Auntie Wendy's Top 10 Baseball Movies

Lemon Drop:  Auntie Wendy, it's Opening Day for Major League Baseball, what are you doing at work?

Me: Well Lemon Drop, Opening Day is not an official national holiday (although it should be!), and I'm too much of a good little worker bee to slack off for the day.  So yeah, at work.

Lemon Drop: Mommy tells me you usually wax poetic (with no aid of alcohol!) about baseball on this most joyous of days.  So whatcha got for me?  I'm young, I'm impressionable, I need to be educated.

Me: Sweetie, just for you, I'm going to lay out my Top 10 Favorite Baseball Movies.  I had a hard time narrowing down this list, and putting them in order?  Torture.  But I did my best.  When you get older tell Mommy that I said you could watch them.  Here they are:

10. Mr. Baseball (1992) -Tom Selleck as washed-up major leaguer put out to pasture in Japan.  Not sure this one "holds up" very well in terms of Japanese baseball, but a decent love story and Tom Selleck.  With his mustache.  Wearing a Tigers uniform at the end of the movie.  Swoon.

9. For Love of the Game (1999) - Kevin Costner flashbackin' his relationship with Kelly Preston in the midst of throwing a perfect game against the Yankees.  Not the best movie ever, but did I mention that Costner plays for the Tigers in this one?  And he's throwing a perfect game against the Yankees?  For that reason alone it makes the list.

8. The Rookie (2002) - Despite his tendency to make terrible movies, I heart Dennis Quaid.  There's just something about that guy.  Here he's a high school baseball coach who has discovered that his old fast ball is now a lot more "live."  Loved the bits towards the end of the movie when he's traveling the minor league circuit as an "old man" who desperately misses his family.  Oh, and it being based on a true story adds to the awesomeness.

7. A League Of Their Own (1992) -  Crying?!  There's no crying in baseball!  The only decent movie Madonna ever made.  Geena Davis before the plastic surgery got too scary.  Oh, and Tom Hanks. 

6. A City On Fire: The Story of the '68 Tigers (2002) -  In 1968 cities all across the U.S. were rioting.  Detroit was no exception.  It was also the year that the Tigers won the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.  This HBO documentary details their run.  And note to HBO: could you please make this available on DVD?  Seriously.

5. Field of Dreams (1989) -  More Kevin Costner.  Also a movie to watch if you want to see grown men cry.  Great father-son stuff here, but I'll be honest, I watch this movie for James Earl Jones.  And the bit where Amy Madigan takes on the school board.  My wee lil' librarian heart goes squee!

4. 61* (2001) - Yes, about the Yankees.  I'd feel dirty for recommending it if it weren't such a great movie.  Detailing the race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle (both Yankees) to break Babe Ruth's (THE Yankee) home run record.  Mantle's less-than-admirable tendencies aren't sugar-coated, and I fell a bit in love with Roger Maris by the time it was all said and done.

3. The Life & Times of Hank Greenberg (1998) - Another great documentary.  Ty Cobb was the greatest player to ever put on a Tiger uniform, but he was also a raging jackass.  For that reason, I always say that Greenberg was my favorite Tiger of all time, regardless of the fact that his peak playing years occurred before your grandparents were born.  People remember Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball, and detail what he had to overcome.  And rightly so!  But the amount of shit Greenberg took for being Jewish?  Not quite as well-known in non-baseball fandom circles.  Plus, he was a damn good ballplayer.  Before Maris and Mantle, he came the closest to breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, and he was an RBI machine.  Not the greatest defensive player, but did I mention he was one tall, handsome, good looking son-of-a-gun?  Swoon.

2. Major League (1989) -  Everyone has at least one movie that they have to stop and watch when they stumble across it on cable.  This one is mine.  Bitchy new owner wants to move the hapless Cleveland Indians to Miami (pre-Marlins) and figures the league will OK it if attendance sucks enough.  So she hires on a bunch of loser misfits, who naturally end up winning big.  You know what I really love about this movie?  Rene Russo plays a librarian and there's a throwaway piece of dialogue where her old boyfriend, Tom Berenger, talks about her getting her Master's degree!  And if that weren't enough awesomeness?  Two words: Bob Uecker.  So awesome.

1. Bull Durham (1988) - The best baseball movie ever.  Period.  End of story.  There should be a law that Kevin Costner is only allowed to play cowboys and baseball players.  Then we could avoid a whole lot of unwatchable "stuff."  Susan Sarandon is so sexy in this movie she could peel wallpaper just by walking in the room.  Tim Robbins excels at playing an epically clueless pitcher with insane baseball promise, and Costner is the world-weary veteran minor leaguer circling their orbit.  Oh, and that sex scene at the end?  Let's just say I'm surprised it was Robbins and Sarandon that ended up a couple after filming wrapped.

Lemon Drop: Boy, you're going to catch flack for this list in the comments Auntie Wendy.  No The Natural?  No The Sandlot?  No movies older than 1988?

Me: Yeah, well - I limited it to ten.  I'm only human.  Besides, that's what the comments are for on a blog post!  I'm sure Bat Cave readers will have plenty of suggestions for you.  Just so long as you grow up to be a Tigers fan.  Why should your Papaw and your Auntie Wendy be the only members of this family to have a long streak of masochism?

Lemon Drop:  Auntie Wendy, what's masochism?

Me: Uh....never mind.  Forget I said that.  Sigh, your Daddy is going to kill me.....

The Left-Handed Dollar

I'm a no-frills sort of reader.  I tend to favor novels that are written "cleanly."  No muss, no fuss, no frippery frou-frou.  I tend to dislike writers who throw in $50 words just to show-off, when honestly the $1 words work just as well and keep my brains from bleeding out of my ears.  About three-quarters of the time "lush" is totally lost on me.  However a girl does need to flex her grey matter every now and then, which is a niche that Loren Estleman fills for me.  His Amos Walker crime novels sound like the author still writes on a typewriter (which he does), and it always takes me a couple of chapters to capture the way he writes dialogue.  It's the stuff of 1940s noir.  They'd have to reanimate Bogart if Estleman ever sold the film rights.

The Left-Handed Dollar is the 20th book to feature Detroit private investigator Amos Walker, and this time out he's hired by local lawyer Lucille Lettermore (known as "Lefty Lucy" for her choice in clients), to help spring aging mobster Joey "Ballistic" Ballista.  Lucy's plan is to clear Joey's record of an earlier conviction, thereby trotting him into court as a "first time offender."  Amos is all set to turn down the job, until he meets with Joey.  Damn if he doesn't believe the man when he says he didn't do it.  What was Joey convicted of doing?  Packing a reporter's car full of dynamite.  The reporter in question didn't die, identified Joey in a police line-up, and oh yeah - happens to be Amos' only real friend in the world.  Sticky, sticky.

Detroit has quite a bit in common with California - the truth tends to be stranger than fiction.  Which is why I think it's one of the all-time great settings for crime novels.  The more things are effed-up in Detroit, the more they stay the same.  Amos Walker works in this milieu, and it gives these books a wonderful, gritty, and dirty sense of place.  It's also the perfect setting for the type of dialogue that Estleman tends to favor in these books.  I'll be honest, nobody talks like this in real life (well, at least nobody I know), but you don't really care as the reader because it makes you think, gets your grey matter firing on cylinders, and is a throw-back to an era when dialogue in movies wasn't inane chatter.  It's not for everybody, but if you like the craft of how words can be strung together to sing, it's good stuff.

I classify this series as "crime novels" because while they're decent mysteries, they're not real puzzlers from the Agatha Christie school.  It's basically all about Amos running around, wise-crackin', and trying to shift through the lies that suspects inevitably tell.  This book is no different.  Ultimately Amos has to take all those lies, spin them around, put them back together, and come up with the truth.  Which he does here, with an inspired ending that really worked for me.

I'm not sure how much longer Estleman can keep writing about Amos, but for now I'm content to hold out hope for at least a few more entries.  There's a reason Sue Grafton hasn't let Kinsey Millhone escape the 1980s - it saves her from aging her heroine.  Estleman has aged Amos.  He's a Vietnam veteran, which means even if he was 18 at the tail end of the war, he'd be in his late 50s in 2011. I've read six books in this series so far, and by my count Amos has suffered from about 25 concussions.  I'm not sure how much longer he can go on - but it's kind of fun to see his character enter the 21st century.  He still doesn't have a computer (!), but at least he's got a cell phone now.  Time is marching on, even if he's still the same guy he's always been.

This is a good, solid entry in a series that allows me to break-up all the "girl" books I read.  I liked Amos.  If I ever needed the services of a private investigator, he'd be my guy.  Not the smoothest operator around, but tenacious, smart, and amusing enough to allow you to overlook any foibles he has.  It's one of the oldest gags in fiction - the tough guy who always gets his man...or woman...or whatever.  But just because it's old, doesn't mean it still doesn't work.

Final Grade = B

Operation Auction Is Now Live!

We interrupt our regular Sunday programming (Random Romance Sunday) here at the Bat Cave to pimp Operation Auction, which is now live and ready for your bidding on various Romancelandia related goodies.  As many of you are already well aware, the auction proceeds will benefit long-time community member, Fatin (@Mad4RomBks) who tragically lost her husband in a work-place shooting earlier this month.

If you have general questions about how items are going up for bid - this should hopefully answer them.

And again....here is the eBay auction page specifically set up for Operation Auction.

2011 RITA Nominations!

The Romance Writers of America have announced the finalists for the 2011 RITA awards.  Winners will be announced this summer at the annual conference in New York City where, incidentally, yours truly will be crowned 2011 Librarian Of The Year.

You know just in case you hadn't heard about the news (I'm thinking of putting it on my business cards right under Wendy The Super Librarian, Supah Genius).

Ahem, anywho, before we dissect the nominations, a couple of things.  First, here are the official rules.  And second, the most important thing to remember is that authors must submit their books (and pay a contest fee) in order to be eligible.  So author no submit?  Yeah, no chance in hell they'll be on this list.  I also see a lot of chatter (typically) from readers online that they haven't heard of half the nominated books.  Well, that's where I'm here to help.  So away we go.....

Best First Book:
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells (YA)
Firestorm by Kelly Ann Riley (inspirational suspense)
Enemy Within by Marcella Burnard (science fiction romance)
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan (YA)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (YA)
Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner (historical romance)
Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts (chick lit/mystery)
A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer (inspirational historical)
When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer (historical romance)

• I've read Pieces of Sky, which I liked but was mildly disappointed in because I wanted to lurve it and have babies with it.  I chalk this insanity up to Neglected Romance Sub Genre Guilt.  Still, it was a good solid read, and this debut western got a B- from yours truly.  And wow, three YAs?  Really?

Contemporary Series Romance:
Dare She Date the Dreamy Doc? by Sarah Morgan (Mills & Boon Medical Romance)
Breaking the Sheikh's Rules in the Summer Sheikhs anthology by Abby Green (Mills & Boon)
Christmas Magic on the Mountain by Melissa McClone (Harlequin Romance)
Christmas with Her Boss by Marion Lennox (Harlequin Romance)
Red-Hot Renegade by Kelly Hunter (Mills & Boon Modern Heat)
An Unexpected Father by Lisa Ruff (Harlequin American Romance)
Welcome Home, Cowboy by Karen Templeton (Silhouette Special Edition)
Zoe and the Tormented Tycoon by Kate Hewitt (Harlequin Presents)

• Sigh.  The McClone, Lennox and Templeton are all in my digital TBR.  I suck.

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure:
The Moon That Night by Helen Brenna (Harlequin Superromance)
The Baby's Guardian by Delores Fossen (Harlequin Intrigue)
Case File: Canyon Creek, Wyoming by Paula Graves (Harlequin Intrigue)
To Catch a Killer by Kimberly Van Meter (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
A Cop in Her Stocking by Ann Voss Peterson (Harlequin Intrigue)
 Meltdown by Gail Barrett (Silhouette Romantic Suspense)
Perfect Partners? by C.J. Carmichael (Harlequin Superromance)
Renegade Angel by Kendra Leigh Castle (Harlequin Nocturne)

• The Brenna is in the digital TBR.  Other than that?  I got nothing.  Although I find it really interesting there's a Nocturne in this category.

Contemporary Single Title Romance:
One Fine Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
And One Last Thing by Molly Harper
Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl
Not That Kind of Girl by Susan Donovan
Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson
Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
Still the One by Robin Wells

• More vast sea of nothingness.  I just don't gravitate towards single title contemporaries.  Yes, I'm aware this makes me "part of the problem" Save The Contemporary fans.  It's just I choose to "save the contemporary" via category romance, uh where it doesn't really need much saving.

Historical Romance:
Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee
Last Night's Scandal by Loretta Chase
The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne
His at Night by Sherry Thomas
A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
One Wicked Sin by Nicola Cornick
Open Country by Kaki Warner

• The Thomas, McKee and Warner are in the TBR.  I still need to buy that Cornick trilogy, as well as the Bourne. 

Inspirational Romance:
A Convenient Wife by Anna Schmidt
Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy
Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang
Finding Her Way Home by Linda Goodnight
The Wedding Garden by Linda Goodnight
In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon
Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist
Shades of Morning by Marlo M. Schalesky
Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

• I read the Gist and thought it was quite lovely.  Gave it a B.

Novel With Strong Romantic Elements:
The Search by Nora Roberts
Stormwalker by Allyson James
Killbox by Ann Aguirre
Blood Vines by Erica Spindler
Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn
On Folly Beach by Karen White
Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts
Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas

• I listened to The Search on audio, and while I liked it, I OD'ed on all the "dog stuff."  But then, I'm not a huge dog person, so there you go.  We got an ARC of the Raybourn in at work, and I saved it for myself, but yeah.  Haven't read it.

Paranormal Romance:
Rebel by Zoe Archer
Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver
Enemy Within by Marcella Burnard
A Highlander's Homecoming by Melissa Mayhue
Marked by the Moon by Lori Handeland
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
Immortal Sea by Virginia Kantra
Unchained: the Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood

• Mileage varies on this if you read all the online chatter, but Rebel was actually my favorite out of that Zoe Archer series.  Other than that?  I got nothing.  Paranormal burn out folks.

Regency Historical Romance:
His Christmas Pleasure by Cathy Maxwell
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter
To Surrender to a Rogue by Cara Elliott
When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer
Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
The Wicked Wyckerly by Patricia Rice

• The Dare is in the TBR.  That's it.

Romance Novella:
"A Dundee Christmas" by Brenda Novak in That Christmas Feeling (Harlequin Superromance)
"Friendly Fire" by Jill Shalvis in Born on the 4th of July (Harlequin Blaze)
"Blame It on the Blizard" by Jennifer Greene in Baby, It's Cold Outside (Harlequin)
"Love Me to Death" by Maggie Shayne in Heart of Darkness (HQN Books)
"Mistletoe Magic" by Sandra Hyatt in Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe (Silhouette Desire)
"The Wrong Brother" by Maureen Child in Under the Millionaire's Mistletoe (Silhouette Desire)
"Mountain Rose" by Cheryl St. John in To Be a Mother (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical)
"Shifting Sea" by Virginia Kantra in Burning Up

• Dude, Harlequin owns this category.  The Novak and St. John anthologies are in the TBR. 

Romantic Suspense:
Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan
The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks
Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden
Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire
Silent Scream by Karen Rose
Kill Me Again by Maggie Shayne
Two Lethal Lies by Annie Solomon

• I think I have the Karen Rose in the TBR.  Other than that?  Yeah, nothing.

Young Adult Romance:
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
The Clearing by Heather Davis
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

• I am shocked by how many of these I've actually heard of.  I don't buy YA for work (not "my job") so I tend to be fairly clueless when it comes to these nominees.  That said, I've heard of the Clare, McCahan, Kagawa, Elkeles and the Howells.

And that, is that.  So folks, who has read what here?  Any recommendations for me?  Anything here that you weren't all that impressed with?  Time to dish!

Fall From Grace

One of our branches recently sent the call out for someone who would be willing to do a book talk in May.  Since I have a backlog of books to choose from for these types of things, I volunteered....before reading the fine print.  Turns out these folks want to hear about "new" fiction.  Which means, yep - Wendy just heaped on more reading for herself.  But the bigger problem?  What to read.  What to "talk" about.  Thank heavens we get some advanced copies at the office.  I immediately went scrounging for something that "wouldn't have the men running from the room" and came up with Wayne Arthurson's debut with Forge, Fall From Grace.

Leo Desroches is a man who has lost everything thanks to his gambling addiction.  His wife, his kids, his career, and he even spent time living on the streets.  What gets him off the streets is a strike at Edmonton's biggest daily newspaper.  Leo follows the time-honored tradition of walking across the picket line and becoming a "scab."  Since Leo can write, and is actually a pretty good journalist, when the strike is over, he's hired on permanently.

His latest assignment involves a young Native prostitute found dead in a farmer's field.  When Leo is able to get an inside scoop, his editor tells him to run with the story.  Put a face and name to the dead girl.  Give her a voice.  Which Leo does - but not without ticking off a whole lot of people in the process.

I have this sick weakness for mystery/suspense protagonists that are seriously messed up.  The more screwed up they are, the more I tend to like them.  It tends to feed into my romantic ideals that anybody can be a "hero," and that often times the "hero," is the one guy in the room you would least expect to be one.  Leo is a guy who has fallen hard, and done so in spectacular fashion.  I spent most of this book not all that sure I even "liked" him, but I couldn't help reading on to see if he got his answers and he kept his butt out of the casino.

This isn't a fast-paced, or "thriller" style of suspense novel.  If anything, it reads very much like a procedural, but instead of a cop as the main lead, we have a reporter.  The pace of this story is very deliberate.  The mystery of the dead prostitute is the glue that holds all the other stuff in the story - Leo's demons, his fractured relationships, his past - together.  It works extremely well.  On one hand I was reading for the mystery, and on the other I was reading to see if Leo was going to screw everything up again.

This all being said, have you ever finished a book and not been entirely sure how you felt about it?  That's kind of where I am with this one.  First, Leo is so screwed up that he finds that he has to get his "kicks" some other way now that casinos aren't an option.  A gambler is a gambler is a gambler.  This aspect of the story strained for me, but it was just screwy enough that I was able to roll with it somewhat.  Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.  Oh, the reader gets answers - but it's how those answers are dealt with.  It left me feeling unsettled, for lack of a better word.  However, I suspect that's exactly how the author wanted me to feel, so kudos for him.  And hey, I still can't stop thinking about it - so there you go.

I see this book appealing to a wide variety of readers.  Certainly it will appeal to suspense fans, but I also think it will appeal to general fiction folk who don't necessarily read genre fiction.  The characterizations are extremely well done, the author writes about addiction with brutal honesty, and the sense of place (Edmonton Alberta Canada) is vivid.  I did find it a bit of an unsettling read, but generally speaking, unsettling in a good way.  It's not going to flip every reader's switch, but hell - it's memorable.  I'll give it that.

Final Grade = B

Release date is March 29, 2011

Random Romance Sunday: Plop, plop, fizz, fizz

The Book: Hot Winds From Bombay by Becky Lee Weyrich

The Particulars: Historical romance, Fawcett, 1987, Out of Print

The Blurb:

SHE DREAMS OF EXCITEMENT IN FARAWAY LANDS.

She is Persia Whiddington, astonishingly beautiful, voluptuous, and on the brink of womanhood.

He is Zachariah Hazzard, handsome, lustful, and ambitious, a sailor destined to be captain of a merchant vessel.

The night they meet, they find passion in each other's arms--with a tempestuous desire too briefly realized before fate wrenches them apart.

But always it is Zachariah on her lips, in her heart, in her soul, as a desolate Persia journeys from the cold climes of Maine to the seductive, sultry nights of Bombay... a turbulent adventure that will place her in terrifying danger, not knowing if ever she will see her true love again--if ever their love will rekindle that hot, soaring flame....

 Is It In Wendy's TBR?: Nope.

Any Reviews?:  Nada.  Zilch.  Nothing.  I even struck out on Amazon and GoodReads.

Anything Else?:  You can always tell you've got an Old Skool bodice-ripper on your hands by the sheer volume of WTFBBQ on the back cover blurb.  Persia Whiddington? Zachariah Hazzard? And seriously, only in a bodice ripper would you see a story set in both Maine and Bombay.  What next?  Chile and Russia?  Iceland and California?  Alaska and South Africa?

And this poor, unfortunate title.  It immediately brings to mind Indian food....and not in a good way.

As for Becky Lee Weyrich, she wrote several books, including a number of paranormal-y type stories back when paranormal meant slogging through a bunch of New Age, soul mate clap-trap that makes me head hurt just thinking about it.  In fact, Romantic Times gave her the Lifetime Achievement Award for New Age Fiction 1992 - which reinforces the notion that I should stay far, far away.  But given her Old Skool roots, her writing time travel and ghost stories back when not many authors were, I wouldn't be surprised to hear she's got a few fans floating around out there in RomanceLandia.  And if you are one of those fans, sadly RT reported back in February that Ms. Weyrich passed away.

RWA Librarians Day 2011

Romance Writers of America has posted the schedule for this year's Librarians Day at the annual conference in New York City.  If you're a librarian, and will be in the area on Tuesday, June 28, I encourage you to sign-up.  It's the insane bargain basement price of $25 for the day (and no, you don't have to be attending the whole conference - you can just do this one day!), they feed us lunch, and the separate Librarian Goodie Room is, traditionally, off-the-hook.  Seriously.  Off-the-hook.  Plus, you're already on site for the ginormous Literacy For Life Autographing that's the very same day, from 5:30-7:30PM.  Here's the tentative schedule with RWA Librarian Of The Year (modest, thy name is Wendy) commentary: 

7:30 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration/ Badge Pick-Up

• Plus a tote bag!  With books in it!  Squee!

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Focus on Communities in Romance Speakers: Lara Adrian, Robyn Carr, and Jayne Ann Krentz
Romance authors are experts at creating communities in their book series, whether these communities are geographic, familial, or even species based. Join three New York Times best-selling authors as they discuss the challenges and rewards of writing connected/community-based books, why readers love them, and how librarians can recommend them to their own romance reading communities. 

• Seriously, huge trend right now - and a great mix of authors.  Adrian has been writing a paranormal series, Carr is taking over the world from Virgin River and Krentz is Queen Of Writing Series.  This should be great.

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Harlequin 101 Speakers: Wendy Crutcher, Collection Materials Evaluator, Wendy's Employer
Did you know that Harlequin publishes nearly 110 new titles every month? Yet, somehow, category romance remains a misunderstood and often-dismissed member of the popular fiction family. Materials Evaluator Wendy Crutcher will help solve the mystery of category romance and provide insight into this juggernaut of the romance genre.

• Oh look!  It's me!  Presenting by myself!  Argh!  Actually the event coordinator is trying to scrounge up a warm body from Harlequin to join me - but right now it's looking like I'm flying solo. ::gulp::  Now to find time to rework this particular presentation of mine (I've given similar talks twice now - to various colleagues here at work).

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Break sponsored by Brilliance Audio  Stretch your legs and enjoy some refreshments, but don’t wander too far! We’ll be hosting a fun romance trivia during the break and handing out prizes to librarians who correctly answer questions about the genre.

• Snacks!  Coffee!  Chit Chat!  More free books!

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
You’ve Got Romance in My Mystery! No, You’ve Got Mystery in My Romance! Speakers: John Charles, Leah Hultenschmidt, Judi McCoy, and Deanna Raybourn
For more than a decade, genre blurring has been one of the strongest trends in fiction and a powerful force affecting both collection development and readers’ advisory service in libraries. A librarian, an editor, and two award-winning authors will talk about how library staff can use the power of genre blurring to successfully cross-market their romance collections to new readers.

• Charles is a former Librarian Of The Year, and you know how I am with westerns and category romance?  Yeah, he's big on genre blurring, readers' advisory, and luring non-romance readers over to The Dark Side.  Hultenschmidt is now an editor with Sourcebooks (and awesome!), McCoy has romance roots and is currently writing cozy mysteries, and Raybourn writes historical mysteries for Harlequin (Mira, I believe?).  Should be good stuff here.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Publisher Preview Speakers: Lucia Macro, Executive Editor, Avon Books; Wendy McCurdy, Executive Editor, Berkley Books; and Shauna Summers, Executive Editor, Ballantine Bantam Dell
What are the latest and upcoming trends in romance fiction? Which titles will have miles-long holds list this fall? Executive editors who publish some of the biggest names in romance fiction will tell you what’s hot now and what is going to be the next big thing.

• OMG - who doesn't love hearing about new stuff?  Books, books, books - tell me all about the brand new and the shiny.

12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Librarians Luncheon featuring New York Times best-selling author Julia Quinn

• Food!  And Julia Quinn!  Plus me and Trinity Feagan sitting together at lunch heckling Julia Quinn!  (Inside Twitter joke....). 

2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Librarian/Bookseller Networking Event with Authors Come to this fun, informal meet-and-greet with your favorite romance authors, and leave with free goodies and more!

• ZOMG - The Librarian Goodie Room.  Free books!  Free promo goodies!  Chatting with authors!  Passing out my business card!  Woot!

It's also during this stretch where I hightail it up to my room, dump the insane amount of goodies I got out on the bed, and hightail it back downstairs for more mingling, and waiting for the Literacy Signing to start.  Again, if you're a librarian, and are going to be in the area, I encourage you to check it out.  It's always a fabu time.  You get lunch, free books, and you get to hear people say really nice things about how awesome-sauce librarians are.  You can't lose!

TBR Challenge 2011: High School Reunion Hell

The Book: The Last Cheerleader by Meg O'Brien

The Particulars:  Suspense with romantic elements, Mira, 2003, Out of Print

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Back in 2003, I was still working for a small library system in Michigan.  I ordered this book for work, but when it arrived in a shipment from Baker & Taylor, the cover had been torn off!  So we called and they sent us a replacement.  Instead of chucking the damaged copy, I grabbed some tape, reattached the cover, and brought it home to my TBR pile.  Where it's been since 2003.  Yeah.  I suck.

The Review: After years of struggle, L.A. literary agent, Mary Beth Conahan is moving up in the world.  She's got a beach house in Malibu and a swank office in Century City.  However it all becomes threatened when Tony Price, her cash cow bestselling author, is found murdered - right alongside her ex-husband.  When another body turns up, police begin to zero in on Mary Beth, who was connected to all three victims.  Adding to this high drama?  The reappearance of high school BFF, Lindy Lou Van Court (paging Dr. Seuss!).  Lindy shows up selling a sob story of how her vile husband, Roger, has kicked her out on the streets and is keeping her from their sickly baby daughter.  Mary Beth agrees to help, mostly because she knows what an asshole Roger is.  But between the three dead bodies, and Lindy not being entirely forthcoming, it gets tricky rather quickly.

What we have here is what I like to call The Tale Of Two Books.  Book #1 starts off pretty good.  One murdered bestselling author, one dead ex-husband, and then Mary Beth literally stumbles over Dead Body #3.  There are also some nice tid-bits about the book business here, including less than savory agents, the struggle to break an author out of midlist hell etc.  Who is killing off Mary Beth's authors?  And why?  I have to say, I was pretty intrigued by Book #1.

Unfortunately it all starts to slide south for me with the arrival of Lindy Lou Who (seriously, I kept calling her that in my head!) and the start of Book #2.  Lindy is one of those girls from high school who you were "friends" with - but had a way of cutting you down while smiling to your face.  She was the cheerleader who acted like the empty bubble-headed ninny to get boys, and would say snide things about you that were rather mean and nasty but hey, it's OK!  She's your friend!.  Seriously, I frickin' hated girls like that.  Reading about one of these types, all grown up, and still not very self-reliant, was about as much fun for me as shoving bamboo shoots underneath my finger nails.  It also didn't help that Lindy's arrival on the scene steers focus away from Book #1 with our three dead bodies, which I found infinitely more interesting.

The problem with amateur sleuth-style books is that it's easy for authors to fall into the Unbelievable Behavior Trap.  One expects people in law enforcement (cops, lawyers, even private investigators) to be somewhat cool and analytical, even when there is danger knocking on their door.  But your average private citizen?  Another matter entirely.  Certainly Mary Beth is a literary agent, so she's used to busting balls, negotiating, and being an all-around general hard-ass when she has to.  But she seriously barely breaks a sweat over three dead bodies, all linked to her.  I wasn't buying.  Some moments of....I don't know....terror would have been good.  I never got a real feel, until very late in the story, that Mary Beth was ever "scared."

Between Lindy Lou Who and the dead bodies, the author ties it all up.  These dueling suspense elements allow for plenty of red herrings, but alas, none of it really cooked for me.  The mystery of Lindy Lou's arrival is pretty much telegraphed early on once Mary Beth relays a past trauma to the readers, and the resolution to the three dead bodies?  Thin.  Pretty dang thin.

So where does that leave us?  Well...this was OK.  It was readable.  I found the literary agent angle interesting.  There's a cop working the case that adds some sexual sizzle to the proceedings.  Ultimately it wasn't the worst book I've ever read, and it wasn't best.  Which means while I'm not going to run out and gobble up O'Brien's backlist - if someone were to recommend another of her titles to me?  I'd consider giving it a whirl.

Final Grade = C-

Final Note: O'Brien passed away in 2008.  The Last Cheerleader is loosely connected to at least two other books, Sacred Trust and Final Kill, that feature Abby Nortrup, who has a very minor role in TLC.  Also, from a stylistic standpoint - TLC has no chapters.  None.  Thank goodness the author did include the occasional page break or else I would have gone slightly nutty.

Operation Auction, RT Blogger Frivolity & Romance Addicts Anonymous

The gathering of auction items is well underway for online romance community member, Fatin (Mad4rombks), who tragically lost her husband in a work place shooting.  Operation Auction will take place the last week of March, and you can visit their blog to get a sneak peak at some of the super awesome goodies!  I've also put a button for the auction at the top of my sidebar for impulse clicking.  My head has been turned by a number of offerings, so expect some fast and furious bidding!

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Sadly, I will not be putting an appearance in at RT when it hits L.A. in a couple of weeks.  Between work and family obligations....well, the timing couldn't suck more for me.  But if you're going, be sure to make some time Saturday evening to meet some of the super cool SoCalBloggers!  The SoCalBloggers And Authors Happy Hour will be Saturday, April 9 at 7PM in the Lobby Court Bar (at the conference hotel).

I did something similar at last year's RWA with the Blogger Bar Bash, and it worked out really well.  People were able to drop by, say hello, come and go, in between other party and dinner obligations.  So if you're going to be at RT, be sure to try to stop by, even if only for a few minutes. 

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File this under general silliness, Kristan Higgins has done a book trailer for her latest book, My One And Only, featuring the members of a Romance Addicts Anonymous support group.  No word on what the 12 steps of RAA are, but if reading romance is wrong....I'm not sure I want to be right (and I think Scar would agree with me).

(The sound is kind of wonky, so you might have fiddle with your speaker volume....)

Random Romance Sunday: The Immovable Forehead

The Book: Diary of a Domestic Goddess by Elizabeth Harbison

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Silhouette Special Edition #1727, 2005, Out of Print

Is It In Wendy's TBR?: Nope, I've actually read this one!

The Blurb:

The Goddess Rulebook:

Rule #1: Figure out what you want -- and go after it

Columnist Kit Macy's dream house was almost hers. Then the entire staff of her old-fashioned household magazine was fired by the new, hip, handsome boss. No job meant no mortgage, and no backyard for her four-year-old son. She needed a plan...and decided to reinvent herself.

Rule #2: Change is good

Hotshot editor Cal Panagos intended to revamp the magazine -- from its staff to its stories. But the stubborn single mom's desire to succeed -- and her beautiful eyes -- soon got under his skin, while Kit's ideas breathed life into his publication. Working closely day after day, Cal began to forget the most important rule of all: Never mix business with pleasure....

Any Reviews?:  The Romance Reader (uh, my review) gave it four hearts (equivalent to a B grade):

"Diary Of A Domestic Goddess is a quick, charming read that succeeds thanks to well-drawn, realistic characters and witty dialogue. Frankly, the state of romance would certainly get a shot in the arm if there were more heroines out there like Kit Macy. She’s the woman you see in the grocery store, at PTA meetings, or at your son’s soccer games. She is Every Woman, and because she is, you really want her to have her happily ever after."

RT gave this three stars:

"Elizabeth Harbison's Diary of a Domestic Goddess (3) has an almost chick-lit tone, and it's a hoot at times. Kit's great -- witty and brave -- but Cal's not as well-developed."

 The average rating on GoodReads is 3.6 stars.

Anything Else?:  I stumbled across this old review of mine recently while looking for something else entirely, and this story came rushing back to me.  At the time I read it, I remember really loving it.  It felt fresh and lively, and featured a good strong heroine.  In fact, that's probably why I liked it so much.  Because yes, I do recall the hero is a wee bit underdeveloped, but the sheer awesomeness of the heroine sold me on the story.  I also loved that her ex-husband wasn't eviiiiiiiiil and her precocious young son wasn't cutesy-wootsy nauseatingly sweet. The heroine was very much an Every Woman, and I really dug that about her.

Although, yeah - this cover does creep me out.  I mean, it looks like the female cover model hasn't met a Botox injection that she didn't like......

Anywho....Harbison wrote several books for Harlequin before jumping ship into mainstream women's fiction.  Having moved to hard cover, she's still writing within that genre.

Reminder: TBR Challenge For March

For those of you participating in the 2011 TBR Challenge, a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, March 16. 

This month's theme is New-To-You Author.  This doesn't have to be a debut author - just an author you've never read before.  Remember, the themes are completely and totally optional.  If you don't wanna read a book by a "new-to-you author," you don't have to.  Read something else you've unearthed from the depths of the TBR pile!

It's also not too late to sign-up.  If you are interested in doing so, or just want to learn more about the challenge, please see the information page.

Sad News, Readers Gab, Harlequin Lurve, And General Insanity

I had a scheduled day off yesterday, and was still flying high from my recent bit of good news, when I opened my e-mail to discover that a longtime friend's husband had been shot and killed early Tuesday morning.  Many of you in the online romance community know Fatin, who goes by the "handle" Mad4RomBks online.  We first met 12 years ago, on a Yahoo Group I joined shortly after rediscovering the romance genre.  To this day, we're still active on one group together, the one I call my "Coffee Klatch Ladies."  I spent a good chunk of yesterday crying for Fatin, and just utterly devastated for her and her four daughters.  There is talk of an education fund being set up for the girls, but I have no official details as of yet.  For further updates, the promotional blog that she runs, Novel Thoughts & Book Talk, is probably the best way to go.

ETA: Information about the eduction fund for Fatin's girls can be found here.

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Today is my turn in the rotation over at Access Romance Readers Gab.  Today I'm talking about my annoyance with "dippy made-up words" in paranormal romances.  Go forth!

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I'm also over at Heroes & Heartbreakers today talking about category romance and why I lurve them so.  I know, I know.  But look at it this way.  Instead of beating one dead horse (uh, western romances), I'm such an overachiever I beat two dead horses.  Could this be why I'm Librarian of the Year?  You decide.

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It's been a few days, but I've still got the RWA Librarian Of The Year honor filed under, "OMG, How Frackin' Insane Is This Y'all?!?!?"  Yes, I do a lot of neat things here at The Day Job to help promote the genre, but honestly?  There's a wee lil' part of me that thinks this award should be seen as a small vindication for all of us here in the online romance community.  Frankly, it feels like a Virginia Slims ad.  Even though it might not always seem like it, we have come a long way baby!  Take it from someone who has been kicking around online since 1999 (gah!).

I want to thank everyone for all the nice things they've said to me and about me over the last couple of days.  It's been sheer insanity, and there is no way I can personally thank you all without getting seriously sleep deprived.  But know that I appreciate your well-wishes and I think all of you are the bee's knees.  Now, back to our regularly scheduled, self-deprecating programming.....

Queen Librarian Of The Universe

So I was sitting in my office on Tuesday morning, minding my own business, when the phone rings.  I was expecting a call from My Man, so the fact the call didn't come from "in house" here at The Day Job didn't surprise me all that much.  Turns out it was Dorien Kelly, President of Romance Writers of America calling me.

People, the unthinkable has happened.  RWA has run out of librarians.  It's the only explanation I have for the fact that I am, Lordy it's so inconceiveable really.....

RWA's 2011 Librarian Of The Year.

I know.  Give yourself a minute to process that.

Heaven knows I still am and this is after a couple of shots of whiskey.

For those of you who have "known" me a long time, rest assured this honor won't change me.  When Ms. Kelly gave me the news over the phone the first words out of my mouth were "Shut Up!"  Good news has a tendency to turn me into a 13-year-old girl.  We can only hope my acceptance speech at the Awards Luncheon at RWA this summer in New York City will be half as classy.  Snerk.

I asked Ms. Kelly, but her lips were sealed - so I have no idea who nominated me.  That person has to be an RWA member, but that doesn't exactly narrow down the playing field for me.  It disqualifies about 98% of the bloggers I know, but that leaves a whole host of local chapters I've had contact with over the years, and several individual authors.  So who the heck knows?  If you're reading this, and it was you - know that I'm deeply honored and...well...words fail.  Humbled seems to be the right word.  We'll go with that for now.

Random Romance Sunday: Honey-Gold Eyes And Pouts Of Passion

The Book: Heart's Desire by Vivian Vaughan

The Particulars: Historical romance, Kensington Zebra, 1987, Out of Print, Apparently the first book in a series.

The Blurb: 

HONOR'S QUEST
Holly Campbell got off the stage in Silver Creek with steely determination in her velvet-brown eyes. The telegram had said her father committed suicide in this peaceful town, but she'd never believe that. He'd been murdered and she was here to prove it. She'd do it alone, too--her father's letters had told her whom to trust and it sure wasn't the sheriff. Quintan Jarvis was as crooked as they came, and Holly meant to keep her distance ... despite the way his honey-gold eyes lit up at the sight of her... and the way her traitorous body yearned for the handsome lawman's embrace.

PASSION'S PRICE
Quintan Jarvis didn't know what to make of the beautiful woman who got off the afternoon stage. She looked every inch the lady, but she behaved like a vicious little spitfire. He'd done nothing to earn her rude words and hostile glances, and he wasn't going to stand for much more of this nonsense. He'd enjoy teaching the vixen a lesson about manners ... and men. He'd make that sassy mouth of hers pout with passion, taste the sweetness of her smooth, creamy skin, feel her soft curves press against him, begging for the loving that was her true HEART'S DESIRE

Is It In Wendy's TBR?:  No, but I have to be honest here.  I mean, if I can't be honest on my own blog, what's the point, right?  Ahem.  OK, I'll just come out and say it.  Looking at this cover, reading this back cover blurb, being the old school western junkie that I am?  Yeah, I'd rescue this from a used bookstore if I were to run across it.  I probably wouldn't go out of my way to search out a copy, but if I stumbled across it?  By chance?  Yeah, I'd rescue it.  Sick monkey that I am.

Any Reviews?:  1987, so nada.  Not even on Amazon or GoodReads.  I got nothing people!

Anything Else?:  Looking at this book I find myself mentally running down the Old Skool Romance Check-List in my head.  For starters, let's take the cover:

1). Clinch pose with clothes falling off - check.
2). Couple standing in some mysterious cotton-candy like substance - check.
3).  Deranged wild life on cover either a horse, a bird of prey or both - check.
4).  Mustachioed hero - preferably with Tom Selleck fullness, but Clark Gable will do in a pinch - check.
5).  Cheesy tagline - check. ("She ached for the love of a man she could never trust!")

Now the back cover blurb:

1).  You can never harp on too much about eye color.  Eye color is very important - check.
2).  It's not a historical romance without some sort of family secret plot thread - check.
3).  The heroine's body is always, always "traitorous." - check.
4).  The heroine needs to be described as a "vixen", "sassy," or a "spitfire."  Any variation and use of these words will do - check.
5).  This is very important - the heroine must not trust the hero, and it must be implied on the back cover that she'll fight him every step of the way, all the while her traitorous body is succumbing to his honeyed kisses - check.

I mean honestly - is it any wonder why I'd have to rescue this book if I saw it?  I mean, how am I supposed to resist this much over-the-top 1980s cheesy historical western romance goodness?  I'm a mere mortal.  If you cut me, do I not bleed?

The Month That Was February 2011

Lemon Drop: "It's getting late have you seen my mates; Ma tell me when the boys get here; It's seven o'clock and I want to rock; Want to get a belly full of beer....

My old man's drunker than a barrel full of monkeys; And my old lady she don't care; My sister looks cute in her braces and boots; A handful of grease in her hair......"

Me: Sweetheart, I love Elton John, but I'm not sure this song is...uh...age appropriate.

Lemon Drop:  Geez, Auntie Wendy.  You are so square.  I expected more out of the aunt who talks to me about her erotic romance reading.

Me: Well, tell you what.  Let me talk to you about what books I read last month, and you can think up a song that's more appropriate for an almost-1-year-old to be singing.  Maybe a nice rendition of Mary Had A Little Lamb or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?

Lemon Drop:  Wait a minute, didn't you celebrate your blog's anniversary last month?  I'll think up an appropriate song to sing in honor of the auspicious occasion!

Me:  ::pause:: Um, okay.  Sure.  I didn't mark the occasion here at the Bat Cave, but I have been blogging for 8 years now.  Sure, you think up a song.  In the meantime, I only read six books last month.  I seemed to struggle with my mojo quite a bit, reading in spurts.

Title links will take you to full reviews.

Proud Rancher, Precious Bundle by Donna Alward, Contemporary romance, Harlequin Romance, 2011, Grade = B

• Single hero gets the shock of a lifetime when he discovers his baby niece abandoned on his doorstep.  Desperate beyond measure, he seeks help from the heroine - who is currently house-sitting for his neighbors.  Nice traditional romance that didn't feel "old-fashioned."  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Rancher Hero With Daddy Issues, Divorced Heroine Done Wrong, One Messed-Up Half Sister, Baby Ahoy!

Turn It Up by Vivian Arend, Contemporary erotic romance e-book, Samhain, 2011, Grade = C+

• Heroine with booming biological clock wants a date with a turkey baster when the younger hero proposes marriage.  He's been in love with her forever, and figures now is the time to end her excuses.  Yummy, lickable hero, but I had issues with the heroine.

Land of Dreams by Cheryl St. John, Historical western romance, Harlequin Historical, 1995, Grade = B

• My TBR Challenge read for the month.  Plain Jane spinster heroine takes in mute crippled orphan girl, only to have the child's uncle show-up on her doorstep.  A nice, gentle romance that gave me that warm, cozy feeling that I've come to expect from a Cheryl St. John western.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Retired Army Hero, Plain Jane Spinster Heroine, Hero In Pursuit, Two Orphaned Waifs, Small Town

Society's Most Disreputable Gentleman by Julia Justiss, Regency historical romance, Part of series, Harlequin Historical, 2011, Grade = B-

• Wounded Hero pressed into naval service as common sailor is recouping at country estate thanks to an influential cousin.  Heroine is the host's daughter, and dreams of the day when she can finally escape the country and have her Season in London - where she's sure to be belle of the ball.  A quiet, gentle story with a slower, leisurely pace.  Liked the nice "feel" for the Regency era, and enjoyed the declarations of lurve at the end.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Gentleman Hero With Zero Prospects, Reformed Rake, Debutante Heroine, Smugglers Ahoy!, One Wastrel Little Brother, One Sequel Baitin' Cousin.

His Wife For One Night by Molly O'Keefe, Contemporary romance, Harlequin SuperRomance, 2011, Grade = A

• The read of the month.  After a five-year marriage of convenience, heroine is ready to call it quits, when hero comes home to the family ranch to lick his wounds when a scientific mission in Africa goes wrong.  An emotionally messy and complicated love story, I devoured every single page.  Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Rancher Heroine, Scientist Hero With Mommy and Daddy Issues, Marriage of Convenience, One Sequel-Baitin' Sister, One Sequel-Baitin' Hunky Hunk Neighbor, One Whiskey Bottle Hittin' Daddy.

The Night Season by Chelsea Cain, Suspense, Book four in series, 2011, Grade = B+

• OK, technically a reread.  So sue me.  Portland, Oregon is flooding and it's up to damaged detective Archie Sheridan, and plucky girl reporter, Susan Ward, to track down a serial killer poisoning victims and dumping them in the river.  Wonderful sense of urgency and a suspense thread just wacky enough to keep me eagerly flipping the pages.

Me: OK, Lemon Drop....tickle those ivories! 

Lemon Drop: "I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch; Oh the bitch is back; Stone cold sober as a matter of fact; I can bitch, I can bitch; `Cause I'm better than you; It's the way that I move; The things that I do...."

Me: Oh nice!  The Bitch Is Back indeed!  Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

Lemon Drop: ::sheepish smile::

Me: Your mommy is going to kill me, and we won't even mention your father....

My World Is A Flood

I'm a sucker for damaged characters.  The kind of characters that if they were real people, that existed in real life, you'd wonder how they were managing to still be walking around.  Genre fiction succeeds, for me at any rate, when I'm allowed to crawl around inside the character's head.  Sometimes it's an OK place to be, and sometimes I wonder what my local neighborhood psychoanalyst would say about me - getting sucked into some, if not most, of the suspense novels I seem to enjoy.

The Night Season by Chelsea Cain is the fourth entry in a series that quickly became somewhat of an obsession for me.  I also think, as mesmerizing as her first three books were, that this latest succeeds on a certain level that the previous three did not.  In short?  This baby has crossover appeal stamped all over it.

Serial killer Gretchen Lowell is behind bars, and Detective Archie Sheridan is back to work.  Right now that means dealing with the bodies that are washing up all over Portland, Oregon.  The rains have come, and the Willamette River is rising.  People get stupid around water, so the first three bodies were chalked up to accidental drownings.  It's when a fourth body turns up at a local amusement park (perched on the carousel!) that the medical examiner discovers all four victims have identical puncture wounds.  These people were dead before they hit the water.

Meanwhile, plucky girl reporter Susan Ward has written a story on an old skeleton that turned up along the river.  She thinks it's linked to Vanport, an entire town that was wiped out by a flood in 1948.  Of course uncovering that story is, at the moment, a bit difficult.  Nobody seems all that interested in identifying "Ralph" (as she's taken to calling the remains) when there are four fresh bodies, the rising flood waters, and a psycho going around poisoning people with some mysterious toxin.

One thing I think Cain does exceedingly well with her books is that she's an expert at writing "urgency."  There is nothing more depressing (or more boring), in my opinion, than a slow as mud suspense novel.  Traditional mysteries are one thing - something promising the reader thrills and chills another entirely.  The flood angle to the plot certainly feeds into the urgency of this story, and churns up the pace to feverish in many spots. 

What I especially liked about this story is that Cain seems to be propelling her characters forward.  Writing a series is hard, and where many writers stumble (I think) is that their characters either stagnate, or they morph into pod people because the author gets bored.  Archie is still eff'ed up, but he seems less seriously eff'ed up than he was in the previous books.  He's moving on....slowly.  Susan is still plucky and persistent, but she's having fewer too-stupid-to-live moments as the series progresses (thank you sweet baby Jesus).

I say this could be Cain's Crossover Book because she downshifts to a lower gear this go around.  The first three books got progressively darker, and more graphic, as time marched on.  I have an extremely high tolerance to gory bits in the genre, but even I had to set Evil At Heart down at times and just....walk away for a few minutes.  On a gore level?  Well, there really isn't any in The Night Season.  Oh sure, you have a bad guy.  And oh sure, you have dead bodies.  But there's less blood and guts floating around.  Also, as much as I adore the Gretchen Lowell character, the author has to be careful with her.  You keep trotting a serial killer out over and over again, pretty soon it strains so badly that the reader is screaming, "Oh c'mon now!  Really?!?!" This book is 98% devoid of Gretchen's presence.  In previous books even when she wasn't "on page," her presence was hanging over the story like a black cloud.  Here?  Well, she's just not here.  And you know what?  That's OK.

In some respects I think first time readers can almost start with this book, although that said - they shouldn't expect a lot of nitty-gritty character development.  Hey, it's a series - and Cain's methodology so far seems to be peeling her characters back like layers of an onion.  Newcomers will get a good suspense story here, and they'll find the people interesting - but they also shouldn't expect a dissertation on them.

As for me, while the suspense thread can be construed as a little....well....out there, Cain keeps it lively, interesting, and bizarre enough to keep me flipping the pages.  The first time I read this story I positively tore through it.  The second time I read it I was just as interested, and heck I knew where the story was headed.  I enjoy suspense novels that leave me with that breathless feeling.  An anticipation that starts in the pit of my stomach and slowly works it's way up to my throat as I turn each page.  Cain continues to deliver that feeling for me with each subsequent book in this series.  Now....when's the next one?

Final Grade = B+