YCReads

Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays have collaberated on two books, both set in their native Mississippi, both very funny.  The first, Being dead is no excuse : the official southern ladies guide to hosting the perfect funeral, is their take on funerals in the south, especially in the Delta.  They explain what to do when someone dies and what you should never do under any circumstances.  Their take on funerals and weddings (in their second book), Somebody is going to die if Lilly Beth doesn’t catch that bouquet : the official southern ladies guide to hosting the perfect wedding, is very tongue in cheek.  They will make you laugh with their many pronouncements of what is “tacky” and what is not. 

Karen - Fort Mill 

A light and frothy romance set in East Tennessee, Susan Elizabeth Phillips once more draws on football for her leading character.   Dean is a star quarterback known almost as much for his underwear ads as he is for his prowess on the football field and Blue Bailey, a portrait artist with a inclination to wander.  They meet in Colorado as Dean is driving to his vacation home in Tennessee.  At loose ends, Blue decides to go with him and stays because she feels Dean needs her.  Dean and Blue were raised by very different women, one a groupie that was addicted to drugs and alcohol and the other a political activist who spent her time fighting the government both in this country and others, but the result was the same for both.  Raised by a series of strangers they both have “relationship issues” to deal with before they can live happily ever after.   Books by this author are often funny and this one is no exception, both the situations and the characters in the book are fun and funny with a bit of serious thrown in.   If you like romances, you should definitely try this book.

Karen - Fort Mill                                                                  ISBN 0060734574

The full title of this book is Stop Dressing Your Six-Year Old Like a Skank: and Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom and Celia Rivenbark is just the person to dispense them.   A resident of North Carolina and a columnist for the Myrtle Beach Sun Times, Celia gives her opinion on such important subjects as reality tv (she loves it), lizards (she hates them) and many other important topics.  This is the third book by this author and each has been funnier than the last.  Even if you regularly read her column online like I do or if you live near enough to get her weekly column in the paper you will enjoy the expanded tirades or new words of wisdom.

Karen - Fort Mill                                             ISBN 0312339933 

In this “between the numbers” novel the reader gets to glimpse into Stephanie Plum’s ever chaotic life between her big cases as a bounty hunter.  Another mysterious man shows up in Stephanie’s apartment (as they are apt to do) and this one has a mision for Stephanie.  This  mission involves helping out a “relationship consultant” by playing cupid for her clients and thus being able to apprehend, in trade, the consultant who is wanted for “assault”.

As usual, Stephanie involves her personal cast of quirky characters in this quest for love for the group of misfits that have asked for help in their love relationships.  Grandma, Lulu, Tank and her sister Valerie are all part of the action.  In fact, an ongoing plot theme is tied up in this offering.  Morelli and Ranger are out of the picture in this book, but Diesel (the mysterious male) makes up for thier absence. 

This book will keep you turning the pages and looking forward to your next cuckle as Stephanie cavorts her way through her newest adventure in good old Trenton, NJ.  This book is a quick read but a really fun way to spend a long afternoon or evening.

Patti - York                                                        ISBN 0312306342

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