The Book Stacks

A cop. A muscled cop. A muscled cop who saved your life. A muscled cop who saved your life who also has super sexy eyes.

What more could you want in a man?

With things getting a little hot and steamy right in the first chapter, I smirked and sat back, knowing I was in for something good.

Sylvia Amenabar has a lovely life. A hunky man who has proven he’ll put his life on the line for her, a job as a reporter, and three wonderful amigas. So what’s wrong? The four lovely amigas have wonderful men in their lives…and Sylvia’s not too sure she likes it all that much.

Still, Carlos Ramirez is one hot cop…even if he might be a dirty cop.

Sylvia faces a lot of choices in this book as her friends move along happily in their steady relationships and she has to dig into the painful past of Carlos and much of the force to figure out who’s dirty, who’s clean, and just who is involved.

Is Carlos a dirty cop? Is his friend, Riley - Sylvia’s amiga Adriana’s boyfriend - in on it too? Will Sylvia destroy the one true chance at happiness she has to find out?

Even though this was a sequel, I didn’t feel particularly put off during reading it because of that. I, of course, now want to read the first one, but I don’t feel it’s a necessity to do so to enjoy this book.

I enjoyed this book a lot not only because I was relieved to not have to hunt down the first book to understand what was going on but because it showed five (watch out for Sylvia’s mum!) successful women who built it all themselves and are now enjoying the best out of life.

Caridad does well not only exploring the relationships of younger women but also in exploring the relationships of the forty-somethings who society sometimes forgets about in the romantic realm.

This book is perfect for a bit of light (and hot!) reading for the last days you can manage to get on the beach this season or during your candlelit baths.

If you would like to get to know the author of this book, check out my interview with her!

The Jane Austen Book Club is a book by Karen Joy Fowler. As the title would suggest, the story revolves around a group of friends who gather on a regular basis to discuss the works of Jane Austen. As they read their way through Jane’s books, they find their lives taking on a rather Austen-esque aspect. At least that much of the plot seems to have made it into the filmed version. The film will arrive in some US theaters on 21 September 2007 (it’s a limited release.) This is yet another book that I’m told I must add to my reading list. I’m thinking that I should read something by Jane Austen first. The film looks like it might be interesting, though. Check out the trailer and see what you think.

The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler, Jane Austen

Hello, and welcome to this meeting of the Book Stacks Book Club: Cover to Cover. Today we are discussing Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. If you were impressed by the level of historical detail that the author included in this story, you may be interested to know that Elizabeth Peters is really Barbara Mertz. You will also likely be unsurprised to discover that Mrs. Mertz has a Ph.D. in Egyptology. Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first book in the Amelia Peabody mystery series which is now 18 books long. So, if you really enjoyed this adventure, you have a few more books to keep you off the streets and out of the saloons.

At this point, I’m not really sure when I read this book for the first time. I do know that I’ve probably read it twenty or so times by now, though. I even bought the MP3 version from Audible. If you like audio books, this is one that I would actually recommend for purchase. It’s not the sort of story one reads only once, and never comes back to. Though originally targeted at the adult mystery market, this book is appropriate for the teen mystery fan. If you would like to read a more thorough review of this book, go here

In the meantime, what did *you* think of the book? Please comment and let me know.

1. Did you like the book?

I love this book. It contains several different genres in one less than 300 page book. It’s not just a mystery. It’s more of a Mystery/Historical/Romance. The characters are all interesting and, in a couple of cases, gifted with very complex personalities.

2. Do you have a favorite character?

Amelia Peabody herself is my favorite character in this story. She is just so self-possessed and decisive…even when she could do with a bit more thought on a topic first. It’s interesting to see the effect that associating with Evelyn has on her. Although Amelia believes that she is helping out Evelyn, she finds that Evelyn is aiding her as well. Thank goodness they found each other. This trip to Egypt becomes a turning point for Amelia in more ways than one in the end.

3. Should they make a film out of this book?

Please? I would *adore* seeing a well done episode of Mystery made from this book. Casting the film might prove to be a bit difficult, but it would be worth the effort. Can you imagine it? They could film on location and everything. *Sigh*

4. Which aspect of this book did you enjoy the most? (The Romance? The Mystery? The History?)

All of the strands of this story are so interwoven that it is really difficult to say, and my opinion tends to change from reading to reading. During this last journey through the book though, I really gravitated to the Romance aspect. Well, that and it made me want to find my books on hieroglyphics.

5. Did the book make you want to learn more about Egyptology?

Most assuredly. I need to finish reading Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, now that I come to think of it. After reading this book for the first time I actually went to the British Museum. Sadly, the mummy exhibit was being worked on at the time. I *did* get to see the Rosetta Stone up close, though.

Okay, it’s your turn. What did you think?

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The book which we will be discussing next time is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It’s finally out, and we are going to be discussing it on August 10, 2007. I hope that gives you enough time to finish it so that you can join us. (Oh, and I am always accepting suggestions for future selections for Cover to Cover, so feel free to comment your suggestion now. Just remember that if I choose your book you will be expected to participate.)

Book Club, Cover to Cover, Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Mertz, Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling

(Catslyn has been kind enough to write today’s guest post. Conveniently, she is discussing a book that I would *never* read. This blog is now that much more well rounded. Enjoy!)

Some houses are born bad. At least, that what one learns to believe when reading Shirley Jackson’s 1959 masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House. The story of an ordinary but lonely woman named Eleanor and her sojourn in Hill House, the book is a true must-read-now! Eleanor is invited to spend the summer living in an abandoned, and supposed haunted, mansion that was built more than 130 years ago. It’s all part of a university professor’s attempt to prove the existence of the paranormal, and Eleanor isn’t alone in the experiment. The house, though old, is ordinary enough. Except… sometimes the doors close by themselves. The walls are too straight somehow, too perfect, yet the rooms are the wrong sizes. How can a house be bigger inside than out?

I know it all sounds like a modern day episode of Ghost Hunters or Most Haunted, but those shows are kid’s stuff by comparison. Stephen King, at his best, could never come close to matching Shirley Jackson’s ability inspire skin crawling terror with a simple cold draft of air. Perhaps most chilling to the reader is the story’s frightening finish. You find yourself wondering… could it happen to me?

Re-released by Penguin Classics on November 28, 2006, The Haunting of Hill House can be purchased at most any bookstore, including online at the links below.

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Barnes and Noble

You can also get a brand new copy from numerous sellers on eBay just by typing the title into their search engine. But right now, eBay also offers up a rare first edition. The book isn’t in mint condition, and the cost is high, but it’s worth a look.

First Edition on eBay

The Haunting of Hill House has inspired many movies over the years. The one which most closely resembles the story of the book was the 1963 film, The Haunting.

This movie, starring Julie Harris as Eleanor actually manages to capture some of the tingling terror of the book and is definitely worth watching, though I would read the book first, naturally.

The 1999 remake of The Haunting starred such big names as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Liam Neeson with the role of Eleanor played by Lili Taylor.

While this movie is entertaining in a modern, special effects laden way, it bears almost no resemblance to Shirley Jackson’s novel. Now, don’t get me wrong, it a fun movie or I wouldn’t own it. But the psychological unease, the gut churning disturbance of The Haunting of Hill House just isn’t there. If you like convoluted story lines and angst, watch it. Otherwise, pass it by. Your choice.

But never pass by the book. The Haunting of Hill House is a true horror classic, but it is so much more. Genres limit us. Even if you aren’t a fan of horror and ghost stories, don’t overlook this tale of longing, of a desperate need to belong. Though I suppose I should warn you, The Haunting of Hill House will resonate in your bones for years. It will come back to you at the oddest moments, and it will never be an easy memory to bear. And you’ll just keep wondering. Could it happen to me?

My Blogs:

SCA Life for all things medieval!

Housework Hater

Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting

Hello, and welcome to this meeting of the Book Stacks Book Club, Cover to Cover. Today we are discussing The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. This book has been recommended to me several times over the past few months, so I finally decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed its status as a Sci Fi Mystery, and it threw in enough elements of a thriller to keep me reading (even when I was supposed to be doing something else.) It’s a good thing that this is book one in a series, because otherwise I’d have to pout. I want more, darn it! Well, what did you think? As is becoming customary, I would like to begin the discussion with the following question:

1. Did you like the book?
Oh, yes. Definitely. Thursday Next is a strong, resourceful female character. The plot was interesting in a you-can’t-put-the-book-down sort of way. And I loved all of the literary references. (Shakespeare is a big favorite of mine, just so you know.) The names that Mr. Fforde chose for his characters were just an added bonus.

2. Did you have a favorite character?
For once, my favorite character was actually the main character. Thursday Next was just so well written. She had a history and quirks all her own. As I said in the answer to my first question, she’s a strong female character who is also likable and interesting. Joss Whedon would be proud.

3. Do you think that they could make The Eyre Affair into a film?
Well, they could try. I mean, they’ve made all kinds of things into films at this point. They would have to make a special effort to get the details right, though. I would particularly like to see what they would do with Thursday’s car. Before you ask, no there is no word on a film for this book, yet. I just like to speculate.

4. Do you think that Shakespeare wrote those plays?
Yes. Every new theory about how this “uneducated” man couldn’t have written those plays just makes me laugh. I’d launch into my whole spiel right here, but I would doubtless bore you all, and my friend Eideann does a better job with it anyway. Just for fun though, my favorite line from Shakespeare is from Romeo and Juliet: “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out;”

5. What level of SpecOps would you work for?
SO-27 for me, thanks. I’m thinking that LiteraTec is the best place for me. Big surprise, I know. Now…I wouldn’t mind a spot in the ChronoGuard if they were hiring, but we already knew about my thing for time travel.

Okay, it’s your turn. What did you think?

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The book which we will be discussing next time is Sabriel by Garth Nix. This is a personal favorite, and I am interested to see what you folks think of this dark fantasy. We will be discussing Sabriel on July 13, 2007. (Yes, that is three weeks away. I’m going to be on vacation on the 6th, so you have an extra week to get the reading done.) Won’t you join us?

The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde

Hello, and welcome to the first meeting of the Book Stacks Book Club, Cover to Cover. Today we are discussing The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien. No, you don’t need to have read it completely ‘cover to cover’ to participate. The Children of Húrin has a sizable Appendix in the back, after all. I would like to begin the discussion with the following question:

1. Did you enjoy the book?

That’s the big question isn’t it? For my part, I enjoyed the way it was written, and I enjoyed the language of the book, but…it was frickin’ depressing. It was like a train wreck that you couldn’t look away from. I kept wanting to smack Túrin upside the head. Every way he turned, every choice he made turned to ashes. If he had only listened to one little bit of counsel along the way. There were *so* many opportunities to turn back. What’s that they say? Pride goeth before a fall? (Yes, I know that in some ways it was his doom acting upon him, but come on!) So: well written, beautiful language, and full of tragedy. In other words: too depressing for me. Do you agree? Do you disagree?

2. Alan Lee provided several illustrations for this volume, including some in color. Do you feel that they supported the narrative?

Definitely. I particularly enjoyed the chapter heading drawings and, for some reason, the lembas on page 120. It is always nice to have illustrations in a book containing this level of written imagery. Illustrations by Alan Lee are good in any book, in my not so humble opinion.

3. What lesson can we take away from this book?

Consider carefully the advice of others wiser than yourself? Anyone else have a better one?

4. Does this book remind you of any other book?

The beginning reminded me of The Silmarillion as it moved rapidly back and forth in the timeline. Otherwise…Oedipus Rex? Not quite the same, obviously, but it contains many of the same elements. Many legends have similar elements, actually.

5. Did you have a favorite character?

Favorite character…hmmm…Nellas. Yes, I choose Nellas. For all that she was forgotten, she faced her fears to defend Túrin in the great hall. Good on her.

I feel like some sort of heretic disliking a book by Tolkien. I love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I’ve even read some of The Silmarillion. And yet, for all that the language moved me and got me to continue reading, the storyline left me cold. This book was crushingly depressing. I knew the basic storyline going into it, but Tolkien described Túrin’s path with such skill that I felt even worse about what was going on. Sigh. So…What did you think?

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And now, the book which we will be discussing next time is: Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed. Labeled “controversial” for its depiction of motherly love, we will discuss Mars Needs Moms! on June 8, 2007.

Book Stacks Book Club, Cover to Cover, The Children of Húrin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mars Needs Moms!, Berkeley Breathed

The Black Dudley Murder (a.k.a. The Crime at Black Dudley) by Margery Allingham contains the first appearance of Albert Campion. That fact alone has a story behind it. Have you ever heard the stories that authors tell about characters that will not do what you want them to or, worse yet, take over a story? Well, Albert Campion turned out to be both. Margery began this book thinking that she had created a perfect main character. His name was George Abbershaw and she introduced him with a flourish on the first page:

“George Abbershaw, although his appearance did not indicate it, was a minor celebrity.

He was a smallish man, chubby and solemn, with a choir-boy expression and a head of ridiculous bright-red curls which gave him a somewhat fantastic appearance. He was fastidiously tidy in his dress and there was an air of precision in everything he did or said which betrayed an amazingly orderly mind. Apart from this, however, there was nothing about him to suggest that he was particularly distinguished or even mildly interesting, yet in a small and exclusive circle of learned men Dr. George Abbershaw was an important person.

His book on pathology, treated with special reference to fatal wounds and the means of ascertaining their probable causes, was a standard work, and in view of his many services to the police in the past his name was well known and his opinion respected at the Yard.”

See what I mean? Everything went along fine until Albert Campion was introduced on page seven, and then slowly took over the story. At length, Margery gave in, and Albert turned out to be quite popular. This particular novel is equal parts “mysterious murder in a country house” and “strange encounter with desperate criminals” as written in 1929. It is a bit different from the other Campion mysteries, as Campion is not the focus of all of the action and his side-kick does not appear. That doesn’t stop this seventy-eight year old story from keeping you guessing, though. Give it a try. No, watching the Peter Davison Campion episodes won’t help you, as they didn’t film this one. And I’m not telling you whodunit either.

The Black Dudley Murder, The Crime at Black Dudley, Margery Allingham, Albert Campion, Peter Davison

Are you a knowledge junkie? Do you your friends fight over who gets you as a partner during games of Trivial Pursuit? Well, then Cocktail Party Cheat Sheets, which is chock full of random knowledge, is just the sort of book you will enjoy. It will also get you ready for those erudite cocktail party conversations. Thank heavens for the editors from mental_floss! I should warn you that this book is not just one of those dry recitations of fact after fact. Oh, no. The editors tackle everything from Alexander the Great to Virginia Woolf, and somehow manage to make the topics interesting and often giggle-worthy. Each topic features information about the name of the topic (For example: The Hundred Years’ War, which actually lasted for 116 years), “When to drop your knowledge” into conversation, the basics (basic information about the topic), and bits of connected trivia. As you have no doubt gathered, I loved this book. I wish that all history texts were written like this! I fully plan to seek out other mental_floss publications just to see if they are of a similar quality (I already subscribe to the magazine). So, there you are. I loved it. Yes, I am a knowledge junkie. How could you tell?

Cocktail Party Cheat Sheets, mental_floss