Steamy Summer Reading: The Conclusion

Have you been lolling listlessly in your lawn chair, your brain too melted to focus on something as literary as David Mitchell?  Me too.  One of the delights of summer is being baked in the sun (under plenty of sun block, of course) and letting my brain trip off into the steamy world of ripping bodices, resistant hearts, and men in breeches.  Oh, le sigh...

In general, I somewhat hesitatingly admit to being a reader of romances.  But heck--it's summer!  This seems like the best time to give into all my cheesiest reading vices.  Do not fear, gentle readers: I still have standards!  I must therefore take this opportunity to RAVE about the books of Julia Quinn.  Ms. Quinn is a master of my favorite genre, the Regency Romance.  They are always written with a touch of humor, and a touch of class.  Sure, there's plenty of the type of material that causes romance paperbacks across the globe to become wearily creased on certain pages, but it's done well, and isn't...icky.  Some romance novelists make everybody mean to each other or over-the-top in their sultry ways.  (Ahem, did you read this post by Mica?)

Prominent among the works of Ms. Quinn is the series of eight titles featuring the Bridgerton siblings.  Oh, to be so wealthy, so attractive, so intelligent, so attractive, so witty, and, well...so attractive!  They are the cream of the crop of London society, engaging in all of the best soirees and balls the ton has to offer.  Of course, this entitles them to plenty of romance and drama, too.

There are other books beyond the Bridgertons, however.  On my nightstand right now is her latest, Ten Things I Love About You.  (See how tasteful the covers of her books are?  While the cover shot does give a hint of...the girls, at lest there's not some dark and sultry hero-in-the-making trying to manhandle her as well.)

I think one of the reasons I love Ms. Quinn's books so well, is that her characters are flawed, but so obviously in love.  I feel like they're real and these people exist.  (Really, we're meeting for tea later to discuss taboo subjects and twitter coquettishly.)

If you're looking for something racier, may I recommend Stephanie Laurens?  Her writing and plot lines get rather monotonous, but when all you want is some good smut with dashing and dangerous rakes, you can't go wrong with her.  Yes, I also have several copies of her books in my personal library (tucked away in the Pam Cave, behind a cabinet door), and I will confess that they are also well-creased.  I'm sure that's only because they were used copies, right?  Uh...yeah.  If you decide to succumb to her seductive allure, make sure you start with the Cynster Novels.  The first one, Devil's Bride, is particularly lay-my-hand-upon-my-dewey-forehead worthy.  Ms. Laurens likes the racy stuff.  Later in the series, that's really all that's left to enjoy in her writing, as the characters get old.

And I must be getting old, because when I looked at her website, I found the heroes in the trailers for her newest series of books to be rather young and, well...pansy-looking.  I like manly men to star in my trash, but certainly, you can judge for yourself.  Check out Stephanie Laurens' website to see what I mean.  (I'm all about being a Brazen Bride, but please give me a groom who can stand up to it!)

Well, I clearly need to enjoy some cool refreshment and to mop my feverish brow.  Alas!  I may faint dead away if I keep going on this scandalous topic!  So go enjoy some summer trash!  I will be soon.  I guarantee it.

See you at the bookstore.  I'll be the one blushing.

Pamela.

Book Brahmin: Dana Haynes

This interview with Oregon author Dana Haynes comes from Shelf Awareness, which provides "daily enlightenment for the book trade." (And you guys thought I just made up all of these interesting bits I post on Facebook.) I don't know if there's anything that would actually induce me to read thriller/mystery, but he does sound like an interesting fellow. Please enjoy the read!

Book Brahmin: Dana Haynes


Dana Haynes is the author of Crashers.

Mica's Top 5 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Picks

 Looking for a good--nay, great--sci-fi or fantasy novel this summer?  Here are my top 5 favorites!

1. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

A hopeful tale set in a dystopian future United States of walled cities, disease, fires, and madness. Lauren Olamina is an 18-year-old woman with hyperempathy syndrome--if she sees another in pain, she feels their pain as acutely as if it were real. When her relatively safe neighborhood enclave is inevitably destroyed, along with her family and dreams for the future, Lauren grabs a backpack full of supplies and begins a journey north. Along the way, she recruits fellow refugees to her embryonic faith, Earthseed, the prime tenet of which is that "God is change."

  Sequel:  Parable of the Talents.


2.   The Merlin Series by Mary Stewart

Here is the most extended portrait in all literature in this compelling figure of Dark Age myth and history. Merlin, the protector and tutor of Arthur, has usually been portrayed as an old man. But The Crystal Cave begins the trilogy with the story of his perilous childhood as the bastard son of a Welsh king's daughter and the secret discovery of the magic arts that will set him apart from other men.

With the birth of Arthur, Merlin's guardianship began and the ancient legend continues in The Hollow Hills with the dramatic immediacy that is Mary Stewart's special gift.

 Book 1:  The Crystal Cave   Book 2: The Hollow Hills   Book 3: The Last Enchantment.

3. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have isolated his planet of anarchists from the rest of the civilized universe. To do this dangerous task will mean giving up his family and possibly his life. Shevek must make the unprecedented journey to the utopian mother planet, Urras, to challenge the complex structures of life and living, and ignite the fires of change.

4.  The Xenogenesis Trilogy, aka Lilith's Brood, by Octavia Butler

Dawn: After nuclear war destroys the world, Earths survivors are rescued by the miraculously powerful Oankali aliens- who survive by merging genetically with primitive peoples without their permission. Adulthood Rites: Desperate to regain their world, childless humans seek to cleanse the alien taint by kidnapping hybrid children. But the raiders are blind to the truth of Earth's new children. Imago: The futures of both humans and aliens rest in one young being's successful metamorphosis into adulthood.

The trilogy consists of Book One: Dawn  Book 2: Adulthood Rites  Book 3: Imago
and is only available to order as a compilation of all three books: Lilith's Brood


5.  The Hyperion series by Dan Simmons

The Hyperion books are credited with single-handedly reinventing and reinvigorating SF in the 1990s. A broad canvased, hugely imaginative and exciting SF epic, the books draw on the works of Keats and provide a uniquely intelligent and literary approach with cutting edge science, compelling characterization and edge-of-your-seat excitement.

Hyperion is the tale of seven people who make a pilgrimage to a terrifying creature called the Shrike in an attempt to save mankind. Stunningly written and beautifully crafted, Simmons's Hyperion resonates with technical achievement and the excitement and wonder found only in the best SF.

Book 1: Hyperion  Book 2: The Fall of Hyperion  Book 3: Endymion  Book 4: The Rise of Endymion


As always, if an item is not in stock, we are happy to special order for you.  All of these titles are readily available (of course they are, because they are awesome!).

Reviews are all excerpts from goodreads.com.  Follow the title links and scroll down the resulting page to get to a collection of reader reviews and get more insight into the books.

Happy reading!

--Mica

Steamy Side of Summer: Part Two

Today:  two more titles that would make me blush profusely if I saw them in one of our in-store displays! (For the sake of my complexion, you won't find these two titles on our shelves.  However, we are always happy to special order for you!)

I'm a pretty happy-go-lucky person, so when I want something racy I tend towards the light and fluffy side of the spectrum (see my blog post, The Steamy Side of Summer: Part One).  However, that's not for everyone, and I don't want to be exclusionary.  If your interest is piqued by tales of "sensual depravity" (heh, I love that term)--stories that may test your sense of propriety and perhaps even your concept of right and wrong--this is the blog post for you.

My first recommendation is "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" by Patrick Suskind.

 The protagonist--a real anti-hero--has an inhumanly sharp sense of smell and becomes a perfumer, but as he learns the secrets of the trade, his gift drives him to madness as he attempts to recreate the aromas of life--including that of a young virgin. Suskind's book gained quite a bit of popularity, thanks to its sensuality and darkness; it was even turned into a  Hollywood movie a few years ago (a disappointing one, from what I hear, as film is not the best medium for capturing scent). A sensual rather than sexual book, with a few scenes that are exceptions to the rule (including a jaw-dropping crowd scene towards the end of the book.  Yowza!)

If you like a little more boldness (okay, a LOT more boldness), I recommend "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty." 

Behold:

A torrid, violent story of sexual enslavement, starring Sleeping Beauty of the old fairy tales.  Yikes.  I discovered this book on a shelf in my 9th grade English classroom (SO inappropriate...) and promptly "borrowed" it.  Let me tell you, it was all the rage with my friends, many of whom enjoyed this book so much that they read the whole trilogy.  Anne Rice (writing as A.N. Roquelaure, and employing perhaps the most useless pseudonym ever; see the cover above) is incredibly dark and incredibly graphic--and her readers love her for it.  She followed up this classic with two more titles, "Beauty's Punishment" and "Beauty's Release," so if you like the first in the series, never fear, there's more where that came from.

Stay tuned--next week, Pamela will share her recommendations for hot summer reads.  Oh my!

--Mica

The Nails by W. S. Merwin

W.S. Merwin was announced as the newest Poet Laureate for the United States. Take the time to discover his poetry on the Poetry Foundation website:

The Nails by W. S. Merwin : The Poetry Foundation [poem] : Find Poems and Poets. Discover Poetry.