Reading the “In Death” Series

Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors — I’ve probably read everything she’s written. In fact, I’m finishing one of her trilogies right now. But she also writes under the pseudonym J.D. Robb and I’m absolutely hooked on the “In Death” series. I’ve never been a fan of science fiction and the series is set in the late 2050s, complete with interplanetary travel and hover cars, but they’re more about the people, their relationships and the murders to be solved.

I think I picked up my first book, which was actually book #7, “Holiday in Death,” in 1999 at the used  bookstore — because it had the word Holiday in the title, right? I enjoyed it so much, I went back and got books 1 through 6 and have been buying them ever since. Two per year are released and I generally prefer paperbacks so I’ve collected them all as the paperback editions come out.

I was thinking this morning that it must be about time for the next paperback release and I started gathering up my copies. They were all over the place, on different bookshelves and in different rooms. When I got done, here’s what I had …

28 books containing murder, mayhem, bad guys and good sex.  The main character is New York City Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas. She never had a childhood, which fine tuned her street smarts and made her tough as nails. In the first book, “Naked in Death,” she encounters Roarke, billionaire owner of Roarke Industries, who had a rough and tumble childhood in Ireland, now lives in New York and is single-handedly working on owning just about everything on multiple planets. The sparks flew and they’re still flying!

All I can say is I love these books and someday I’m planning to read every one of them again, one after the other.

• Naked in Death
• Glory in Death
• Immortal in Death
• Rapture in Death
• Ceremony in Death
• Vengeance in Death
• Holiday in Death
• Conspiracy in Death
• Loyalty in Death
• Witness in Death
• Judgment in Death
• Betrayal in Death
• Seduction in Death
• Reunion in Death
• Purity in Death
• Portrait in Death
• Imitation in Death
• Divided in Death
• Visions in Death
• Survivor in Death
• Origin in Death
• Memory in Death
• Born in Death
• Innocent in Death
• Creation in Death
• Strangers in Death
• Salvation in Death
• Promises in Death

nora roberts aka jd robb

“Kindred in Death” will be released in paperback on March 30th. Yay!

http://www.jdrobb.com/index.html

Reading “The School of Essential Ingredients”

I received this book as a gift from a dear friend recently and it was such a pleasure to read.

Lillian, who owns and operates Lillian’s restaurant, holds a cooking class on Monday nights. She had an unusual childhood. Her father left them when she was only 4 and her mother’s method of coping was to read. Non-stop, constant reading, one book after another. Although she was there physically, reading aloud, spiritually and mentally she left Lillian as well. Lillian learned to take care of the household or nothing would get done. This included cooking, which became her passion.

Lillian has an uncanny sense for understanding people, for making sure that the people who can support and relate to each other come together. Her latest cooking class at “The School of Essential Ingredients” has a number of students who don’t even realize they’re looking for more than just cooking lessons. A young mother who doesn’t know who she is without her children and husband; a couple who have been married for many years and withstood a potential relationship shattering episode; a widower whose wife had been a chef; and more.

In this first novel by Erica Bauermeister, the writing is so lyrical, the food sounds so amazing and the characters feel like people you know. Here are a few wonderful excerpts:

• Helen would groan good-naturedly and roll over, telling Carl all she wanted for Christmas was a good night’s sleep, and he would pull the children close and whisper the story of the Night Before Christmas until they would slowly, one by one, fall asleep, their bodies draped across each other like laundry in the basket.
• The frosting was a thick butter-cream, rich as a satin dress laid against the firm, fragile texture of the cake. With each bite, the cake melted first, then the frosting, one after another, like lovers tumbling into bed.
• The first time he had kissed her–it had taken six weeks–was over hamburgers, two inches thick, juices running. He had leaned over and licked the grease off her arm without thinking.
• The chicken was soft, delicate, the broccoli crisp and distinctly alive, ginger seasoning the mix like the provocative flip of a short skirt.

This was a sweet, delightful read (258 pages) and a wonderful lesson in how food affects our senses and triggers memories.

http://ericabauermeister.com/

Reading “The Girl Who Played with Fire”

This is the March selection for our book club, the second in the Millennium series written by Stieg Larsson who passed away in 2004. It’s the follow up to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and is pretty darned exciting. I would definitely recommend first reading Dragon Tattoo so you have the lay of the land and who all the characters are.

This story is all about European sex trafficking and the scumbags who run the operation. Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist who writes about true crimes and corporate creeps, has an employee who is set to publish a book about the sex trafficking trade – and name names. When he and his girl (who has in tandem written her thesis on sex trafficking and organized crime) are both murdered, it is a blow to Blomkvist and the others at Millenium. A third murder has occurred nearby with the same weapon and forensic evidence points to Lisbeth Salander – she with the Dragon Tattoo who now Plays with Fire.

There are some very good, unexpected twists in this book and the excitement runs strong right to the very last page. Larsson did an excellent job of setting this story up as a lead in to the third installment, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest.”

stieg larsson

I think the premise for the story can be found in one sentence on page 463 (hardback edition):

Salander was the woman who hated men who hate women.

I am anxious to read the next one.

Reading “The Broken Window”

Can you say Data Mining? This book was very scary in a today’s real world kind of way.

Written by Jeffery Deaver, this is another Lincoln Rhyme / Amelia Sachs murder mystery. (Remember “The Bone Collector” that was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie?) The paperback edition was released in May 2009 and I picked it up at the used book store.

The basic premise of the story is that someone is killing people, then planting evidence that very strongly convicts other people of the murders. The killer is able to go into any type of record out there and make changes … you failed a drug test you didn’t take … you have an outstanding warrant when you really don’t … you’ve missed making your car payments when you really haven’t. But the records are what the authorities believe and proving anything different is pretty much impossible.

He is also able to view your records to see what kind of evidence to plant. You bought a rope at Home Depot … you belong to a certain gym … you frequent a specific Starbucks. Even paying cash for your transactions doesn’t mean you aren’t being tracked.

There really are companies out there that specialize in data mining, selling the information to people who want to sell you something or figure out where you’re at in life … buying a house … having a baby … being promoted in your job.

jeffery deaver

You know those little key ring reward cards for your favorite places to shop? Oh yeah, everything you buy is being tracked by someone and that information is sold to someone else. Scary, huh?

The reason Lincoln Rhyme becomes involved in these murders is his cousin, Arthur Rhyme, is being convicted for one of them. This was a very good book and, frankly, I find myself thinking about it as I’m out running errands, leaving a trail of information.

http://www.jefferydeaver.com/

Reading “Tender at the Bone”

Our book club selection for February is “Tender at the Bone — Growing Up at the Table” by Ruth Reichl. I had to keep reminding myself that this is non-fiction.

Ruth Reichl, Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet magazine which is no longer being published as of November 2009, has an entertaining history with food. While she had no formal culinary training, she has cooked since she was a small child. This is the story of her life with food and her no holds barred personal life, including dealing with a manic-depressive mother who was known as the Queen of Mold.

Here’s a little excerpt from the first chapter:

“Oh, it’s just a little mold,” I can remember her saying on the many occasions she scraped the fuzzy blue stuff off some concoction before serving what was left for dinner. She had an iron stomach and was incapable of understanding that other people did not.

This taught me many things. The first was that food could be dangerous, especially to those who loved it. I took this very seriously. My parents entertained a great deal, and before I was ten I had appointed myself guardian of the guests. My mission was to keep Mom from killing anybody who came to dinner.

She tells about learning to cook from her Aunt Birdie’s maid, Hortense, as well as their own family’s maid, Mrs. Peavey; being sent to boarding school in Montreal to learn French and getting an education from the local deli owners; spending time with a fellow student’s millionaire family where she was introduced to gourmet food; traveling abroad with her college roommate; marrying and making ends meet — then moving to California and living in a commune; being hired as a restaurant critic by a San Francisco magazine; going to France on a wine buying trip; even attending a party in honor of James Beard.

ruth reichl

I found her story interesting and fascinating. She really went through some ups and downs with her mother’s illness and came out on the right side of happy.

Ruth Reichl has written and edited a number of books and cookbooks over the years and I believe I’ll read them all. “Tender at the Bone” includes recipes throughout the text as well.

http://www.ruthreichl.com/?ID=2

Reading “Comfort Food”

I really enjoy books by Kate Jacobs. She has written “The Friday Night Knitting Club” and its sequel “Knit Two.” Of course, stories about knitting and knitting shops and knitting friends always appeal to me.

Now she has crossed over into my other love interest – cooking – with her book “Comfort Food.”

Gus Simpson is a widow with two daughters, now grown. At the time her husband died, her girls were still young and Gus felt the only way she could hold it all together was by being strong, hiding her grief and working, working, working. She has no formal culinary training, but enjoys cooking and opens a sandwich shop that receives interest from the head of the CookingChannel. After ending up with her own TV show, she feels like she has everything under control.

kate jacobs

Then the show’s ratings go down and she is unwillingly paired up with spicy hot former Miss Spain, Carmen Vega, to bring new viewers and regenerate interest with her existing audience. Through this painful process, she ends up learning a lot about herself and the disservice she has done to her daughters and their relationship.

It’s a fluffy, light story, but still lots of fun and all the more enjoyable with food talk throughout.

http://www.katejacobs.com/

Reading “Dear John”

My horoscope in today’s newspaper reads:

You find it impossible to think anything but the best about everyone you meet. Goodness hovers around you like a perfume.

Is that what that smell is? Obviously, they don’t know me!

I hosted our book club meeting last night. It’s good to have people over periodically. Makes you straighten up the house. I love the morning after we’ve had guests, just walking around with my coffee cup, enjoying the sparkly clean!

We discussed “The Help,” which everyone really liked and we’re all hoping Kathryn Stockett goes on to write more books. We were missing a few members due to illness and a bad back, but gained a new member — my YD joined us. There is another mother-daughter who attends and it’s so nice to see how they really like each other and want to spend time together. We are all lucky to have this close relationship.

In addition to the usual wine, cheese, crackers and fruit, I decided to make a little hot appetizer. It was super easy and really delicious. Actually got raves. At Italian restaurants, one of my favorites is a Caprese salad, which is mozzarella, plum tomatoes, basil and olive oil so this plays off of that. Called Crostini Caprese, I found it on the Pampered Chef website and will make this one over and over again. I don’t have the Large Round Stone, so substituted a cookie sheet and it worked just fine. Also just used my store brand spray olive oil.

Finally, to the real reason I’m writing. “Dear John” is classic Nicholas Sparks. As you’ll remember from “The Notebook,” he writes deep love stories and someone always gets sick and/or dies. This book did not disappoint; however, it was predictable. YD, hubby and I all read it and figured out the ending ahead of time. All that said, it was a nice read.

John Tyree is a troubled kid, raised alone by a father so shy he can barely carry on a conversation. After completing high school, John decides he is on the wrong path and joins the army, which turns out to be a good thing for him. Home on a furlough, he meets Savannah and they fall in love. They make plans to marry when he gets out of the service — then 9/11 happens. When his entire squad reenlists, he has to choose between love for his country and love for his woman. Lots of angst, lots of drama.

I am looking forward to seeing the movie, which comes out February 5th. But here’s one of the things that drives me nuts when they make a book into a movie. Sparks makes it very clear in the book that Savannah is brunette. Especially in the beginning when they first meet, it is mentioned over and over that she is an attractive brunette. So in my head I have this image of Savannah as a brunette. If you’ve seen the movie previews — or just look at the cover of the book, they have cast her as a blonde. What???

Pictured is the book with a vase of pretty yellow flowers I got yesterday.

Teaser Tuesdays – “American Wife”

I’m trying something new today that I’ve seen while visiting other blogs. Teaser Tuesdays is for readers who want to share a few sentences of what they’re currently reading …

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My two “Teaser” sentences for today:

That morning, when he’d come to Itty-Bitty to find me for breakfast, I’d been awake and dressed, waiting for him, and as he’d entered through the screen door, he’d called, “Where’s my favorite lush?” and I’d said, “Charlie, I’m so sorry for my behavior last night,” and he’d said, “Only part you have to apologize for is getting me all horned up and then passing out, but I’ll take a rain check.” He’d leaned in to kiss me, and I’d felt the great relief of dating a man who does not hold a grudge, or at least not toward you (Simon had been the other way).

This excerpt is from page 239 of “American Wife,” written by Curtis Sittenfeld (who is, by the way, a woman) – 555 total pages, published in 2008.

Reading “Change of Heart”

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all of her books and enjoyed every one of them immensely. A few have even been made into movies — “The Pact,” “Plain Truth,” “My Sister’s Keeper.”

I just finished reading “Change of Heart,” published in 2008. This book kept me hooked from page one and right through to the end … 449 pages of pure enjoyment.

It’s about a man on death row in New Hampshire for killing two people — a police officer and his young stepdaughter. The wife/mother of the victims is pregnant at the time of the murders and gives birth to a daughter with an unfortunate, life-threatening medical condition.

Without giving too much away, I can tell you that strange happenings on death row brings frenzied public attention to the prisoner and he is believed to be the Messiah.

There are many moral issues in this story such as where do religion and state meet, what constitutes a religion and as the quote says on the front jacket of the book, “Would you grant your enemy’s dying wish to save your child’s life?”

Very well-written. Jodi Picoult is so thorough in her research. Her characters feel like people you know. There are twists and turns in this story right to the very satisfying ending.

Visit her website at http://www.jodipicoult.com.

Reading “The Lost Symbol”

Dan Brown has done it again. “The Lost Symbol” is a fascinating story set in Washington, D.C. The idea that there are so many tunnels and hidden rooms and artifacts in and among the buildings in our nation’s capital really intrigues me. These are things that have been in place for hundreds of years, put there by our forefathers.

One of the things I enjoy most about his books is the fact that they open my mind to new possibilities and ideas. There are so many ways to look at things if we just allow ourselves the leeway. We tend to become so sure that we are right about something when there are many other ways to view it that may lead to new revelations. I am a very black and white thinker so this type of  thought process is frustrating, but exhilarating as well.

I love puzzles. Sudoku, crosswords, jigsaws, even Wheel of Fortune! As each one is revealed, the puzzles of Masonic symbolism that run through this book are amazing to watch unfold with the plot. The whole thing takes place in one night, which is a lot of fast-paced action in 509 pages. He does an excellent job of weaving short chapters together, moving you back and forth between several settings, all happening at once.

Author Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist and professor we met in “The Da Vinci Code,” is invited to D.C. to speak at the U.S. Capitol Building by Peter Solomon, his long-time friend and mentor. When he arrives, he receives a different kind of invitation in the form of a horrifying object, the first symbol to be decoded and understood.

I felt that the villain in this novel was such a sad, misguided person. He did horribly cruel things all the way through, but I just couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Which is so unlike me! I’m usually of the hang ’em high mentality when it comes to criminals and evil.

All in all, I thought “The Lost Symbol” was well done and very enjoyable!