Newsflash- Stephanie Plum movie due out in July

One For the Money, the first book in the Stephanie Plum series, will be released as a movie on July 8,2011. Katherine Heigle will be Stephanie, Jason O'Mara will be Morelli, and Daniel Sunjata will be Ranger. Interesting casting.....

Lula will be played by Sherri Shepard from the View.  Debbie Reynolds will be Grandma Mazur.

I'm torn because I love this series and I'm worried the movie will not live up to the book.  Here's a link to the cast list and other information about the movie.  We shall see!!!!

Library note:RPL has the entire Stephanie Plum series in the adult mystery section. A majority of the series is also available on audiobook at the library. There are 16 books in the series with number 17 due out in June.

The Orchid Affair- Pink Carnation Series # 8 (Audiobook)

Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte’s minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura’s mission is to report any suspicious findings. At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen—secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought. ( Synopsis from Lauren Willig's website)

Audiobook- Unabridged on 13 discs- Read by Kate Reading-15 hours 38 mins-Penguin Audio

Loved, loved ,loved this book! The Pink Carnation series is one of my favorites- I personally own all of the books in hardcover and in audiobook form. Kate Reading has narrated all of the books in the series and does a fantastic job. Her ability to do accents is amazing and she really makes the story come alive. That said, you don't need to listen to the book to enjoy it. It is a wonderful read as well.

Laura Grey, aka Laura Griscogne,aka the Silver Orchid, is a recently recruited spy in the Pink Carnation network. Since her parents death when she was 16, she has worked as a governess. Laura wants a different life and sees this as her opportunity to make that happen. She becomes the governess for Andre Jaouen's two children-the sulky Gabrielle and the younger child Pierre-Andre.  Jaouen is a widower and his wife was a well known artist. Laura is no stranger to that world, as her parents were famous as a sculptor and poetess. During the course of the book, Laura discovers all is not what it seems in Jaouen's world. She meets up with friends from her past, makes an enemy of Jaouen's rival, the obnoxious Gaston Delaroche, and ends up playing happy families with Jaouen and his children while in a traveling theatre group. There is a very satisfactory ending for all concerned.

As in her earlier books, the historical story is interwoven with a modern day one featuring Eloise, an American doing her dissertation on proving the identity of the Pink Carnation. She is in the beginning of a serious relationship with Colin, whose family owns the house and papers Eloise needs to back up her theory. While the historical story seem to be mostly complete in each book, we only get a little glimpse of Eloise and Colin that leaves me wanting more...ah well, there is always the next book.

Like my favorite author, Georgette Heyer, Ms. Willig is a stickler for detail and historical accuracy. When she writes about a condemned man waiting for La Guillotine, you can almost feel your own panic rising. According to her website, Pink Carnation 9 is already in the works- see if you can guess who the main characters will be when you read The Orchid Affair!

Library note: The Orchid Affair is available in Hardcover at RPL in the adult new books section. The first book in the series, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation,  will be the book discussed in the June Book Discussion. RPL has both the Hardcover and audio version

Once in a Lifetime by Cathy Kelly

Kenny′s Department Store, with its handsome Edwardian façade, is the jewel in Ardagh town′s crown.
TV presenter Ingrid Fitzgerald has watched her husband David, Kenny′s charismatic owner, pour his heart and soul into the family store, making it the epitome of boutique chic. She′s juggled family life and her glittering career admirably. Now, as their children fly the nest, Ingrid discovers a secret that will shake her world to its very foundations.
Natalie Flynn shares a flat with Ingrid′s daughter, Molly. As love blossoms in her life, motherless Natalie starts to ask questions she has never dared to before. But will they help her make sense of her life and who she really is?
Charlie Fallon is a passionate and motivated Kenny′s employee who adores her husband and son, but her eccentric mother seems bent on wrecking her life. Now it′s time to fight for her own happiness.
Free spirit, Star Bluestone, who handcrafts fabulous tapestries for Kenny′s, is the woman with the knowledge to help them all. Star knows from experience that the important things in life must be nurtured and treasured. She harbours many secrets and understands that the chance for real joy comes only once in a lifetime...
Warm, captivating storytelling from the heart - treat yourself to some Cathy Kelly time.
(Synopsis from HarperCollins.com)

I enjoyed reading this book-it was a slice of life in the Irish village of Ardagh. The stories of several women were woven together in a very satisfying book. Ingrid is a woman who seems to have it all, only to see her life unravel in front of her.  She has to take difficult steps to get back some semblance of normal in her life. Star is a woman who has lived life as a free spirit but paid the price in isolation, scorn, and loss due to that very lifestyle. She has worked long and hard to have balance in her life. Charlie is the daughter of a semi-famous woman's rights activist. Her mother sees no value in Charlie- only in Charlie's older sister. Charlie has a loving and supportive husband but is that really enough?

Like many works by Irish fiction writers, this book has so many aspects it is hard to keep up sometimes. The anchor is Kenny's Department store and to some  extent the owner, David. 
His interaction with many of the women in  the book drives the plot along for most of the book.
The interactions of the women with each other,known or unknown, adds to the enjoyment. All of the characters were realistic and easy to identify with on some level.  I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Library note:  RPL owns this book. It is shelved in  Adult Fiction under KEL. We have one other book by this author and several others are available for request in the Bibliomation system.

Treachery in Death-In Death# 40

In the latest from the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, Eve Dallas tracks down those who break the law-including the ones sworn to uphold it.
Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master.
But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret.  (Synopsis from Barnes & Noble.com)

Publication date: February 22, 2011- available at  RPL in Hardcover and Audio

I could not wait to get this book home and start reading it!  The book begins with a trio of stoners robbing a small store and killing the owner. As the investigation starts, Lt. Eve Dallas throws the reins to Det. Peabody and Peabody gets her first case as primary. One of the best part of this series is how the history of the characters plays throughout the books. Seeing Peabody step up to the plate almost makes you feel proud because we have seen her grow through the previous books. When she finds herself in a deadly situation after going to and old police gym to workout, we are holding our breath along with her. She overhears a conversation that implicates two cops in a murder and corruption scheme and is lucky to escape undetected.

Peabody goes to Eve and tells her what she heard and the investigation begins.  Eve is a cop to the bone and takes this situation as a betrayal of all she stands for. The fact that one of the cops involved is also a female lieutenant, whose father was a revered Commander in the department, makes it all the worse. Eve draws her troops around her and goes to work making her case. All of the characters we have come to know- Commander Whitney, profiler Mira, Eve's husband Roarke, McNab, Truehart, Baxter, Mavis, and even IAB Det. Webster have a part in the operation. There is plenty of action as well as a strenghthening of some of the core relationships that have been in place since the first book.  

As always, when I got to the end of the book, I was antsy for the next one. This is a great series and if you haven't read it you need to start at the beginning and work your way through. The series takes place about 30 years in the future but has very little of a scence fiction feel to it. It is primarily a police procedural mystery and is very popular among library readers.  The audio version is excellent with the same reader for all of the books.

Driftwood Cottage by Sherryl Woods-Chesapeake Shores # 5

Single mom Heather Donovan’s dreams of home and family are tantalizingly within reach when she settles in Chesapeake Shores. The welcoming arms of the boisterous, loving O’Brien clan embrace her and her son. But accepting their support seems to further alienate her son’s father, Connor O’Brien. His parents’ divorce and his career as a high-powered divorce attorney have left him jaded about marriage.
Then everything changes. Will the possibility of a future without Heather make Connor look at love and his career differently? Heather’s just about given up on her old dreams — of love, of family and especially of Driftwood Cottage, the home she secretly wishes were hers. It’s going to take a lot of persuasion — and some help from the O’Brien family — to make Heather believe that some dreams are worth fighting for. ( Synopsis from Barnes & Noble.com)


Publication date: March 29, 2011- Paperback

This is the 5th book in Sherryl Woods' Chesapeake Shores Series revolving around the O'Brien family. Mick & Megan O'Brien have remarried after being divorced for many years. Their son Connor still has a lot of animosity towards his mother due to her leaving the family when the children were young. He has grown up to have a bitter outlook about marriage which works well for his career as a sharky divorce attorney. Heather and Connor have lived together since college and now have a young son. Connor has made it clear he is not the marrying type and Heather was fine with that until recently. She has moved out of Connor's home and moved to the Shores where his family lives. Heather was a teacher but now has her own quilt shop with an apartment overhead. She has been estranged from her parents since her unwed pregnancy which makes her connection to the O'Brien family all the more comforting.

I enjoyed seeing Connor and Heather return from the previous book in the series- "A Chesapeake Shores Christmas". Heather and her son were a big surprise to the family and they have embraced her with open arms. This book is realistic in the portrayal of Connor in that he doesn't just suddenly become pro-marriage and everything is just perfect. It takes a lot of soul searching, long conversations with Heather and his family, and an accident to make him see what he really wants in life. It was nice to see the characters from earlier books in this book and to see where some of them may be headed in the future.  Sherryl Woods is excellent at weaving many facets of the story together and she keeps her characters consistent. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series! I was lucky to be able to read this in advance through Netgalley.com as a ebook-it's a great site.

2011 Whisper Stories in My Ear Audiobook Challenge

Joining the 2011 Whisper Stories in My Ear Audiobook Challenge. I always have an audiobook going in my car so this challenge has my name all over it. I am attempting the Shouting from the Mountaintop Level which  is 300 hours. I'm pretty sure that is in the realm of possibility. Click here for more information.

Joined the 2011 E Book Challenge

Joined the E book challenge on The Lady Bug Reads Blog- I'm shooting for the fanatical level which would be 75 Ebooks by December 31. To join go to http://theladybugreads.blogspot.com/2010/12/2011-e-book-reading-challenge.html  Happy E Reading!