YCReads

Are you more interested in writing a novel than reading one?   It just so happens that November is National Novel Writing Month.  Started in 1999 in San Francisco, twenty-one people decided to try to write a novel in one month or at least 50,000 words of their  novel.  Only six people finished, but this year it’s expected that as many as 70,000 people will sign up to try to write their novel this November.  Starting November 1st and ending November 30th, try your hand at writing your own novel.  This isn’t a contest, no one wins, you just get the satisfaction of finishing a monumental task.   Everything you need to know will be at the web site.  http://www.nanowrimo.org

Consuming Passions describes Michael Lee West’s life long love affair with food. From Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house in rural Mississippi to the present, she recounts her favorite foods memories. The year she turned 40 Michael Lee went to six family funerals, not only were they losing the older generation but as one of her aunts put it - “we’re burying our best recipes” Already an author, she decided it was time to put the recipes down so there would be no more family recipes “lost”. If you want to read about a southern family with lots of love and a few crazy relatives, you’ll want to read this book, and if you want recipes for coconut cake, cornbread or seafood gumbo, this is definately the book for you.

Karen - Fort Mill                                                              ISBN 0060183713

Every four years, New Hampshire transforms from a quiet New England state to the center of the nation’s attention. Hosting the first primary of the presidential election means the state is overrun with politicians, staff, volunteers and the press. Lewis Cole, who has retired from the Department of Defense under mysterious circumstances and writes a monthly article for a local magazine finds himself squarely in the middle of the primaries. His girlfriend is working for a candidate, his former girlfriend is married to a candidate and Lewis is accused of attempting to shoot one of the candidates. With help from some friends he manages to get himself even further in trouble. This is one in a series of Lewis Cole books by DuBois and like the others, it’s an intelligent mystery led by an interesting character.

Karen - Fort Mill                                                  ISBN 0312327331

No one makes dead bodies funnier than Janet Evanovich and Motor Mouth has a lot of dead bodies. The series that started with Metro Girl is back, along with Barney, Hooker and a new leading character, Beans, a 150 lb. St. Bernard. Hooker has finished the NASCAR season and he and Barney are headed to North Carolina for a well-deserved rest. Before they leave they are contacted by a friend who is inside a truck hauling a race car, he’s locked in, scared and needs their help. It sounded easy, follow the truck, wait for the driver to stop for a break and get their friend out. Of course nothing is that easy and a few dead bodies later, Hooker and Barney are running for their lives. This book is even better than the first one in the series, going from scary to sexy and back again with a whole lot of funny in between.

Karen - Fort Mill                                                    ISBN 0060584033

This list might be helpful for those who like to have the newest books on hold when they arrive at the library. 

Elizabeth Berg’s newest novel - Handmaid and the Carpenter;  there are a couple of Christmas titles coming out  Mary Higgins Clark’s Santa Cruise and Anne Perry - Christmas Secret: a novel.   If you like Nelson DeMille, his latest book is Wild Fire and Jonathan Kellerman’s Capital Crimes will be out also.  Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen, Brother Odd by Dean Koontz and Cross by James Patterson will all be out in November.  For those of you who like inspirational fiction  Tim LaHaye, John’s Story: the last eyewitness and Bodie Thoene’s Fifth Seal will be out also.  And we don’t want to forget H.R.H. by Danielle Steel.

Odd Thomas has a problem. His girlfirend, Stormy, is great. His job as the best fry cook in Pico Mundo is very rewarding. It’s just those pesky dead people who won’t leave him alone. With everyone from Elvis to the little dead girl around the block vying for his time, Odd’s life can be extremely complicated.

Odd tries to keep his life as normal and boring as possible. He’s on very good terms with the Chief of Police and together they solve the town’s occasional murders. Other than that, Odd keeps a very low profile. Only his close circle of friends knows about his ability to see the dead. However, when creatures called Bodachs start showing up by the hundreds in Pico Mundo, Odd knows he must find the reason before it’s too late.

This suspenseful book is a fun, easy read. the character of Odd Thomas is one you’ll fall in love with and want to visit with again.

Laura W. - Fort Mill                                                        ISBN 0553802496

Triptych is set in Atlanta and has all of the tension and grittiness of the author’s series but it is lacking the likeable small town characters of her series. In Triptych, Atlanta detectives are investigating the rape and murder of a prostitute, when a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent intervenes. The case is similar to others nearby and the GBI agent insists on helping find the rapist even though the police don’t welcome the help. At the same time we follow John Shelley a man who went to jail for the rape and murder of a young neighbor when he was 15. Until his recent parole, John has never taken care of himself, never held a job, never been on a date. As John becomes afraid that he might be blamed for this new rash of rapes and return to jail, he too investigates and eventually joins with the GBI agent to find the truth. A suspenseful story filled with complicated characters, the ending may take you by surprise but even if you have it all figured out you enjoy yourself along the way.

Karen - Fort Mill                                                     ISBN 0385339461

Welcome to the  new  YCReads!  The staff at York County Library  will be bringing you reviews of books we’ve read and enjoyed and we hope you’ll want to do the same.   Feel free to comment on the reviews, everyone will find your opinion helpful. 

Please visit our home page at http://www.yclibrary.org