Just a normal day at the office except for the fact that your daughter who has been missing for seven years and was declared legally dead four months ago just called your 911 line begging you to help her.

I really liked what Ryan David Jahn did with The Dispatcher.  As a reader, you are plunged right into the story about what and why this is happening to Maggie and how it has affected all those involved the past seven years.  One could almost feel bad for the kidnappers.  There are really no questions left unanswered.  I really think that if you are looking for a book to spend the afternoon with or need something to pass the time on a airplane ride that The Dispatcher is the perfect book for it.  Not only is this book a thriller but it asks the question What will you do for someone you love?

I became interested in this trilogy because I love CSI and Anthony E. Zuiker is the creator of the television series.  I was introduced to Steve Dark when I read Dark Origins and thought and still think he is a total bad ass and I was introduced to Sqweegel, who is one of my favorite ‘bad guys’ of all time.  I absolutely loved that book.  I was equally excited when Dark Prophecy came out and then couldn’t wait for Dark Revelations.  Dark is still chasing bad guys and has somewhat figured out how to balance that with being a father because he works from home with state of the art equipment in his basement.   Steve Dark has been asked to join an elite special force that come together to capture Level 26 killers.  This group has been able to capture killers that government agencies and even Special Circs have been unable to solve in the past.  The killer on the loose now is known as “Labyrinth” and he uses riddles, puzzles and wordplay to announce who his next victims will be.  With the use of social media he has created a media sensation and has followers from all around the world.  People are almost seeing him as a modern day Robin Hood because of the political and social messages that are behind his killings. Can Steve Dark and his elite team of crime fighters stay a step ahead of “Labyrinth” and stop him before he kills again?

If you are interested in a really good fast paced thriller then I would recommend this entire trilogy.  What is really cool is that this is a digi-novel.  As you read these books books will you will come across codes to access a cyber bridge that will allow you to watch a mini-movie on your computer to give you a little more of Steve Dark’s story.  I have enjoyed watching those as much as reading the books!

Agent 6

At the beginning of Agent 6 we are taken back in time to 1950 where we learn how Leo and his wife, Raisa met and learn about Jesse Austin, an American singer and member of the Communist party and his role in Leo and Raisa getting together.  We soon are back where The Secret Speech left off and Leo has left the secret police and is concentrating on his family. Raisa, Zoya and Elena are about to travel to New York City for the “Peace Tour”, which both countries are hoping will ease relations between the two.  Leo is not allowed to travel with them and is immediately suspicious of the real reason behind the trip and why his wife and daughters were invited.  Of course, something happens on the trip and Leo’s reaction to this tragedy is to enact revenge on the person at fault.

I am stopping there because anymore and I will spoil the thrill of the story!  I will say that I am glad that this is my first read of 2012 and I hope that the rest can live up to Agent 6!

Cora Cash is a New York Debutante and probably the richest heiress in the country.  Cora has been groomed for this moment since she was a young girl and her mother has very big plans for her.  The morning after Cora’s ‘coming out’ the Cash’s yacht will be steaming through across the Atlantic to introduce Miss Cora Cash to the society of England and hopefully be married within the year.  Mrs. Cash realizes that being wealthy is fine but as an American a “title” is out of the question but her daughter could marry into one.  Cora though wants to marry for love and has plans of her own.  Cora meets a Duke and they quickly fall in love and are married but she soon learns that these old world aristocrats are a tight circle and she has much to learn if she wants to be accepted and survive in their world.

If you are a fan of Edith Wharton and Jane Austen novels or Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Theater then you will certainly enjoy The American Heiress.

In I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, we find Flavia up to her old tricks in the chemistry lab (built by her Uncle) but this time she is trying to make a concoction of very sticky birdlime to coat the chimney of Buckshaw mansion.  The reason behind this is to prove once and for all to her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, that Father Christmas is not a hoax.  She intends to then free him from the chimney and invite Father Christmas to stay for the glorious fireworks display that she has also been working on in the the laboratory.

Flavia’s father, due to his increasing debt, has agreed to let a movie production company use the family estate as a movie set which means that Buckshaw will not be decorated for Christmas, which is disappointing,but Flavia soon learns she will have all sorts of mischief to get into with the stars and film crew roaming around.

The vicar arranges for the entire town of Bishop’s Lacey to come to Buckshaw for a special performance of the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet to raise money to repair the church roof.  In true English mystery fashion, a blizzard ensues snowing everyone in and setting the scene for MURDER!  Flavia, of course, has found the body and even after several warnings not to meddle with the investigation just cannot help herself.  A grand “who dunnit” begins and soon concludes on Christmas Eve.

I recommend this as a fun and uproarious holiday read whether you have read the others in the series or not and guarantee you will be asking Father Christmas for the entire collection!

The first book which is available for purchase now (and flying off the shelf) is Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie.

This narrative biography is up to par with all the Russian histories that this Pulitzer Prize winning author has previously written, Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandraand The Romanovs.

We learn about Princess Sophia Augusta Fredericka of Germany’s not to happy childhood with a mother who never showed much interest in her daughter until the possibility of a marriage between Sophia and Peter, the Grand Duke of Russia, came up.  Sophia had a natural curiosity and constantly questioned her tutors about all subjects and continued this love of learning well into her adult years.

After marrying Peter and becoming Catherine her life did not become much happier.  Her new husband paid little to no attention to her after the marriage and a heir to the throne was slow in coming which Empress Elizabeth blamed Catherine for.  Catherine soon learned that things in life can be worked to her advantage and continued to study especially works of Enlightenment philosophers, foreign policy and the ways of the Russian court.  She used all this when she ‘took’ the Russian throne from Peter to guide her decisions while ruling the backward Russian empire.

You will meet all those who were Catherine’s friends, favorites, family, lovers and of course enemies and who had the most influence over the decisions that turned a minor German princess who rose to become one of the most powerful and captivating women in history.

Also be on the lookout in January 2012 for a wonder historical novel, The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak.  The story is told by Varvara and servant in the Russian court of Empress Elizabeth.  When Princess Sophie arrives at the Russian court Varvara (who is a spy or ‘tongue’) is given the task of befriending the young girl and reporting all she hears to the Empress. The two soon become fast friends and as the years go on Varvara makes the decision to side with the Grand Duchess as she makes her descent to the throne to become as we know her Catherine the Great.

Well, guess what? Julie Otsuka has a new little book, The Buddha in the Attic.  I started reading it over the weekend and I am just as in love with this one as the other.  One could almost call this a prequel because of the timing and subject matter.  Otsuka tells us the story of a group of ‘picture brides,’ who were brought to the United States to begin a new life with new husbands they have never met, and to escape their lives in Japan.

We follow them as a whole group for the next 20 years, from their journey, their arrival in San Francisco, their first night with their husbands, their new lives which consist of back breaking work in the fields and scrubbing floors for white women, to their struggles learning a new language and culture, their child birth experiences and motherhood, to the beginning of WWII and imminent internment.

We cooked for them. We cleaned for them. We helped them chop wood. But it was not we who were cooking and cleaning and chopping, it was somebody else. And often our husbands did not even notice we’d disappeared.

Reading this is like listening to a ‘chorus’ of women telling their stories as one. I really thought that I would be bothered reading a book that really doesn’t have a plot or even a narrative but I soon realized how strong and powerful this book is.

I will be readily recommending The Buddha in the Attic to all my customers especially book clubs because I believe that so many people will be able to empathize with these women’s plight and how they deal with their situations.

.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT COSTUMES SHOULD ONLY BE WORN ON HALLOWEEN!!!

I love dressing in costume because I can be whoever I would like to be if only for a few hours.  Through the years I have worn many costumes to many events.  I am a firm believer that anything can be a costume, in fact, some of my favorites I have worn were just clothes from my closet and a wig.  The dress was actually a sequined dress I wore for my debutante party and a hot pink wig…I wasn’t anything specific just glamorous!  Another time, I put an all black outfit on, a blue wig and had an invisible dog leash.  People would ask who I was and my answer was ‘the crazy blue haired lady from next door who walks her invisible dog”.  Masks are great things to have on hand…you just slide it over your head and BAM!!…you are a butterfly!

I have already started working on my costume for DAMNED NIGHT.  The base of this costume is right out of my closet but what is going to make this one fantastic are the accessories.  I have completely taken over the dining room table and there is an orange extension cord spread across the den floor so I can have my glue gun plugged in. (I’m telling you a glue gun is an essential tool in the costume creative process especially if anything has to be embellished.)  One of my #1 rules in the costume process is comfort…Never wear something you will be miserable in.  From head to toe, you must be comfortable or you will not have fun.  I march in the St. Paddy’s Day parade with The Green Ladies so I bought a pair of cheap but comfortable sneakers, painted them green and stenciled the ‘mud flap girl’ on the sides…I am good to go for the entire parade route.

I do not have a problem with store bought costumes at all.  In fact some of my pieces are store bought and I just am putting a little pizazz on them.  I like to shop at Party City on County Line Road because it it locally owned and open all year not just in the Halloween season.  Through out the year though I am looking for things that can be used for a costume.  I especially love things like hats, tights, and costume jewelry.  Just like in real life a good costume like a good outfit is nothing without good accessories!

While I am dressing as a character from Damned I do realize that not everyone has read it.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DRESS AS A PALAHNIUK CHARACTER! I want you to be who or whatever you want to be but I have taken the liberty to give you a few suggestions from Damned and his other books.

1. Demons or anything hellish

2. Porn Star (Male or Female)

3. Beauty Queen (disfigured or not)

4. Exchange Student

5. Bloody guy with black eye (remember the first rule of Fight Club)

I have talked to a few folks who have to work, or have class and are going to be coming straight to the party so they cannot wear a costume.  PSHAW!!  If you plan well you can do it!  I want you to go home look in your closet, check your assorted accessories and all that make-up under the sink.  Wear a base to work or class and put the rest on in the car!  It is easy and I promise you will have a great time.  I hope y’all will come to the party and that I don’t recognize you right away! HA!

JX//RX

Chuck’s Damned Book Night is Thursday, October 20th!

Not Halloween.

Costumes are encouraged but not required.

Get the details for the event here–this goes to our website.

Check in on our Facebook Event page.

See all of our Damned Blogs for the Chuck Palahniuk event.

Follow the Chuck Palahniuk Event on Twitter: @LemuriaBooks

cpcp

Philippa Gregory

With The Lady of the Rivers  she lets us into the the world of Jacquetta, the Duchess of Bedford.  Jacquetta is a descendant of Melusina, the river goddess, and like many of her family before her has inherited the ‘gift’ of second sight.  As advised by her aunt, Jacquetta tries to keep her powers a secret but soon catches the eye of the Duke of Bedford.  After their marriage, he introduces her to the mysterious world of alchemy and tries to use her ‘sight’ to keep the English in control of France.

While in his household, Jacquetta befriends her husbands squire, Richard Woodville, and after the Dukes death secretly marries Woodville.  The Woodvilles return to England and take their place at the Lancastrian court where Jacquetta becomes a close friend and loyal subject to the new Queen Margaret.  Jacquetta and Richard are leading a very happy life at court and their home full of children until King Henry VI  falls into a mysterious sleep and the Queen turns to advisors who may not have the kingdom best interest at heart.

War ensues between the Lancasters and the Yorks for the throne and Jacquetta does her best to fight for her King and Queen but also the best interest of her children especially her daughter, Elizabeth.  She has sensed a very fortunate turn of events for Elizabeth’s future which mysteriously involves the white rose of York.

The Lady of the Rivers is a prequel to Gregory’s previous books in The Cousin’s War series, The White Queen about Elizabeth Woodville and The Red Queen about Margaret Beaufort.  This series tells the story of the Plantagenets, the houses of York and Lancaster, who ruled and constantly were at war for the crown before the Tudors came into power.

I have throughly enjoyed reading Gregory’s novels about both the families of the War of the Roses and the Tudors. I try to always read some non-fiction about the characters that I read in all the historical fiction that I read so I was pleased to see that along side the publication of this new novel Philippa Gregory along with David Baldwin and Michael Jones have published a book with historical essays about the three women of The Cousin’s War Series.

What is also interesting is that Gregory discusses the differences in history and historical fiction and just exactly how speculation plays a role in writing each.  Anyone who has any interest at all in this time period will be well served to pick up this book also.  The Women of the Cousin’s War is on my beside table at this very moment.

Here is a new title by a debut author that I think will work for Labor Day weekend either at the pool or while the game is on or maybe both!

The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams

The Wishbone Killer is terrorizing Atlanta, Georgia.  Keye Street’s career in the FBI ended as her battle against addiction began.  She has started a new life working as a a private detective taking jobs when she can find them from tracking down bail jumpers and adulterers to finding people who have stolen company secrets.  The last thing she wants is to become involved in a case involving a serial killer but then the Atlanta Police Department comes calling but how can she say no since Lt. Aaron Rauser, her best friend, is doing the asking.  As she uses her skills acquired in the FBI as a profiler, Keye begins to realize that the Wishbone Killer just might be someone she knows and all those close to her could be the killers next target.

I really loved this thriller.  It was really fun to read especially if you are familiar with Atlanta and that the protagonist is a female detective.  It is nice to have a ‘southern belle’ saving the day instead of just getting the vapors!