, even when her sister stood up in court and said her sister was unprovoked. Who then took her children and fled the country with this man. Who physically abused her own daughter under this man's thumb. These kinds of stories break my heart for everyone involved, but I also think they are important. These things happen in the real world, and this is the only way to really experience what they are feeling and thinking in the moment.

Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews. I adore the Meg Langslow mysteries. Years ago when I first discovered one thanks to my sister-in-law, I read through them all in a matter of months. Now I wait, very impatiently, for the next book to come out. This does not disappoint. Meg now has 2 toddlers, but her life is as crazed as ever. The town's ex-mayer took out loans on all the town buildings, pocketed the cash, then stepped aside as the lender came in and took ownership of them all. Now the Library is in her library, and she doesn't even have after-hours access! When one of the lenders is murdered in city hall, things come unglued and secrets are revealed.

The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner. Oh I loved this story! It's a close look at the inside of Hollywood, but giving it some grace. Yes those Hollywood people are weird, and yes the execs are ruining more than they are helping, but there are a lot of regular people just trying to make it by. Ruth, who was scarred by the car accident that killed her parents, has spent her life writing. Couple that with the comfort she found in watching TV, especially The Golden Girls, she wants to pursue her career as a television writer. But, can she make it through Hollywood without selling her soul?

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. I was excited when this came out, but the e-book was like $17.99! So I did what I usually break down and do...(and yes I did ask the publisher but wasn't given a response) I reserved a copy at my local library. Honestly, I couldn't stand it. It was BORING! A guy dies early on, and the next 50 pages are townspeople reactions. It started driving me mad, so I quit. I gave it to Carlyn, and she read it but she didn't like it either. "She was too liberal with the F-word" she said. And that was about all she had to say about it. So, sorry Ms. Rowling, but as much as I adore Harry Potter, this fell flat.