The Bookshelf

Romance publishing juggernaut Harlequin turns 60 this year, and to celebrate Fabio will be ripping bodices from coast to coast.

I kid, I kid! Actually, Harlequin is offering something much cooler (unless you’re a big Fabio fan): Vistors to the site HarlequinCelebrates.com can download, read and share up to 16 romance ebooks completely free of charge. The selection includes paranormal, historical, Western and contemporary titles. Harlequin also is reissuing several debut books by series authors who went on to rule the bestseller lists; the first is Debbie Macomber’s The Matchmakers.

If you can’t find anything to your taste in Harlequin’s ebook selection and are a Skokie cardholder, you can download a wide selection of romance e-books (as well as other genres) at our North Suburban Digital Consortium download center.

Julia Quinn

Although Miss Quinn has been a successful author for quite some time, I have only recently discovered her wonderful books via audio. I’ve enjoyed everything that I have listened to so far and look forward to more CD releases. For those wondering, these are light, historical romances with some obvious nods to Jane Austen. The stories have humor and strong female characters. They are on the chaste side, i.e. no long descriptions of lovemaking or rough stuff. (At least the ones that I have listened to, but probably all have a similar style.)

For biographical info and more, see the author’s official website. She sounds like a really cool person!

Here is a list of books that I have listened to and can personally recommend, not only because they are well-written, but the narrators are excellent and the overall production quality is high.

It’s in His Kiss

The Lost Duke of  Wyndham

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

On the Way to the Wedding

When He Was Wicked

Be sure to see a complete list of Julia Quinn books owned by the Library.

For those who liked the popular movie Slumdog Millionaire, a recommendation would be an older movie, Salaam Bombay, a Hindi movie released in 1988.    A young boy named Chaipu runs away from a travelling circus and hops a train to Bombay where he must learn to survive on the streets.  The street world depicted is the real mccoy for not one scene was shot in a studio. Chaipu is a sensitive boy who forges relationships with a young drug dealer, a prostititute and her daughter, and a young girl who has been brutally thrust into a life of prostitution.  The street children themselves provided the source of inspiration for the screenplay.  The directer interviewed them and talked with them about their lives on the streets of Bombay.  Those enlisted for the movie attended workshops where they had to learn how to act in front of a camera.  The end result is an effecting film with unforgettable characters, and wonderful visuals in a story with no easy answers.    

 Two book recommendations  with similar themes include The City of Joy by Dominque LaPierre and Song of Kahunsha by Anana Bhai. City of Joy, which takes place in Calcutta has many well-developed characters and gives you a vivid picture of the slums of Calcutta and the people who inhabit them.  Along with the grim aspects of daily existence we witness the in credible resilence and courage of the inhabitants.  The Song of Kahunsha by Anana Bhai takes place in the slums of Bombay (Mumbai) and focuses on the life of a 10 -year- old orphan named Chamdi. Born and raised in Bombay himself, the author presents a grim picture of the prevailing poverty in India and the plight as well as the resilence of the children who are forced to live on the streets.

If you need a break from India’s slums but still want to stay in the country, you might try the breathtakingly beautiful romantic epic, Jodhaa Akbar a story which takes place in the 16th century. The great Mughal emperor, Akbar, marries the beautiful Hindu Rajput princess, Jodhaa, as part of a political and religious alliance but the two eventually fall in love.  The brilliiant jewel-like colors evident in costumes and settings are remininiscent of those used in many Indian miniature paintings and truly present a feast for the eyes. A.R. Rahman’s beautiful musical score is a wonderful accompaniment to the movie.

Since this is already the worst-kept secret in all of contemporary literature, I’ll start this post by saying it right out: Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and let’s just say the apple doesn’t fall from the tree as far as his writing style goes. I imagine that statement alone helps divide the Constant Readers from those who wouldn’t be interested.

Hill has already had success in as a teller of short stories (20th Century Ghosts), and as a novelist (Heart-Shaped Box), but Locke & Key showcases a wholly different talent – writing for comics.

Contrary to what you might think, this isn’t a skill that transfers easily. Jodi Picoult wrote a story for Wonder Woman that didn’t quite impress, and comic book writer Warren Ellis failed to stick the landing with his debut novel Crooked Little Vein. The form requires the author to pair concise dialogue with a knack for description – and do both without sacrificing your story. Add in the need to work with an artist (in this case, the exemplary Gabriel Rodriguez), and you’re exercising a completely different writing muscle. With Locke & Key, Hill just finished a literary triathlon.

Follow the Locke children as they move with their mother to Lovecraft, Mass. following the shocking murder of their father. Keyhouse is the name of the creepy old mansion that’s been in their family for decades, and it’s filled with secrets.

Did that strange black key actually turn young Bode into a ghost?

What’s with the strange voices coming from the well in the backyard?

Will Keyhouse keep the Lockes safe from their father’s killer?

These answers are only the beginning in this first volume of Locke & Key.

The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

I think that this one of the best mystery series that I’ve read in a long time. Taking place in post WWI England, the author clearly does her research. There is a strong sense of time, location, social tone and historical accuracy.

A nurse during the war, Maisie now has her own business. After years of study and apprenticeship, she works as a psychologist and private investigator. This might seem like an unusual profession, but it really makes interesting reading. Maisie is a complex, vulnerable, independent, and smart character. I find her very refreshing.

Here is a list of the titles, in case you want to read (or listen) in order. I started in the middle and then went back to catch the ones that I missed. That worked out OK.

Maisie Dobbs: A Novel, audiobook

Birds of a Feather: A Novel, audiobook

Pardonable Lies: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook (includes a bonus author interview)

Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook (includes an bonus author interview)

An Incomplete Revenge: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook

Among the Mad: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, audiobook

For more info, check out our Mystery Authors You May Have Missed profile.

Do you tend to read only one kind of fiction–mysteries, sci-fi, or literary fiction, for example? Well, I go mostly for literary fiction (where the writing itself is the strong focus, as opposed to plot), and some mysteries. But what I’ve discovered, even sticking to the “regular fiction” shelves, is that some of the best books actually blend genres. One of my new favorite authors is Kate Atkinson, who, in her Jackson Brodie books, does a fabulous job of blending lit fic and mystery (with lots of lol humor). Another example of successful blending, this time of lit fic and fantasy, is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. There are many many more examples, all of which add up to the fact that fiction can be whatever it wants to be. How did Neil Gaiman describe his novel Anansi Boys? “If you have to classify it, it’s probably a magical-horror-thriller-ghost-romantic-comedy-family-epic.” Sounds good!

Barbara Parker , author of the “Suspicion” series of mysteries featuring lawyers Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana has died after a long illness. Known for her meticulous research methods, this former lawyer entered the world of legal thrillers honing her master’s thesis at Florida International University into her first novel, Suspicion of Innocence. The ever evolving setting of south Florida, paired with the dynamics between the two protagonists, made for an enjoyable series of mysteries.

I’m having a problem finishing a book, not just one book, but four! One in my car, one on my mp3, one on the nightstand and one in my bookbag. How many books have  you had going at one time?

Here are a few of my favorite authors and books that have helped lighten the load.

Meg Cabot – Known for her teen/Jr. high books (who can forget the Princess Diaries series), Ms. Cabot has also written several books for adults. Yeah it’s chick-lit city, but fun stuff! I recommend these titles:

The Boy series:

The Boy Next Door, audiobook

Boy Meets Girl

Every Boy’s Got One

The Heather Wells series:

Big Boned, audiobook

Size 12 Is Not Fat

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either, audiobook

The Queen of Babble series

Queen of Babble, audiobook

Queen of Babble in the Big City, audiobook

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched, audiobook

This one is not part of a series – She Went All the Way

Jasper Fforde – All his books are very clever. I love the idea that well-known literary characters have independent lives beyond the fictional world.

The Nursery Crime Series:

The Big Over Easy, audiobook

The Fourth Bear, audiobook

The Thursday Next series:

The Eyre Affair, audiobook

Lost in a Good Book, audiobook

The Well of Lost Plots, audiobook

Something Rotten, audiobook

Nick Hornby – His books are great, IMHO. He catches the humor of everyday life, mixed with a little obsessiveness and oddity. A few of his books have been made into movies. If I had to pick two favorites, I would go with High Fidelity (audiobook) and About a Boy (audiobook).

Alexander McCall Smith – A lot of people have read the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books (wonderful series!!), but I also recommend the 44 Scotland Street series and the Isabel Dalhousie Sunday Philosophy Club series. These are quirky and endearing, with a wonderful flavor of Scotland.

Get ready for Poem in Your Pocket Day!

The American Academy of Poets website has a new Mobile Poetry page. Billed as “woo or woe on the go,” Mobile Poetry is a palm-sized version of the poets.org website. The site provides unlimited access to more than 2,500 poems, hundreds of biographies, and essays. The collection is organized into two sections: occasion and theme and form. A search feature offers the option to search or browse the collection by poet, poem, and prose.

Mobile Poetry is optimized for the iPhone, but is formatted for easy use on most mobile devices. Simply surf to www.poets.org/m on your Web-enabled handheld device. You can also use the same URL to preview the site from a desk- or laptop computer.