Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Bella arrives in one of the rainiest places in the United States, to live with her dad.  Her mother has recently remarried and Bella has taken it upon herself to leave Arizona and move to Forks, Washington.  She heads off to the local high school and expects to be just as unpopular as she was in Phoenix.  Unexpectedly, everyone is interested in the new girl but Bella is only interested in the beautiful but different Edward.   Edward is part of a local family of vampires who live anonymously among the people of Forks.  This book is the beginning of a series that while geared toward young adults is very readable for adults.  It will make you remember how it felt to be in high school, how it felt to be in love and how it feels to be different and not want anyone to know.

Karen – Fort Mill                                 ISBN   0316160172

Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

In the past I’ve started a couple of Hiaasen’s books, but they didn’t really “grab” me right away, so I put them aside.  Nature Girl was a different story, though.  I guess I must have needed some good laughs, because I found this novel to be quite entertaining.  Hiaasen is a native Floridian, and this hilarious story takes place in and around the Florida Everglades.  His novels are usually filled with strange and zany characters, and this book is no exception.  Yes, the plot may seem absurd, but when Honey Santana becomes unhinged after having her family dinner interrupted by a telemarketer, I can relate to the aggravation that sometimes arises.  In Honey’s case, a single mother battling her boss’ unwanted sexual advances, she cooks up an elaborate scheme to punish Boyd Shreave for nasty comments he makes during his solicitation call.  Another sub-plot involves Sammy Tigertail, a half-white, half-Seminole struggling with his identity and also with an Everglades incident for which he fears he’ll be blamed.  The action revolves around several inter-related stories that are fun, silly, sex-filled and slapstick.  I recommend this book as summer reading in the fall.  When the leaves begin to fall and the temperature finally drops, this hot tale from Florida should heat you right up.

Jennifer L. – York                        ISBN  0307262995