Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich

   Prior to Wife for Hire my experience with Janet Evanovich was limited to her Stephanie Plum series (two thumbs up). This book falls in the dreaded romance category. I say dreaded because it is almost the only genre that I am not familiar with and have always felt a bit leary of. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to a well-written, ably described L'amour scène, but I like at least a little meat with my dessert.
   Back to the actual book. Succinctly put, Maggie, eager to escape the close confines of her mother, aunt and neighborhood takes a job as a fake wife for six months. The job provides her pay and time to write a book based on her Aunt Kitty's diary. Hank, an apple farmer who needs a bank loan, hires Maggie as a wife to make him look like a better loan risk. Drop curtain. End scene.
   In all fairness to Ms. Evanovich her writing lacks none of the charm that I have come to expect from her other writing (see series reference above). The familiar eye twitch, quick repartee and zany characters are all present. I think the story development leaves something to be desired, but not being familiar with the genre, it could just be par for the course. I rather think the latter is the case, in which case, there wouldn't be much wrong with the book developmentally speaking.

Favorite Quotes:

Linda Sue's eyes got wide. "Holy cow, she said to Maggie, "you aren't a face rearranger like your grandfather, are you?"

"Dang, I got excited and shot too soon," Elsie said. "He wasn't even halfway through the window. I probably only shot him in the heart."

"That's some smile you got on your face. Shame on you. You two hardly know each other. I tell you, in my day we didn't go around smiling like that until after we were really married."

Overall Opinion:

It wasn't a complete waste of time; for what I found wrong with it, it was still better than Panic (see/revisit earlier review).

Rating:

(Either which way, I think it would remain a) 1 Time Read

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

   Okay, this is one of my fun series. I read a couple of the other books in this series before by chance. They were titles that found their way into my hands by chance at one time or another. Sue Grafton's alphabet books feature Kinsey Millhone, a 30-something private detective.
   Kinsey is pretty no nonsense and tenaciously gets the job done. In B is for Burglar, Kinsey initially takes a routine missing person case that turns into...dun, dun, duuunnn, murder! Seriously though, Kinsey is pretty good reading. Light and funny, without losing anything in character or story development.

Favorite Quotes:

"Insecure people have a special sensitivity for anything that finally confirms their own low opinion of themselves."

"There's no place in a P.I's life for impatience, faintheartedness, or sloppiness. I understand the same qualifications apply for housekeeping."

"The television set was turned off, its blank gray face oddly compelling in a room so filled with memorabilia."

"I can say taco and gracias but I'm real short on verbs."

"Well, it's hard to seem upset on the message side of a postcard, you know. There isn't but that much room."

Overall Opinion:

When you're looking to do nothing for the day, Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series is an excellent thing to spend it on. Plus, it has the added bonus of the occassional Alpha Beta, digging for 20 cents for the pay phone and office smoker references.

Rating:

Always a good borrow.

First Week Wrap

   My first week's reading se fini. I read three books, two library, one Nook. There have been slower weeks, but not by a lot. The biggest difference this week was my boys' GATE fieldtrip; it set me back two days worth of reading. Now ask me if it was worth it. Go ahead. Ask. (Pause, while listening to question.) Heck yeah, it was worth it!! My boys had a blast, and it was so much fun hanging out with them. Plus, and this is a big one, we discovered PooPooPaper. That would be paper made out of recycled, odorless elephant dung. Hey, I have four boys, stuff like that is a big deal around here.
  Back to reading. To date, this has been fun. There is a slight bit of reading pressure that wasn't there before, but I think it's added to my experience rather than taken from it. Maybe it will fade as time goes on, however at this moment, there are a few more cylinders firing while I read. I think it's knowing that I'm going to be sharing what I read that is causing me to look a little further into the story. I like it.
   Something (After adding the last four sentences, I'm changing "Something" to "Some things", if you're reading this directly after "Something" you're reading out of order and should disregard until further notice.) to know about me. I am not looking to be more of the me that I can be. I am not trying to find myself, I know exactly where I am (on my bed, watching my husband play Halo Wars, while I flip between tending my city in Cityville and typing here). I like books that are meals and books that are junk food. On the way to school the kids and I discuss our Bible verse of the day and learn our new word of the day. My day is spent doing PTSA stuff, Scout stuff, cheerleading stuff or a combination of the three with some household chores/errands thrown in. The hubby and I hang out, watch some TV and just enjoy each other's company. See first ( ) in this paragraph now. I'm a pretty simple, sometimes slightly/more than slightly harried housewife, who passionately watches over her family and is sometimes (my husband would say most times) intensely involved in anything? everything? somethings.

Until next time, Hillshire Farm! Go meat!!

Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede

   Okay, sometimes I start books and put them down midread to pick up again later. It does not always mean I don't like the book. Usually, books I don't like I read straight through just to finish them and be done. Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede is a book I truly enjoyed, and enjoyed returning to over the past month. I am glad it is one of my Nook books.
   Ms. Wrede took the Grimm fairytale and rewrote it with a new setting in Elizabethan England. I haven't read the Grimm tale, but each chapter begins with an excerpt of their story that serves as framework and set up. The weaving that is done between the Grimm's fairytale and Wrede's enriches the story and adds to it's charm.
   The Olde English is well written and necessary to the fairy telling, but I must confess, when I am away from it for any length of time it does trip my tongue. That is a confession meant for blogspot and myself alone. ;) My literacy rating might drop if word gets out. Perhaps with liberal sprinklings of "hither" or "mayhap" and similes that trip off my tongue like sparkling water tripping over the stones of a brook (yes, that is right off the top of my head, thank you) I could redeem myself.

Favorite Quotes:

"Blanche blushed red as a rose. Then she went pale as milk and looked down at her feet."

"I'll give thee peace indeed, as much as a grain of corn between the millstones."

Overall Opinion:

I am glad I didn't read it straight through; there was something about returning to it, and reading it slowly over time, that made me feel like coming home again. Picking it up was like seeing a friend you haven't seen in months, but still feel like it's just been yesterday since you last spoke.

Rating:

A Good Friend

Firegirl by Tony Abbott

   I really enjoyed Firegirl by Tony Abbott. It's a short book at only 145 pages; perfect length for a quick read and still have most of the day to enjoy. The book is from my teen section choices, but would be more than suitable for anyone as young as eleven. The age I'm picking isn't because of content, rather more about reading comprehension.
   Firegirl followsTom, an eigth grader who is more on the fringe of his class than a complete outsider. Tom sweats a lot and has one friend. I liked that Tom has good parents and realizes it. He's a nice boy who daydreams about different far-fetched scenarios in which he rescues Courtney, the beautiful girl in his class. Things would probably remain unchanged, except for the arrival of Jessica to the class.
   Jessica has survived being burned over most of her body. No one knows what to do or say, so no one does or says anything to her. Tom, being as introspective as an eigth grader can be, feels sorry for her, but can never bring himself to say anything to the other kids when they speculate on her situation.
   The end of Chapter 13 bears Tom's soul so simply and unconsciously that it is beautiful to read. He is brave while he is scared and confused and doesn't realize it. Tom is also weak and selfish, just like any other boy his age. Tom and his classmates are written true to life and it is easy to believe they would say and do the things that are written.
    
Favorite Quotes:

"I found that I started, in little bits, raising my head to look at her, but always when I knew she was turned the other way or couldn't see me. I discovered that if you didn't see the edge of her face or her hand lying on the desk, she looked almost like any girl with dirty hair. It was sort of crushed and matted in the back. It almost began to feel as if there was a person in there."

"I ended up not trying again, and then it was suppertime."

Overall Opinion:

I would make Firegirl required reading for a 5th or 6th grade reading class if I could. It is a book I will definitely share.

Rating:

Personal library addition

Panic by Jeff Abbott

   I have to say, I don't recall ever feeling so nervous about reading. I was definitely feeling a bit of panic during the first chapter. I'm still not sure if the first chapter's pace was that fast or if it was just me feeling imaginary pressure to get it right.
   To the book. Panic is a thriller/spy novel written by Jeff Abbott. Mr. Abbott, not as funny as Mr. Costello by the by, is a new author to me. The book follows Evan Casher, a young documentary filmmaker, who receives an urgent and upsetting phone call from his mother to return home. Evan rushes for home in a hurry, leaving behind his girlfriend after telling her he loves her for the first time the night before. Arriving at his parents' home he finds that his parents have been living secret lives and that he now has to fight to survive while rescuing both his family and his girl.
   CIA, spies, double agents, international espionage and family turmoil. The writing gets better as the book develops, the secret Evan has to unravel to regain his life was better than what I was predicting it would be. It wasn't until the last 1/4 of the book that I felt like I was enjoying it, rather than reading it just to finish reading it.

Favorite quote of the book:

"Evan watched her and wondered who she really was, in the spaces between flesh and bone."

Overall Opinion:

Not written well enough to make me curious about his other books, but there was enough that was intriguing about the book to make me want to finish it.

Rating:

1 Time Read

In the Beginning

I have decided to embark on a new adventure. Being an enthusiastic and voracious reader I don't know why it didn't seriously occur to me before today. I am going to read, book by book, my city library's shelves. Admittedly, it is not a large library, but it is definitely larger than my purchasing budget.

I was at the library today with four of my five and as I was looking for a few books with familiar authorship, and finding few I hadn't read, it occurred to me that I was neglecting the opportunity in front of me whilst I was lamenting the library's lack. That was a terribly run on sentence I know, but I thought it made for great high melodrama. I was tempted to use dearth in place of lack, but didn't want to use my complete vocabulary in one go.

I am going to go alphabetically with at least two from the fiction, non-fiction and teen sections. I am also picking up a few books that I am actually looking for and one or two from the juvenile section. I do enjoy the younger books, some because they are books of my youth, some just because, but the main reason for choosing them is to find books for my kids.

Two-fifths of the kids are 12 and 8 and read much higher than their ages. Finding books that are interesting, enjoyable and don't have sexual content that is inappropriate to their ages can be challenging. It's easier for the 8 year old, somewhat more difficult for the 12 year old.

The books I got today, by category, are:

Fiction
- Panic A Novel by Jeff Abbott check
- Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott check

Non-Fiction, Biographies
- A Real Boy A True Story of Autism, Early Intervention, and Recovery by Christina Adams check
- The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron by Howard Bryant

Teen
- Grimpow The Invisible Road by Rafael Abalos check
- Firegirl by Tony Abbott check

Just Because
- Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich   check
- Wife for Hire "      "       "         check
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova   check
- "B" is for Burgler by Sue Grafton check
- "C" is for Corpse "     "       "        check
- "D" is for Deadbeat  "   "     "       check
- Death of the Party by Carolyn Hart  check

My favorite quote of the day, "Man, Babe, you are all things corny." (My husband to me in response to my library/new blog news. It's my favorite because it's true. ;)