BW41: Sunday's Book Babble - Rediscovering Linda Howard

 
It's week 41 in our 52 Books Quest and our Fictional Librarian on the month is Hanna Casey.

Dipping back into a favorite romantic suspense author I haven't read in a long time, Linda Howard, and finished Troublemaker:

"For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.

The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.

The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he’s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she’s willing to give. And when Morgan’s cover is blown, it might just cost her life."

And now reading second book kind of set in the same world with The Woman Left Behind.

"Jina Modell works in Communications for a paramilitary organization, and she really likes it. She likes the money, she likes the coolness factor—and it is very cool, even for Washington, D.C. She likes being able to kick terrorist butts without ever leaving the climate-controlled comfort of the control room...

But when Jina displays a really high aptitude for spatial awareness and action, she’s reassigned to work as an on-site drone operator in the field with one of the GO-Teams, an elite paramilitary unit. The only problem is that she isn’t particularly athletic, to put it mildly, and in order to be fit for the field, she has to learn how to run and swim for miles, jump out of a plane, shoot a gun . . . or else she’ll be out of a job...."


Library at the Edge of the World is waiting in the wings along with Dean Koontz Devoted for October spooktacular.

BW31: Sunday's Book Babble - Fictional Librarian of the Month

 It's book week 31 in our 52 Books quest and this month's fictional librarian is Lindsay Norris in Jenn McKinlay's Library Lovers mystery series. 

Currently reading J.R. Ward’s Claimed, the first book in the Lair of the Wolven, set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. 

“Lydia Susi is passionate about protecting wolves in their natural habitat. When a hotel chain develops a tract of land next to the preserve, Lydia is one of the most vocal opponents of the project—and becomes a target.

One night, a shadowy figure threatens Lydia’s life in the forest, and a new hire at the Wolf Study Project comes from out of nowhere to save her. Daniel Joseph is both mysterious, and someone she intrinsically wants to trust. But is he hiding something?

As the stakes get higher, and one of Lydia’s colleagues is murdered, she must decide how far she will go to protect the wolves. Then a shocking revelation about Daniel challenges Lydia’s reality in ways she could never have predicted. Some fates demand courage, others require even more, with no guarantees. Is she destined to have true love... or will a soul-shattering loss ruin her forever?”

Haven’t made much progress in the 14th and last book in the Wheel of Time series, A Memory of Light which will probably take me a while since it’s a chunky book.   

Bookish Notes: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

 

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris is the first book in the 10 books series - Aurora Teagarden mysteries. Once upon a time I wouldn't have noticed the writing style or the voice of the character and would have just enjoyed the cozy mystery, thinking the character was slightly weird or missing a few brain cells or just young for her age. I couldn't make up my mind whether I disliked Aurora or the writing which drove me crazy with all the telling vs showing.  There were several times I almost quit reading because Aurora annoyed me, but liked the premise and didn't have a clue who committed the murder, so was pleasantly surprised.  Written mostly in passive voice with many begin's, began's, was's, and seemed, which had me rewriting the sentences in my head and throwing me out of the story.   

Realize I have to cut Charlaine some slack since Real Murders is her debut novel written back in 1990 and she's since grown in style and substance.  I read the Sookie Stackhouse series a few years ago, plus Midnight Crossroads more recently which were both excellent.  

The funniest exchange which had me giggling. 

“If you want him to notice you as a woman, just lust after him.”

 “Huh?” 

“I don’t mean lick your lips or pant. Keep conversation normal. Don’t do anything obvious. You have to keep it so you don’t lose anything if he decides he’s not interested.” Amina was interested in saving face.

 “So what do I do? 

“Just lust. Keep everything going like normal, but sort of concentrate on the area below your waist and above your knees, right? And send out waves. You can do it. It’s like the Kegel exercise. You can’t show anyone how to do it, but if you describe it to a woman, she can pick it up.”

And this was just out kinda out there. Chicken Pox?

"It was such a nice little morning I decided to go to church. I often did. I sometimes enjoyed it and felt better for going, but I felt no spiritual compulsion. I went because I hoped I’d “catch it,” like deliberately exposing myself to the chicken pox. Sometimes I even wore a hat and gloves, though that was bordering on parody and gloves were not so easy to find anymore. It wasn’t a hat-and-gloves day, today, too dark and rainy, and I wasn’t in a role-playing mood, anyway."

Loved the premise and the ending so worth the read.  It may behoove Harris to give the series an editing upgrade at some point to freshen up the story for new readers as some authors have done with their backlists 

(Fictional Librarians, Fines and Misdemeanors)