Monthly ArchiveFebruary 2007
Book 27 Feb 2007 07:10 pm
Shopaholic & Baby!
Look on your shelves! The newest in the Shopaholic series is out TODAY! Sophie Kinsella has written a new novel on Becky Bloomwood and her shopping exploits. It is a fun and light series that will definitely make you chuckle.
I have not personally read this series but her other stand-alone novels, Can You Keep a Secret? and Un-Domestic Goddess were both hilarious. Can You Keep a Secret? is actually one of my “staff picks” at the shop because it is honestly, just a GOOD TIME. From her website…
About the Shopaholic Novels:
“Endearingly upbeat (and always chic) Becky Bloomwood returns… Kinsella unfurls more of the same fun, label obsessed high jinks for Shopaholic fans. Grade A-.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Kinsella has a genuine gift for comic writing.”—The Boston Globe
“Hilarious … hijinks worthy of classic I Love Lucy episodes … too good to pass up.” —USA Today
“Kinsella’s Bloomwood is plucky and funny…. You won’t have to shop around to find a more winning protagonist.” —People
The bag you see next to that handsome man (stand back ladies, he is all mine!) is the promo tool that Random House sent to us. It is a little gift bag with some promo writing on there. Very cute! Side note, Sophie is on Tour. If you have no plans, try to include Sophie!
Book 23 Feb 2007 06:50 pm
Motherhood, Honesty and Humor.
You can’t go wrong! The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center is available June 26th 2007.
I thought this book was lovely in it’s honesty. It gave a real look into (single, though with plenty of money) motherhood. The descriptions of the baby Maxie, from the point of view of a mother who knows *nothing* was delightful and utterly relateable.
The author is from Houston, and I believe this is her first novel. She has done other writing with a literary journal, the Gulf Coast. From the back cover, a description of the novel,
Very pregnant and not quite married, Jenny Harris doesn’t mind that she and her fiance, Dean, accidentally started their family a little earlier than they’d planned. But Dean is acting distant- and not in the pre-wedding jitters kind of way. The night he runs out for cigarettes and doesn’t come back, Jenny’s future husband demotes himself to sperm donor. And the very next day, Jenny goes into labor.
Plus, my name is Jenny, so bonus points there!!! Check it out if you are a new mother, expectant mother, established mother, friend to a mother, or just into a good time. There are plenty of laugh out loud funny parts. It is avaible June 26th 2007 at your local independent bookshop!
Uncategorized 20 Feb 2007 12:05 pm
“Don’t be shelf-ish”
So I posted about Book Mooch, which is a trading site. There is also, Book Crossing which is a book sending site. You label your books with a number and “set them free” and when someone finds them, they enter the number on the site.
I need to register a whole bunch of books, and then use book mooch to send them out. The idea with Book Crossing is that you leave them on park benches, and the like, and people just take them. A lot of coffee shops have a bookshelf, with the “leave a book, take a book” idea. As I work in a book SHOP, not such a good idea to have free books just laying about. But I think that Book mooch is a great way to promote book crossing. I should actually be getting a book crossing book from Book mooch (hence this post!)
The site also does good works. One of the ongoing projects is for knitters and crocheters,
Be a Square! Help Create an Afghan
You may recall we put out the word not too long ago for all knitters and crocheters to join with ozone-nut to take part in creating an afghan for the 2007 Un-Convention over in England. (See earlier article here.) Well, skcreader loved the idea so much that she volunteered to coordinate a similar project for this side of the pond. Her goal is simple: to collect 4 in. x 4 in. squares from BookCrossers and put them together for a fabulous BC afghan/throw to be raffled at the Charleston convention! Don’t worry about your technique being perfect — that’s part of the intrigue. Post any questions in the forum (here or here or even here), get out your yarn and needles, and start stitching! Skcreader is hoping for the squares by March 20.
So give it a try! Send a few books out into the big wide world, and see where they end up! Also, don’t forget that there are some really interesting articles, and join in the fun!
Book 19 Feb 2007 10:41 pm
First Guest Review, for Innocent In Death
Remember the picture of my brother and the post about J.D. Robb’s new Innocent In Death?Here is the picture again for kicks, 
It is over here, well I now have a review, the day before its release! This is actually from my friend Jess. Book Embargo’s FIRST Guest Reviewer!!!!
Nora Roberts as JD Robb has done it again in her latest installment of
the “In Death” series. This time she takes us into the eyes of two ten
year old’s who stumble upon their teacher who was dead. They find him
in his classroom, a terrifying sight for any child. Eve is thrown into
a case dealing with children as the key witnesses, when she’d rather be
dealing with a a dealer coming off of zoner.It’s not the case of the dead teacher that will draw fans back to Eve,
our heroine of the future. It’s Magdalena, a woman from Roarke’s past.
Nora Roberts cleverly plays with our emotions as she brings forth a
beautiful beauty from Roarke’s homeland, causing jealously and a bit of
anger to rise in Eve. Will Roarke turn a blind eye to Maggie’s
advances…..or will he fall under her charm once again?As always Nora throws in twist after twist in her latest book, adding in
the charm of Mavis and Leonardo’s brand new baby to the mix. In the
end, Nora never fails to capture her readers attention, and to thrown in
the whammy at the end.
So I hope this helps with your decision to go purchase Innocent in Death (on sale Tuesday February 20th, 2007). Any questions, just ask!
Uncategorized 16 Feb 2007 07:30 am
Online things to read
Here is a really interesting blog that I just discovered. All about Romance talks a little about Christine Feehan (see my latest post), plus other authors like Laurell K. Hamilton and Anne Rice. It goes into J.D. Robb and werewolf fantasy, and there is a lot of information. A quote from the page,
This is just a sampling, but it provides a good starting point for those who would like to discover the SF/fantasy origins behind FF&P romance.
* Maxwell, Ann Name of a Shadow, others
* MacAvoy, R.A. The Grey Horse
* Roberson, Jennifer: The Sword-Dancer Saga
* Miller, Sharon and Lee, Sharon: Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Carpe Diem
* McCaffrey, Anne: Dragonflight (and others)
* Bujold, Lois McMaster: Shards of Honor, A Civil Campaign
* Bull, Emma: War for the Oaks
If you are in a book group that does romance or science fiction, there are actually some really good discussion points in this blog. Plus at the end there are questions that you could use, and she had a short interview with Christine Feehan and got her view on vamps and the like.
Another interesting place to check out is the Guardian’s Top 10 book blogs. No, I’m not on there yet, but there are some good ones. Bookslut actually links to Nerve’s Top 20 Comics that can change your life. I am personally excited to get into the Sandman comics by Neil Gaimen.
Also, check out ABE Books, and their site on the Ten most expensive books sold through their site. Very very cool!
So anyways, some really interesting stuff for you to check out. Ten Blogs, twenty comics, ten expensive books and a great romance review site. Enjoy!
Book 15 Feb 2007 08:15 am
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
My oh my, I loved this book. I first heard about it in Pages in an article about the author and her husband. We got the advance at the store, and one September afternoon, I sat on the grass in the sun and ABSORBED THIS BOOK.
Written by Ayelet Waldman (married to author Michael Chabon), Love and Other Impossible Pursuits is about a mother who has to deal with the death of her infant daughter, her five year old step-son, and her consuming self-pity. A review from Publisher’s Weekly,
“How a five-year-old manages to make the adults in his life hew to the love he holds for them is the sweet treat in this honest, brutal, bitterly funny slice of life. When Emelia’s day-old daughter, Isabel, succumbs to SIDS, her own life stalls. She can’t work; she can’t sleep; Central Park, once her personal secret garden, now is a minefield of happy mother-child dyads. Since Isabel’s death, husband Jack’s only solace for the guilt of breaking up his sexless marriage with Carolyn for Emelia’s (now-absent) passion and love is joint custody of William, now five. What Emelia cannot bear most are Wednesdays, when she must cross the park to collect William at the 92nd Street Y preschool and take another shot at step-motherhood. Carolyn, William’s furious mother and a renowned Upper East Side OB/GYN, lives to nab Emelia for mistakes in handling him. Carolyn’s indicting phone calls raise the already sky-high tension in Jack and Emelia’s home, but they don’t compare with Carolyn’s announcement that, at age 42, she is pregnant. The news pushes Emelia to confess to Jack two things she shouldn’t. William is charmingly realized, and Waldman (Daughter’s Keeper) has upper bourgeois New York down cold. The result is a terrific adult story. (Feb. 21)”
– Publishers Weekly
More personal praise from authors you might enjoy,
“Love and Other Impossible Pursuits is a beautiful novel…If you are not moved to tears, then your heart is carved from wood.”
– Andrew Sean Greer, author of The Confessions of Max Tivoli“I had a great time reading Love and Other Impossible Pursuits…The heroine was a great accomplishment…and William (her stepson) is a triumph.”
– Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce“I read this book in one sitting…Ayelet Waldman is that good.”
– Sherman Alexie, author of Ten Little Indians“One of the sweetest and smartest and most poignant novels I’ve read in a long time. It’s also very funny.”
– Chris Bohjalian, author of Midwives and Before You Know Kindness
Side note, I agree with Sherman Alexie!!! And here are two covers for you to recognize the book in the stores!
It was released in paperback on January 9th, 2007 (though oddly, I don’t remember seeing it yet), and is an amazing read! Please stop by your local independent library and check it out!
Book 14 Feb 2007 11:39 am
Feehan Goodness
So I have discovered a new author. Christine Feehan.
I am now reading Dangerous Tides and really enjoying it. She has a few series out. It is honestly a pleasure to meet an author who as a website as good as hers. ChristineFeehan.com lists all of her series and (this is key) the ORDER to read them. The series I just started (with Libby, I know, not in order!) is the Drake Sisters. Some random information from Christine’s website,
In what order are the Drake sisters born?
From eldest to youngest:
Sarah, Kate, Abigail, Libby, Hannah, Joley, and then Elle.In what order should I read the books?
From first to last (although not required):
Magic in the Wind
The Twilight Before Christmas
Oceans of Fire
Dangerous Tides
Safe Harbor (coming June 27, 2007)
Like I said, I am reading Dangerous Tides. I usually hate starting midway through a series like this because so much is ruined. I am not sure if it is because there are so many sisters, hence MANY supporting characters, but I don’t mind reading the fourth as first. I have ordered the earlier ones so after this I will go back to the right order (have no fear). Also, if you are interested in the Drake Sisters, Christine posts a link to the first chapter of the first book, Magic in the Wind on her website. So read away!
She does have other series, though I have not read enough to see if I am interested. Please also note that in the Drake Sister series, there are more books forthcoming!!!! There should be seven in total (seven sisters!)
So if you like romantic fantasy (they are magical sisters after all), give Christine a chance. You should be able to find her in any bookstore because she has been on the New York Times Bestseller list (among others) for many of her books!
Book & Information 07 Feb 2007 03:01 pm
Steve Berry: part duex
I’m sure you all remember my post on Steve Berry’s new hardcover, Alexandria Link. They gave out a fun scroll and did online book giveaways. Anyways, the point of this is that we recieved a new hardcover as a reader’s copy for the store (even though we had recieved an advance), SIGNED by Steve Berry!
The text reads, “Bev- thanks for all you do. Here’s #5. Steve Berry”
How sweet is that?
My manager Bev (the Bev in the signature) pessimistically pointed out that it was our rep that probably told Berry what to sign. But still, isn’t it fun to get personally autographed books like that?
Remember that Alexandria Link is now available in your local independent bookshop!
Book & Information 06 Feb 2007 08:50 pm
Local Flair, Local Flavor
I am from the grand state of New Hampshire. Yay Granite!!! And we have quite a few wonderful authors who have gone on to quite high levels. Everyone knows Dan Brown of course, but also Barbara Delinsky, Jodi Picoult and Robin Cook all live in our state.
Another local talent is Joe Monninger. He taught at the college I went to. He is friends with my dad. Even his dogs go to the same vet as mine. (His memoir, Home Waters is about one of his past pooches.)
Casey over at Maisonbisson.com has reviewed Joe’s newest book, “Two Ton: One Night, One Fight — Tony Galento v. Joe Louis.,” a boxing biography. There is another post he did on the topic here.
Also, Here on New Hampshire Public Radio there is an interview with Joe. Check it out. It is from December of 2006.
Joe is a great writer, great teacher, and all around nice guy. If you have interest in boxing, dogs, or buiding a house in New England, then check out Joe’s stuff.
Book 05 Feb 2007 04:55 pm
Kissing Sin
Ah the joy of soft-core vampire and were-wolf porn. Seriously eh?
Well, let us venture into Kissing Sin. This is the sequel to Full Moon Rising. These are much raunchier than most of my other romance novels. As with FMR, the premise is that were-wolves have to have sex during the full moon. They can shift any time of the month, but sex is a necessity. Our heroine is actually a dhampire. She is half vampire and half were-wolf. Unfortunately, this leaves her with serious fertility problems because vampires cannot procreate. Here is a quote from Keri Arthur’s website,
From Melbourne’s gleaming skyscrapers to its throbbing nightclubs, Riley Jenson’s world is raging with danger and desire. A drop-dead-gorgeous werewolf—with a touch of vamp coursing in her blood—Riley works for an organization created to police the supernatural races. But when she wakes up naked and bruised in a barren alley, she knows only that she must run for her life.
Within moments Riley collides with the sexiest man she’s ever seen: steely, seductive Kade, who is fighting a life-and-death battle of his own. With old lovers and enemies gathering around her, Riley knows she is being pursued by a new kind of criminal. Because in Riley’s blood is a secret that could create the ultimate warrior—if only she can survive her own dangerous desires….
These books are seriously a blood tingling good time. Interestingly, all of the men in Riley’s life are incredibly gorgeous. This book involves an alpha wolf, thousand year old vampire, horse-shifter, and the other just “occasionals.”
Its a good read, with honest character development, and there are some interesting points in this PW review.
From Publishers Weekly
Vampire-werewolf heroine Riley Jensen escapes an unknown enemy’s breeding pens to kick off the second installment of Arthur’s urban fantasy series (following Full Moon Rising). The action and sex come fast and furious as Riley works with her twin brother, her boss at Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, as well as most of her lovers (who include a vampire with werewolf issues, a werewolf with mixed loyalties, an alpha werewolf and a horse-shifter) to uncover and derail a nefarious plot to create an army of super-beings. Strong world-building, vivid personalities and the distinctive cultures of each of the various paranormal strains combine for a rich narrative, and Arthur’s descriptive prose adds texture and menace. She also creates strong empathy for Riley, whose vampire half is beginning to assert itself, making her already precarious fertility problems worse. As in her first entry, though, Arthur can occasionally lose her reader amid complicated paranormal plot points, and her publisher’s insistence on marketing her as paranormal romance may frustrate; though the heroine’s multiple sexual partners fit her werewolf nature, they do not fit romance genre conventions and are better suited to readers of erotica/romance hybrids. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
If you like the regular romance genre stuff, then this might not be the series for you. But if you like to kink it out a little bit, then give Keri Arthur and Riley Jensen a chance!