U is for Undertow February 4, 2010
Posted by Ann in Mystery, New Books.Tags: Mysteries
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Unbelievably Sue Grafton has done it again. U is for Undertow, her 22nd Kinsey Millhone mystery is as fresh as her first book, and in my opinion better. All the regular characters (her octogenarian neighbor Henry, Cheney Phillips Sue’s ex-boyfriend and cop, etc.) are here for a cold case that takes the investigation back to 1967 (remember in Grafton’s books, the present is the 1980’s; this one is set in 1988). In 1967, there was an abduction of a little girl who was never found. Now, nineteen years later, a young man who was six-years-old at the time comes to Kinsey claiming he believes he saw the kidnappers burying the body of the kidnapped girl behind a neighbor’s house. The man, Michael Sutton, wants Sue to undertake an investigation. The narrative moves back and forth from the hippie era to 1988 and is utterly believable.
U is for Sue doing her utmost by writing another mystery right up there with all the rest- keeping us hooked on Kinsey and fearing the ugly truth that there will probably be only five more books left in the series.
~Ann
Happy Groundhog Day! February 2, 2010
Posted by Donna in Fiction, New Books, Thoughtful Ramblings.add a comment
How could you not like this adorable creature? Today, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicts 6 more weeks of winter while Buckeye Chuck did not see his shadow which means an early spring. Ah….who should we believe? If you check out the website of The Committee for the Commercialization of Groundhog Day, there are over 30 fairly famous furry prognosticators around the United States and Canada. I’m going with the groundhog that is predicting an early spring!
I did a keyword search on Amazon.com for groundhogs and came up with 504 books! I may have close to that number myself since I love to celebrate Groundhog Day. (When I retire, I’m planning to attend the big celebration that is held every year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.) The newest one that I added to my collection is:
Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub. 
Professor Groundhog opens a school for groundhogs so that they can learn how to predict the weather. It’s delightful…just like the adorable groundhog!
Enjoy the day and think Spring! Happy Reading! ~Donna
Latest Additions February 1, 2010
Posted by stacey in Thoughtful Ramblings.Tags: Latest Additions, The Reading Room
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Heh. Heh… Well. I guess we’re still not quite ready for The Reading Room’s Latest Additions to be shared… They’re working on how the book cover images are added and you know The Reading Room just wouldn’t be the same if you couldn’t judge a book by it’s cover… right? I know Janet talked about the lure of an good cover in her post Just One Look, That’s all it Took but prepare yourself for just a few more thoughts on the topic…
I’m a big fan of appealing cover art! A bunch of my favorite books for 2009 have fabulous covers like: The Girl Who Chased the Moon or Bellfield Hall or Silent on the Moor. Then there are the books that I haven’t read yet, but the cover is calling me like: The Unnamed or Inside of a Dog or Roses. I was happy to have been lured into reading Secrets of Happiness by the cover and that cute little dog still makes me smile! On the other hand, I read Where the Heart Is despite the cover… what an unfortunately bor-ring cover for such a sweet story. Yep. It can make a real difference in those first few seconds when you’re deciding between a cute dog rolling in green grass or a tan background to a tan home, but you might like both those books in the end… It’s something to think about. If you have any doubts about what’s inside while you’re judging covers in the future, you just come on over and ask one of us if we’ve read the book. We’d be more than happy to help you see beyond your first impression or we’ll tell you how right you were to love that sparkly moon hanging in the sky!
— Stacey
February is Library Lovers’ Month February 1, 2010
Posted by Donna in Thoughtful Ramblings, Uncategorized.add a comment
“Libraries are community treasure chests, loaded with a wealth of information available to everyone equally, and the key to that treasure chest is the library card. I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card.”
Former First Lady Laura Bush
I love libraries and everything about them. I can’t imagine a world without libraries. What so you like the best about your library? Please vote and let us know too!
Happy Reading! ~Donna
