Twilight Series

Is it just me, or is the hype of the Twilight series just that - hype? I read all four books, and while I did enjoy the first one, and the second one was a good story, the last two were lackluster at best. I keep hearing comparisons to the Harry Potter series, which to me is laughable, since HP towers over Twilight in every way.

I was warned that Bella would become annoying, and while I liked her in the first book, her overly dramatic angst got old fast. I understand that teenagers are known to exaggerate and become drama queens, but it was a bit much. That and the fact that all the books could have easily have been trimmed into half their size! I began to wonder what all the fuss was about, because Edward started to seem like a joyless gasbag and the cool fun guy (Jacob) gets pushed aside because he's not "perfect" (or dead) enough.

It's different from the tension between Hermione and Ron, which was palpable even when they were children. Maybe I'm biased, but I started to root against Bella and Edward, maybe because it became so predictable. Will they or won't they? Who cares?! All I know is that I didn't have a gasp moment, like I did when Ron saw torturing images of Harry with Hermione, or when they FINALLY kissed (although they really should have been getting ready for the war).

I won't deny that Stephenie Meyer is gifted, but this whole "new J.K. Rowling" thing is nutso. Am I alone?

With the economy in its current horrible shape, affecting everyone and all job markets, unemployment is hardly a humorous topic, but Jen Lancaster pulls it off in her memoir Bitter is the New Black. Once a highly paid executive, Jen once enjoyed a palace of an apartment, fine dining, and designer everything, from clothes to shoes to bags to even makeup. She lives with her boyfriend and ignores conventional wisdom, spending all rather than saving. When she is laid off unexpectedly, she circles her impressive resume, assuming her unemployment is temporary. As she quickly finds out, it is not, and she goes from living in luxury to cutting costs in ways she never imagined. Through it all, she has her sass and humor, and does indeed take a Prada bag to the unemployment office (where she also asks the workers there if they have any jobs that "don't suck"). Rather than marveling at her lack of wisdom in financial matters, the reader sides with her and roots for her, and when she begins to learn life lessons the hard way, we are proud. The book has its somber moments, with the events occurring before and after 9/11, and the inevitable horrors of a lack of income, Jen keeps her humor and stride, maintaining strength and resolve when she finally hits rock bottom. This book is a hilarious, sad account of a girl who once loved designer duds over savings accounts, and who learned the hard way to save for a rainy day. It seems impossible to make an amusing memoir of such a hard time in a young business woman's life, but Jen Lancaster pulled it off with this book.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

I haven't yet read Ms. Meyer's incredibly popular Twilight series, but I was intrigued by the plot of her latest novel, her first for adults. In The Host, aliens have taken over Earth by way of souls inhabiting human bodies and carrying on their lives. It seems more peaceful than the pod aliens from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but still seems eerie, which leads to Melanie's plight. As one of the last actual humans, she is captured by the aliens and has a soul put into her body, a veteran intergalactic traveler by the name of Wanderer. What makes Melanie unique is that she doesn't willingly give up her body, and by way of vivid memories and emotions, convinces the Wanderer to help her find her boyfriend and brother, whom Melanie is convinced are still alive and human. Their unusual situation is further complicated by the fact that humans will kill them if they know Melanie isn't human anymore, and the soul is stalked by a relentless Seeker, who wants to discard Melanie's body or inhabit it herself to drive out all human presence. It's a fascinating story that starts out beautifully, with a range of emotions and a breathless chase, but quickly plateaus into a prison-like situation. The adults tend to act like bratty teenagers, which leaves the reader to wonder if Meyer is more comfortable writing for that age group, and while the story progresses believably, the 600-plus page book could have easily shed at least 200 more. Meyer plans a sequel and third book in this new series, and though this book could stand alone, I plan to read the others, and hope that they will not dwell on adolescent emotions and complex situations made all too simple. In the end, The Host is a brilliant story, but seems introductory to Asimov and Atwood.

The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

With all the hype about the Tudor dynasty these days, more and more stories are coming out of the historical closet to be told. This is a fictionalized account of Juana of Castile, the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand and sister to Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII. Juana was married to Philip, the Archduke of Flanders, and their early life was very happy and passionate. But when the succession of Spanish heirs dies out leaving Juana the heir to the Spanish throne, Philip becomes g...more With all the hype about the Tudor dynasty these days, more and more stories are coming out of the historical closet to be told. This is a fictionalized account of Juana of Castile, the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand and sister to Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII. Juana was married to Philip, the Archduke of Flanders, and their early life was very happy and passionate. But when the succession of Spanish heirs dies out leaving Juana the heir to the Spanish throne, Philip becomes greedy and hungry for power. Their marriage dissolves into anger and hatred and Juana must do everything she can to outwit her husband from stealing her throne.

Historically, Juana was known as Juana La Loca, or Juana the Mad because she physically attacked her husband's mistress and showed a passionate temper when provoked. But was she nuts, or was she just provoked too much to bear? History didn't always account for stupid, abusive, husbands who would declare their wife insane so he could usurp her throne.

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine

The idea of not buying anything for a year other than the essentials of food and shelter was too unbelievable for me to contemplate. But reading about Judith Levine's experiences inspired me. She talks about how much stuff she and her parter Paul had accumulated, and they decide to consciously scale back and conduct a year long experiment of not being a consumer. In between her personal experiences are some interesting facts and theories about American consumerism and the counter-culture of Simple Living. And she isn't the kind of person who tells you how you should be thinking. She tells you how she thinks, what the facts and theories are, and lets you decide for yourself. She did not become an rampant anti-consumerist at the end of the year, but she was much more mindful about what she purchases and for what reason she shops. Very interesting idea. I don't think I will attempt the same project, but I know there are things I can to to cut the clutter and waste from my life.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally is an Ugly. She is almost 16 and will soon have the operation that will turn her into a Pretty. It is many hundreds of years in the future and the world now operates like this. From the time you are born until the time you turn twelve, you are a Littlie, and live at home with your parents. At 12, you go to school with other Uglies until you turn 16. Then you have the "operation." Your face is reconstructed, your skin sanded down, and your bones reset to be of uniform height. Everyone becomes pretty. Everyone is about the same height, and has the same skin color. There are no fights over race, religion, or really much over anything. Anything you need comes out of the wall of your house. Food, clothing, gadgets.

Tally wants more than anything to be Pretty. Her best friend Peris turned 2 months ago, and she is one of the last in her age group. But then she meets Shay. Shay has the same birthday as Tally, and the get into all sorts of mischief before their birthdays, including visiting the ruins of the "Rusties". Shay tells Tally about The Smoke, a secret place where Uglies sometimes run away so they don't have to be Pretty. Tally can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to be Pretty. But when Shay disappears right before their birthday, she leaves behind directions for Tally to follow. When Tally gets hauled in for questioning about the disappearance of her friend, she doesn't tell them anything. But the authorities find the directions and give Tally an ultimatum: lead them to the Smoke, or stay Ugly forever.

This futuristic story was engrossing - the technology was cool, and the idea of everyone being pretty was appealing at first. But seeing how the Pretties behave (Dreadfully) and seeing the lives of the objectors in the Smoke made you think about having things too easy. Tally makes an interesting transformation in this book, and it isn't as pretty as you might think.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

So many people have read and loved this book, and I can now count myself among them. The thing I liked most about this book was that Elizabeth Gilbert was about my age when the book starts. She is married, and very unhappy. One night, alone in her bathroom, alone, and terrified, she makes a plea to God for help - even when she isn't sure there is a God to begin with. And this begins her journey. After her nasty divorce and a difficult rebound relationship, this woman takes a year off and spends ...more So many people have read and loved this book, and I can now count myself among them. The thing I liked most about this book was that Elizabeth Gilbert was about my age when the book starts. She is married, and very unhappy. One night, alone in her bathroom, alone, and terrified, she makes a plea to God for help - even when she isn't sure there is a God to begin with. And this begins her journey. After her nasty divorce and a difficult rebound relationship, this woman takes a year off and spends 4 months in Rome, 4 months on an Ashram in India, and 4 months in a small village in Bali, learning from an old medicine man. She is one a quest to learn to rediscover pleasure, to discover her inner self, and to find the balance between the two. The book is remarkable, and it made me wistful that I couldn't take a year to do nothing but search for inner peace and love. It inspired me to think about how I spend my time an energy, and maybe about how I need to be a little more mindful in that department.

The Intellectual Devotional by David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim

Devotionals don't usually appeal to me since I'm not religious, but this is a devotional of a different sort. This collection has a page for each day, loaded with information about influential authors, books, works of art, artists, religion, math, and science. Even the educated can learn something in this handy tome...the true story of the strange circumstances leading to Mozart's death, what makes Ulysses such a special book, why religions treasure certain places and things, and what lead to now-common mathematical equations we all had to learn in high school. This book can pique interest in subjects you've never read about, and can inspire you to reread a beloved book. I myself had such fun with this book that I used it as inspiration to jot down some ideas for short stories and books. The only thing that disappointed me is that the music section was devoted to classical music only (I was hoping to read a passage on the Beatles, even though I'm pretty well versed in their history [huge fan!]), but luckily a second edition will be making its way to bookshelves soon. This is a wonderful read that can be enjoyed one bit at a time, and you can even skip through and/or use the index if you want to read about certain things. I really loved this book - a combination of educational and fun!

Having It And Eating It by Sabine Durrant

After having my boyfriend move in with his teenage boys and becoming engaged, I find myself attracted to books about family life and marriage. This book caught my attention with its clever cover, and the back containing an excerpt of the chance encounter between Maggie Owen, a woman raising two small children and living with her boyfriend Jake, and Claire, the girl she's idolized since high school. When Claire reenters Maggie's life, Maggie finds herself questioning her choices and constantly wondering about Claire's seemingly glamorous lifestyle. When Claire begins opening up to Maggie and confessing that she's worrying about time running out for her to have children of her own, she also reveals she's fallen in love with a married man and is currently dating another one. Maggie can't help but notice that Jake is spending a lot of late nights at the office and seems distant, and that the gardener that lives in Claire's basement keeps flirting...and she's starting to flirt back.

This book surprised me because just when I thought I had the characters figured out, something happened that surprised me. Durrant writes all of them believably, from the nosy mothers who join Maggie at the playground to Jake's seemingly chauvenistic friend Ed, who seems all to happy to drag Jake away from his family life. The ending is quite satisfying, although somewhat sad, as characters are forced to live with their choices and realize that the grass is indeed greener on the other side (regardless of who's in charge of gardening it).

Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern

Shauna James Ahern cannot eat anything with gluten in it. That is to say, she can't consume any food that has wheat, barley or rye in it, or any derivative of these three basic grains.

That means no cookies, no bread, no pasta. No beer. No CAKE!

Shauna has something called Celiac Disease. It means her body cannot process these foods, and it will make her sick, and will damage her intestines.

But is she upset about it? No way! She was just grateful to know what was wrong with her. And f...more Shauna James Ahern cannot eat anything with gluten in it. That is to say, she can't consume any food that has wheat, barley or rye in it, or any derivative of these three basic grains.

That means no cookies, no bread, no pasta. No beer. No CAKE!

Shauna has something called Celiac Disease. It means her body cannot process these foods, and it will make her sick, and will damage her intestines.

But is she upset about it? No way! She was just grateful to know what was wrong with her. And feeling better than she ever has is enough for her to do without gluten. But Shauna doesn't stop there. She embarks on a journey to find foods that are naturally gluten-free and bursting with flavor. And let me tell you, this woman can write. Her essays about food and her recipes make a person salivate. I tried quite a few of the recipes in the book (Pan Seared Salmon with Blackberry Sauce, and Shaved Fennel Salad were awesome!) and will definitely try more. Shauna tries to impart to her readers that someone who must be gluten-free does not have to feel deprived or depressed . There is a big beautiful world of food out there just waiting for you if you are brave enough to try it.

Shauna also says that statistics show that 1 in every 100 Americans is probably a Celiac, yet only 3% have been diagnosed.

This is a fantastic book for anyone who loves food, and not just for those who can't eat gluten.

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloan Crossley

I loved this book purely for its title. Anytime there is cake is a good time in my book. But Sloan Crossley made me laugh out loud at her essays. Mostly biographical, Sloan talks about bridezillas; a Jewish girl at a Christian summer camp; being a lackluster volunteer; and purposely losing Oregon Trail so the character you named after your hated Algebra teacher dies of dysentery. (That is so awesome!) Sloan Crossley is not afraid to lay bare her less appealing character traits, and I was embarra...more I loved this book purely for its title. Anytime there is cake is a good time in my book. But Sloan Crossley made me laugh out loud at her essays. Mostly biographical, Sloan talks about bridezillas; a Jewish girl at a Christian summer camp; being a lackluster volunteer; and purposely losing Oregon Trail so the character you named after your hated Algebra teacher dies of dysentery. (That is so awesome!) Sloan Crossley is not afraid to lay bare her less appealing character traits, and I was embarrassed to see myself in some of them. (I'm not telling which ones.) Embarrassed, but also amused and relieved that I am not the only one.

Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

OMG! This was so good. I had devoured Ms. Mosse's first book, Labyrinth and loved it, and I have to say that this was even better.

This story is split between 1891 and present day. Leonie Vernier is a seventeen-year-old girl living in Paris when mysterious circumstances her older brother Anatole won't disclose send them to their aunt's house in the South of France. In the small town of Rennes-Les-Bains, Leonie encounters dark stories, a mysterious sepulchre in the woods, and unexplain...more OMG! This was so good. I had devoured Ms. Mosse's first book, Labyrinth and loved it, and I have to say that this was even better.

This story is split between 1891 and present day. Leonie Vernier is a seventeen-year-old girl living in Paris when mysterious circumstances her older brother Anatole won't disclose send them to their aunt's house in the South of France. In the small town of Rennes-Les-Bains, Leonie encounters dark stories, a mysterious sepulchre in the woods, and unexplained supernatural events. Meanwhile Anatole and their Aunt Isolde are battling their own demons in the form of a strange man named Victor Constant. And above all this is a pack of tarot cards that always seem to be a presence.

In the present day Meredith is in France researching a biography she is writing on Claude Debussey for graduate school. She takes a detour from Paris to Rennes-Les-Bains in the hopes of finding a trail of her unknown ancestors. She has a bizarre tarot reading in Paris, and strange things keep happening to her at the Domaine De La Cade, a very old estate now turned into a hotel. When the two stories merge, it is thrilling.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

This book was hyped to be "the Gossip Girl novel of the 19th century." Set in Manhattan during the Gilded Age of the late 1800's, the young elite of New York society bed hop, smoke, drink, and generally get down to the business of being rich and spoiled. I was totally jacked to read this.

But it fell kind of flat for me. There were good elements, but the story was predictable, and I totally saw the "twist ending" from a mile away. Oh well.

Next Meeting: May 13!

That's right, it is that time again! Meet us at the South County Regional Library in Estero on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 4 p.m. We will be discussing the following topics:

1. Humorous Books: Everyone is encouraged to bring and share a book that has made them laugh out loud. It can be from any genre, fiction or nonfiction.

2. The blog. How to use it, how to post to it, why it is important, and how it can help.

3. A new project to help SWFLN members with Readers' Advisory.

Can't wait to see you there! Remember, there will be prizes to any new members, and any existing member that brings someone new with them!

See you then!

Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky

I found this book because it was mentioned in Library Journal. The author is a librarian, and so it the protagonist. So naturally, being a librarian myself, I had to read it. And I was pleasantly entertained by this book. (And I was excited to learn that the sequel was available at my library.)

This book introduces Jane Madison, a young reference librarian working at a special Colonial history library in Washington, D.C. At the beginning of the novel we find her mooning over a college professor who comes in to work every Monday morning (she calls him her Imaginary Boyfriend). She is horrified, then, when the powers that be decide to make the staff wear period costumes while at work. So now she has to try to look sexy in a mobcap. Heh.

The worst thing that happens is that she finds out the board is cutting her salary by 25%! But the good news (?) is she gets to live, rent-free, in the cottage out back. It takes a little elbow grease, but she and her best friend, Melissa, get the place clean and livable.

On her first night in the house she can't sleep, and ends up finding a hidden key that lets her into a locked room in the basement. Inside she finds a bunch of dusty old books. She opens one, and reads aloud, and...something strange happens.

This novel was better than most of what I would call the "chick lit" genre. The plot was carefully constructed, and the characters were well developed. Especially fun are Jane's grandmother, and Neko, Jane's flamboyantly gay familiar.

It was a hoot. Check it out.

The Queen's Soprano by Carol Dines

Angelica Volgia has a voice like no other. When she sings, she can make people burst with love, or weep with despair. But she lives in Rome in the 1680's, and the pope has outlawed any woman from performing (in any theatrical or musical sense) in public. So every morning Angelica sings behind the shutters of her room, and people gather in the street to listen to her "practice."

With the help of the maid, she learns that a young French sculptor has fallen in love with her, and they exchange notes in secret. If her mother knew they would be ripped apart forever.

You see, Angelica's mother is something of a fortune-hunter. She feels she was robbed of a good marriage when she was young, and is now determined that Angelica should marry far above her station, with her beautiful voice as the catalyst.

After her debut performance at a cardinal's palace, the suitors are lining up - cardinals, bishops, and other nobles visit her house. Some (the clergy) present other men as suitors. She despises them all, and she is already in love. She makes horrible nicknames, like Bishop Wet Lips and Prince Pimple Face.

When it seems that there is no other way to escape her mother's marrige schemes, she sends a plea for help to a friend and fellow singer who lives at the court of Queen Christina. Christina was a woman who abdicated the Swedish throne and came to Rome to convert to Catholicism. She had a houseful of artists and musicians that flew in the face of the current pope's laws about women performing in public.

So will Angelica escape her mother? Will she marry her woung suitor? Will the intrigues at court be her undoing?

THis was a pretty good novel. It felt a little choppy, but the historical details were well done, and the relationship Angelica had with her mother was really well done.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Part 2 of the adventures of Cammie Morgan, private school girl and super-spy in training.

I liked this installment even better than the first - the series seems to have found its stride, and it was much more interesting than the first.

This time Cammie is back at school for her 2nd semester of her sophomore year, and things are getting interesting. Their first mission in CoveOps (Covert Operations) is to be dumped in the middle of Washington DC and make their way to the ruby slippers in t...mPart 2 of the adventures of Cammie Morgan, private school girl and super-spy in training.

I liked this installment even better than the first - the series seems to have found its stride, and it was much more interesting than the first.

This time Cammie is back at school for her 2nd semester of her sophomore year, and things are getting interesting. Their first mission in CoveOps (Covert Operations) is to be dumped in the middle of Washington DC and make their way to the ruby slippers in the Smithsonian without being tailed. Cammie once again gets chatted up by a boy, but this time, the boy turns up at her school the next day. And he is much more interesting than the innocent Josh she met last semester. This one is a spy in training too.

Yes, it still has boys, but this time, the boy is not the important thing (well, he is important, but her schooling is more so). Especially when she isn't sure she can trust him.

Big Boned by Meg Cabot

Former pop star Heather Wells is back for the third installment of Meg Cabot's mystery series. Heather works as an Assistant Residence Hall Director at the fictional New York College, where people keep being murdered. This time, it is Heather's new boss who winds up with a bullet in his head. And even though Heather fully intends to stay out of it this time, she ends up once again in danger.

Yeah, they are formulaic, and yes, they are predictable, but I do so enjoy Cabot's sense of humor. Heather is an agreeably flawed character. And the cast of characters in the stories are a hoot, from Cooper, the hot roommate that Heather lusts for, to Magda, the dyed, polished, and shellacked cafeteria worker who is secretly in love with the security guard, Pete.

Definitely light reading, but always enjoyable.

How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle

I got this as an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) from Random House. For some reason they send me all of E. Lockhart's new books. Not that I mind, I really like her. This one, How to Be Bad is actually a collaborative effort between E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski. They all decided to write alternating chapters from alternating points of view (3 girls). All three girls live in Niceville, FL and work at the Waffle House.

Jesse starts the story. She is almost a senior in high school (which will be starting shortly) and she has just found out that her Mom has breast cancer. This terrifies her so much that she can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Vicks. But Vicks has enough on her mind - her boyfriend just left for the University of Miami to start school as a freshman and play football. Before he left they were inseperable, but he has only sent her one text message in two weeks. Finally, there is Mel, a girl who is obviously way too well off to be hostessing at the Waffle House. Mel has $400 jeans and diamond earrings. Jesse, who lives in a trailer park, chafes at the sight of her.

So when Jesse suggests a road trip for her and Vicks to go see her boyfriend in Miami, Mel offers to foot the bill as long as she can come. And so the three set off in Jesse's mother's old station wagon, and the adventure begins. They run into several alligators, cute boys, a house party, Disneyworld, and lots of other unexpected stops along the way. And even though their plans are thrown off course, this makes for a more interesting trip. Jesse, Vicks and Mel learn more about each other than they ever dreamed, and cemented all three friendships.

I did like the story. It was never dull and the three points of view melded well together. Although I did feel like sometimes they might have been trying to outdo each other with their plot twists. But the characters were fun and well developed.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

I was so amped to read this book. I'd read the Alex Cross series about the 14 year-old James Bond type kid. And now there is a series about girls who go to a spy school? Awesome!

Cammie Morgan is one of the girls who attends Gallagher Academy - a school that on the surface seems to be a snooty prep school for very wealthy girls. But it is really a school for extremely (we're talking off the charts) smart who attend a school to learn how to enter the world of spies with excellent training. Think Sydney Bristow from ALIAS in high school.

Cammie is the headmistress's daughter. She seems like she may be privy to top secret information about the school, but she's just as much in the dark as her classmates. So when the new school year starts, and there is a super-hunky former spy teaching Cove Ops (that's Covert Operations to the uninformed) she is just as clueless as her friends.

Cammie is nicknamed the Chameleon because she is so good at blending into a crowd and not being noticed by anyone. On her first assignment in Cove Ops class she and her two best friends are supposed to trail one of their teachers during a local town fair. The other two are caught, but no one sees Cammie, until a cute boy strikes up a conversation with her. Her cover as the invisible is blown.

The only problem I had with this book is that a really awesome spy story turned into a spy on the cute boy story. The ending was a bit redeeming though, and I will definitely read the next installment in this series

Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

This graphic novel was awesome! It is about Jane, a girl who survived a bombing in her large city hometown. Her parents move the family to suburbia, where Jane will be "safer." Jane however, is unsatisfied with the new town, and the popular kids at her new school. Her brush with death has given her perspective on life, and she wants friends and relationships with more meaning to them. She sits at a table with a bunch of misfits in the lunchroom, and discovers they are all named Jane. She gets a wild hair up her nose to start a subversive art campaign in her new town, and gets the other reluctant Janes involved. It is really cool to witness these teens getting fired up about art and social consciousness. It made me wish I could go back and do things like that. Well, I guess I don't have to be a teenager, now do I?

Biography booklist

Yesterday's RAIG meeting helped us to put together a list of favorite biographies of our group. Here they are (in no particular order):

• Casting with a Fragile Thread by Wendy Kann ~ A comfortable suburban housewife and mother, Wendy Kann believes she has put her volatile childhood in colonial Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe - behind her. Then one Sunday morning comes a terrible phone call: her youngest sister, Lauren, has been killed on a lonely road in Zambia. (Selected by Marge)

• The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of my Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood by Mark Kurzem ~ When a Nazi death squad raided his Latvian village, Jewish five-year-old Alex escaped. After surviving the winter by foraging for food and stealing clothes off dead soldiers, he was discovered by a Latvian SS unit. Not knowing he was Jewish, they made him their mascot, dressing the little "corporal" in uniform and toting him from massacre to massacre. (Selected by Lisa)

• Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda ~ The popular actor looks back to reassess the meaning of his own life and the paths he has taken, from the turbulent 1960s to the tragedy of September 11, and to answer such questions as "What do I value?" and "What, exactly, is the good life?" (Selected by Ann)

• The Late Bloomer's Revolution by Amy Cohen ~ Cohen's memoir starts with an amusing anecdote about traveling to Prague with her mother, who seems cheerfully oblivious to the fact that the handsome young man who joins them for dinner is far more interested in her than her daughter. Unfortunately, Cohen's mother is dying of a brain tumor by the end of the chapter, and though the endless kibitzing of her father, who tries to fix Cohen's love life while dating a string of "older widows and comely divorcees," is entertaining, the other members of her inner circle pale in comparison. (Selected by Anna)

• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls ~ tells the story about her childhood. She talks about living like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Retreating to the dismal West Virginia mining town--and the family-- her father, Rex Walls, had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home. (Selected by Christina)

• Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power by Virginia Rounding ~ Dutiful daughter, frustrated wife, passionate lover, domineering mother, doting grandmother, devoted friend, tireless legislator, generous patron of artists and philosophers - the Empress Catherine II, the Great, was all these things and more. Her reign, the longest in Russian imperial history, lasted from 1762 until her death in 1796; during those years she built on the work begun by her most famous predecessor, Peter the Great, to establish Russia as a major European power and to transform its new capital, St. Petersburg, into a city to rival Paris and London in the beauty of its architecture, the glittering splendor of its court, and the magnificence of its art collections. Yet the great Catherine was not even Russian by birth and had no legitimate claim to the Russian throne; she seized it and held on to it, through wars, rebellions, and plagues, by the force of her personality, by her charm and determination, and by an unshakable belief in her own destiny. (Selected by Julia)
  

Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe

I was asked to read something recent by Mary Alice Monroe to review for the Friends of the Library newsletter at my library. I probably wouldn't have picked this book up otherwise. It really wasn't that bad.

The story centers Sweetgrass, a former plantation on the South Caroline coast that has been in the Blakely family since the 1700's. Preston Blakely, the current patriarch has been scrabbling all his life to keep Sweetgrass together. He has lots of obstacles in his way - taxes that keep creeping higher, family that sell off their portions (his daugther, Nan, for instance), and a scheming sister who wants to sell the whole shebang to developers. So when Preston has a severe stroke, the fate of Sweetgrass and ultimately himself, rest in the hands of the rest of his family.

The rest of the family consists of his wife Mary June (called Mama June by all), who has never had to deal with the business end of their home. Morgan, his estranged son returns from Montana to help out, and Nona, the former housekeeper returns to lend a hand running the household.

What this whole story boils down to is this: keeping secrets and pain locked up inside you will tear you and your family apart. The book was heartfelt without being schmaltzy, and heart-wrenching without being depressing. It's not my usual cup of tea, but it was engaging and kept my interest through to the end.

Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland

Man, I am a sucker for historical fiction.

And I am super lucky that as I librarian I get to review books for Library Journal. My editor Wanda, sends me about 6 historical fiction books a year, and I get to read them. This was the latest.

While in the past I have mostly been enamored of Tudor history, I have read a few on the French Court. This particular book was one of the mistresses of Louis XIV, better known as the Sun King. This is the king who built Versailles, and made France the greatest kingdom in the world.

Louise de Vallieres was a young girl who came to court while Louis was still a young, vibrant man. Petite (As she is affectionately known) was a great horsewoman and she caught the king's attention with her skills on horseback. Their secret was an affair for many years, and she bore him 4 children, 2 of whom survived.

While the plot of this book was rather quiet for a story of the intrigues of court, I loved the inner world of Petite that was created by the author.

I hope someone writes novels about other famous mistresses, like Madame du Barry, or Madame Pompadour.

Bring it on.

Next Meeting: February 13!

Hello SWFLN members!

This is just a reminder that our next meeting of the Readers' Advisory Interest Group will take place this Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 4 p.m. We will meet at South County Regional Library in Estero. Click here for directions.

Here is what we will be doing:

1. Getting a demonstration of NextReads, a service put out by NoveList.

2. Discussing our favorite biographies.

3. Brainstorming about a new project to help SWFLN member libraries with Readers' Advisory.

4. Learning how to use our new blog!

I look forward to seeing you all then!

~Anna