Crossing my fingers for some warm feelings towards Peeta (sorry Gale!), more survival games and less politics.

Make sure to join the Peeta-Palooza for a chance to win all three books – in hardcover!

While I haven’t wanted to review each of the books individually, there are a couple of things to chat about since I’ve finished that last few. During the 2nd-5th books, I was a little bugged by the mundane constant retelling of details from the previous books. I think that in each of these novels, a fourth of the story was retelling. Ugh. Who would jump into the series midway? Why retell? If you did pick up book in a series and felt lost…wouldn’t you realize that there were previous books and seek those out? But, the good news with the Stackhouse books is that at least with the 7th-10th books, the retelling is kept to a minimum and it is assumed the author has been along for the ride the whole time. Whew.

This point ties in with another thing – why don’t publishers let you know in some big and bold way which book is which in the series? Why not have a number somewhere on the cover – even the back – to let readers know what order to read the series? There are a few series out there that use clever titles to gently nudge us along: James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club Series uses the number in HUGE letters as part of the title, Sue Grafton’s books follow a letter of the alphabet and Janet Evanovich is up to a Sizzling Sixteen in her Stephanie Plum books. Thank you for these not so gentle ques on which books to read!

My last comment on the Stackhouse books, before I jump into some other exciting books (more Patterson and of course Mockingjay!) is that the most recent book in Harris’ vampire books is a dud. I was so excited to get to book 10 and am now left with a weird feeling (a book hangover) of ‘why did I do that’? What a poor way for me to exit a series – I was on such a high with the previous 9 books, but am now left with the impression of reading something of poor quality. Dead in the Family is boring, with the most mundane details drawn out to a painful extreme. Sookie turns downright nasty – an irritating character I wouldn’t walk across the room to meet. She is so mean to her cousin Claude – to the point it makes no sense and is embarrassing to the reader. Her frugality is also embarrassing – why does Harris have to mention being paid back for every tiny thing? Again, ugh. Charlaine, please tell us you have something better planned for book 11 (I will read it – even with my disappointment in 10). Bring cute Sookie back!

As with Bel Canto, Ann’s newest novel, out next June, also takes place in South America. But, from her description, that is the end of similarities to Bel Canto. It involves a woman scientist who treks through the Amazon searching for compounds for a pharmaceutical company. Ann seemed very excited about the novel – she had even traveled to the Amazon for research.

Ann has written 2 works of nonfiction (out of nine published works). She spent quite a bit of time discussing one of these: Truth and Beauty. This memoir concerns her friendship with Lucy Grealy, a poet and author, whom Ann meant in college and remained friends with throughout their lives. When Lucy was nine, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her jaw. Subsequently, her jaw bone was removed and she endured countless reconstructive surgeries throughout her life to replace radiation damaged areas of her face. This event shaped her entire life. She is perhaps most famous for her novel, Autobiography of a Face, describing her childhood spent with a disfigurement. Lucy’s life came to a tragic end when she overdosed on heroin. A progression from pain medication to heroin was a result of a life of operations and pain. She was 39. Ann ended her discussion with a great direction on creating life-long readers. She pointed out that her parents never read to her, but that she was told countless times to go outside and play because they were reading. Her sharp wit helped drive home the point that in order for kids to make books important parts of their lives, they need to see adults doing the same. Thanks Ann, for a wonderful day! We here in Utah are blessed to have such a wonderful resource as the Sundance Resort. While author events are a small part of the activities at the resort (these include skiing, hiking, concerts, plays, fine dining, etc.), they are definitely my favorite. How lucky to have such a place to meet beloved authors, other bibliophiles and hear some amazing discussions. I will make everyone in the book world jealous by mentioned that Kathryn Stockett is the author for December. A day without kids, a scrumptious brunch AND time with the author of Help? Merry Christmas to me! BUT, I didn’t forget about all my bibliophile friends out there – and have a special signed copy of Run to giveaway within the next few months. Have you read any of Ann Patchett’s novels? What did you think?

Stephen and I parted ways a few years later over The Talisman and Tommyknockers. His writing took a different turn, one that seemed more science fiction than horror. But, a love of books, reading and the joy of exciting escapes was embedded in me – something I have retained to this day. I have returned to King a few times over the years and will be forever grateful to him and my mom for culturing my love of reading – even if it was with *blush* horror.

When Under the Dome was released last year, I anxiously waited for reviews. I saw several good ones from known publications, but the best came from a trusted reading friend on Goodreads. I have been keeping my eye out for a paperback copy ever since and was excited to find a huge, whopping version at Costco a few weeks ago. In this summer of fun, light reads, I put Sookie down for a while and picked up my old friend for a fun reunion and trip down writing’s memory lane.

While Under the Dome does have a slight twinge of science fiction, it was more classic King than I have read in a long time. The familiar expanse of amazingly developed characters and setting (Maine, of course) was like slipping into an old pair of tennies. The story was a social scientist’s dream – Lord of the Flies meets Armageddon. It was an interesting study on what stress, power and loss can do to an isolated community – with a smattering of the supernatural thrown in.

I enjoyed reading Under the Dome and completed the 1,100 page tome in just a few days, but I discovered something about my now much older reading self; I’ve become a bit of boob when it comes to horror. What enthralled me and kept me glued to every page as a teenager stressed me out as an adult with a family, pets and a house. I had a hard time falling asleep after reading this and found myself recalling some of the more horrific scenes during the day. I would recommend this to anyone who loves good old classic King novels and am glad I read it, but I think I will return to Sookie for a while.

Remember, Recommend: I picked this up on a whim at Costco a few weeks ago because it looked vaguely familiar. I read so many reviews online and in magazines that they get a little jumbled, but I had seen some praise for this debut novel a few times. As with most books I journal about here, I wasn’t disappointed.

Looking back, I can’t believe this is the first novel by Tinti. It was an amazing debut – and one we will be hearing more about as awards are announced. The story of an orphaned boy with only one hand, The Good Thief has been compared to both Oliver Twist and Harry Potter – with good reason. While there are moments of sadness, there is also a bit of magic threaded throughout the story. And the characters are a diverse mix of good and bad – a giant hitman, con-artists, a dwarf, a colorfully dressed villain and a hard-of-hearing heroine make this story truly memorable. Set in the industrial revolution of New England, hardships abound and the simple acts of finding food, clothing and shelter are at times overwhelming. There are times for growing up, learning about love, family and friendship – even when those family and friends aren’t ideal. This would make a poignant movie for adults and teens alike.

Accolades for The Good Thief:
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
Winner of the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize
American Library Association’s Alex Award. Have you read The Good Thief? What did you think?

I have found that during stressful times in my life, I revert to easier reading; deeper, more intricate stories become too much for my anxiety filled mind and I can’t cope! During both of my pregnancies I couldn’t read anything with any real meaning whatsoever – only light happy novels until my boys were born – then both times I was off with Tolstoy the minute we got home from the hospital; Anna Karenina with my first and War and Peace with my second. How crazy is that?

So, with my busy, stressful life (just stress, no little peanut on board), Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels have been just what the doctor ordered. These novels are a dang hoot (Sookie style). They are fun, adult, and have some of the hunkiest characters since Stephanie Meyers teased us with Jacob and Edward. But, since Sookie is an adult, things move along a little faster.

I have to admit that series novels have not been my thing in the past. Of course I read the Twilight saga (who hasn’t?) and I tore through Stieg Larrson’s Millennium trilogy – oh, and I am eagerly awaiting the final book in the Hunger Games story, but as far as detective series novels, I haven’t been interested – till recently.

Now I understand the draw with the thriller/mystery series books. So many times after finishing a beloved book, I have pondered over favorite characters for days – missing them and their goings-on. With series books, you get to keep up with loved characters and their fun, crazy lives. Picking up one of the Sookie books is like going home to comfort – the characters are all as familiar as family, whose stories I know in detail. I now look forward to her funny ways, her cute ponytail and all the gorgeous vampires who are so interested in her and her blood.

I have finished the first four novels in the Sookie story and am eagerly awaiting #5 from Paperbackswap. Till then I have found another new series escape – the girls of the Woman’s Murder Club. I just started 1st to Die by James Patterson last night and can see that these girls are going to be fast friends. Thanks James! (Although, what’s up with the mini chapters?).

I know when the Fall hits (always early in Salt Lake), I will revert back to my old ways and dive in to more meaningful stuff, but what a fun Summer this has been! Do you like series books? Leave a comment with their titles!

When the emigrants met up with John D. Lee in the southern portion of Utah territory, he offered to let them rest themselves and their cattle in a beautiful meadow on his land before crossing the feared desert area between Utah and California. They were relieved.

What they didn’t know was that this meadow would be the end of their journey. What ensues is a jaw-dropping story of a mass murder – thought throughout history to be a massacre in the name of religious retaliation and one that will forever be steeped in secrecy, denial and mystery. Reading Map Map – This is the route taken by the Fancher Train from Arkansas to Utah. Rock Carin – This is the site of the mass burial for the members of the Fancher Train. In Memoriam – This is one of two monuments dedicated to the memory of the Fancher Train. This one contains a complete list of all members and is on a small hill overlooking the Mountain Meadow. Second Memorial – This is a memorial marker on the site of the burial – which is owned by the Mormon Church. Almost no information about the reason for the site is given – only a history of previous markers is mentioned. Meadow (bottom right) – This is a picture of the Mountain Meadow as it is today. Very little has changed – and after reading The Fancher Train, it was a haunting experience for me to visit the site – the siege could be imagined like it happened yesterday. September Dawn Movie Poster – In 2006 a movie was released depicting the events leading up to the massacre and the murders themselves. Books – What would a reading map be without a path for more reading? Both books mentioned here are nonfiction accounts of the massacre: The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Juanita Brooks and Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows, by Will Bagley. John Doyle Lee – John D. Lee, a prominent Mormon member, was the only person every punished for the Mountain Meadow massacre. Giveaway I am giving away an original copy of The Fancher Train by Amelia Bean. Since the title has been out of print for quite a while, this giveaway is for a used copy (1958). Simply leave your name and email in a comment to this post to enter. I will choose a winner on July 16th. Good luck!