Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum, bail-bond enforcer, stumbles her way from one disaster to another, destroys another of Ranger's car, in the seventeenth entry in Evanovich's series.  She still can't decide between Ranger and Morretti, and her mother is fixing her up with a returned home town boy, who had become a mortgage banker, and is back after serving his jail term in Georgia.

Not a lot different, but lots of fun and a quick read!

Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

"A Walt Longmire Mystery"

As much as I admire Walt and Bear and Viv, there hasn't been much variation in the plot sequence of these books.  In Kindness Goes Unpunished, Walt and Bear drive to Philadelphia to visit Cady (Walt's sister) and to deliver Bear's collection of old photos to a museum.  Naturally, as soon as they arrive, all hell breaks loose - Cady is injured in a fall and is comatose in the hospital.  The criminal conspiracy goes deep within the DA's office, with ADAs and crack dealers working together.  Walt, with the help of the Philadelphia police and Vic's entire family, unravels the case just as Cady comes out of her coma.

I like the plot - the criminals are original, but it's the same thing with Walt & Bear . . . Walt gets involved with a person who is endangered, must catch the criminal, who tries to & almost does kill him.  Then Bear comes in to assist, Walt sees the ghost indians, and they finally catch the bad guys.  The only real difference here is that they meet Vic's family, and Cady will be returning to Wyoming with Walt.

Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff

I heard Stacy Schiff speak here last night.  She is a dynamic speaker - full of energy and intelligence.  She mostly talked about the process of writing a biography - selecting a subject - research - writing.  Here are a few tips:

• Interview oldest living people first
• Don't forget background research - for Cleopatra, she had to do background on the Roman writers who were her sources, also on typical court life & attire of the day.
• Use the phone book - call experts to explain background detail.

She gave us a few biographies that she likes:  John Adams by McCullough, Alexander Hamilton by Chernow, several by Nancy Mitford - Sun King, Madame de Pompadour.  Charmed Circle by Mellow about Gertrude Stein & company in Paris.  And many more.

Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond

This is Ree Drummond's delightful story of meeting her husband, their whirlwind courtship, and the first year of marriage.  Not saccharine, but honest and open.  They share a deep love, willing to give up any future plans to be with each other.  It made me happy just reading it.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Giffin is a popular author of women's fiction.  In Heart of the Matter, the lives of a plastic surgeon, Nick, his wife, Tessa, and the mother of an injured child, Valerie.  When Valerie's son is burned at a bonfire, he become's Nick's patient.  Nick and Valerie become very close as the son's treatment progresses.  Meanwhile, Tessa is trying to fit in with the country club set in their tony subdivision, alienating Nick.  The story is told alternately from Tessa's and Valerie's viewpoints, allowing the reader access to their innermost thoughts. 

Fast paced and well-written, Giffin keeps us in suspense until the very end.

Death without Company by Craig Johnson

"A life without friends means death without company."  Basque proverb.

I'm writing this blog because I want to keep track of the books I'm reading, and to (hopefully) improve my writing skills.

Earlier, I wrote about Johnson's first Sheriff Longmire book, Cold Dish.  Death without Company begins only a month after Cold Dish ends.  The holidays are approaching, and Sheriff Longmire is awaiting the arrival of his daughter, Cady.  Naturally, there is a wicked blizzard keeping her stuck in Denver.  Longmire's friend, the former Sheriff, Lucian Connally, calls him to the assisted living home to investigate the death of an elderly woman, whom Lucian believes has been murdered, saying that she was his wife long ago.

Similar to Cold Dish, the current murders in Death without Company, are based in the past, when the woman's Basque brothers prevented her from marrying Lucian. The Sheriff adds to his cast of characters by hiring a new deputy of Basque heritage, who turns out to be very helpful in this investigation.

Well worth reading.  Gritty, with memorable characters.  The plot seems a little formulaic, but we'll see how the next book is.

Outrage by Robert K. Tanenbaum (2011)

Read this in about one & a half days.  The latest in Tanenbaum's Butch Karp/Marlene Chiampi series.  Karp is on the trail of corrupt cops who have the wrong person charged for a horrific double murder.  Chiampi & her LARGE Mastiff come in toward the end to protect the innocent.  If you like Law & Order, you'll like this series.  It's a bit more Order & Law, but still very exciting.  The first book is No Lesser Plea (1987)

Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff

Went to Virginia to visit my sister.  I took my personal copy of Cleopatra so that I would have to read it.  I had started it because Stacy Schiff is coming to speak here.  I felt it was not as an interesting narrative history as some others I have read (Warmth of Other Suns, Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks).  This might have been because of the lack of historical facts about Cleopatra.  On my way to Virginia, I left the book in a restroom at Detroit airport, and did not have enough time to go back because I needed to catch my next plane. I thought - now I don't have to read it.  However, I think anyone interested in the real Cleopatra should read it.  Schiff uses the historical record to describe what Cleopatra's life must have been like in the absence of historical record.