Joy read: BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer
Mesmerizing, and very suspenseful. I don't want to talk about the plot, because almost anything would be a spoiler. I took BREAKING DAWN out with me yesterday morning for errands. I had barely started it then, but by the time I got home at the end of the day I was halfway through it (700+ pages). It was the reason I didn't sign onto the computer for the rest of the day, and again I didn't sleep until I finished it.
   Potential readers should bear in mind that the four books are one complete novel. I did find it possible to postpone reading the next book until it was going to be convenient to spend much of a day on it.
   I read the first chapter of MIDNIGHT SUN, up on Meyer's website. It is well polished and powerful. I am not going to read the pirated partial early draft of the book. I will buy the book and read it when the author considers it ready.

Joy read: ECLIPSE by Stephenie Meyer
Victoria's deadly hunt for Bella comes to a climax, forcing Bella, Edward, and Jacob to find a way to reconcile their love triangle. It is truly war now, no matter what alliances are formed.
   I had to wait until vacation to read the rest of the series, because I read so late into the night with the first two.

Joy read: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling
After so many rereads, this is still sheer brilliant escapism.

Joy read: CARNAL INNOCENCE by Nora Roberts
Mississippi plantation: three heirs with nothing to do but laze around and let their money take care of them. Their small town is plagued by a serial slasher killing the daughters of the local families. A famous piano prodigy escaping her hectic life of performance tours moves into her grandmother's old house, just in time to find the third body. As of 1991 Roberts was developing a skill for character development.

Joy read: BRAZEN VIRTUE by Nora Roberts
This sequel to SACRED SINS shows how much Roberts learned between the two books about engaging the reader. Bestselling mystery author Grace McCabe loses her sister Kathy to a murderer. Kathy was supplementing her income by offering phone sex via Fantasy, Inc, and that is how her killer found her ... followed by other victims. The same team who solved SACRED SINS works this case, with Grace adding her inimitable style.
   Grace is the main POV character, an engaging and dedicated woman who has some characteristics Nora Roberts must have. The prolific-with-a-capital-p Roberts doesn't write about authors with writer's block. Her authors sit down and churn out a novel during snatched periods of time in the middle of the action, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Joy read: MISTRESS by Amanda Quick
Iphiginia Bright thinks the best way to track down a society blackmailer is to trick her way into society. The Earl of Masters, now out of the picture, is a likely sponsor. Viola... Mrs. Bright, former mistress of Marcus Cloud, Earl of Masters. Come to find out he isn't dead after all, so now Iphiginia has to work things out with him. While, of course, finding the blackmailer.
   I was attracted by the plot as described above, but unfortunately the romantic conflict for MISTRESS is based on both the main characters being stubbornly wrongheaded. You'd think the author was an ordinary romance writer. There's so much unused scope for character development between these intellectuals who refuse to accept Society's rules.

Carla read: THE BRENDAN VOYAGE by Tim Severin
Could the sixth-century Irish saint Brendan the Navigator really have sailed from Ireland to North America in a leather boat? In this enthralling book, Tim Severin tells the gripping story of his attempt to recreate the (legendary?) voyage. Review.

Carla read: THE KINGMAKING by Helen Hollick
The first of a trilogy telling the King Arthur story. The Kingmaking is set in 450-457 AD, as Arthur grows from an adolescent to a young man. When Uthr Pendragon is defeated in his attempt to claim the throne of Britain, his old friend and ally Cunedda of Gwynedd reveals young Arthur as his heir. The feisty Gwenhwyfar, daughter of Cunedda, pledges herself to Arthur and it seems their fates will be entwined. But the usurper king Vortigern and his spiteful daughter Winifred have other ideas, and Arthur and Gwenhwyfar find themselves embroiled in a tangled web of politics, war and murder. Review.

Joy read: SACRED SINS by Nora Roberts
Dr Tess Court, psychiatrist, is roped into consulting as a profiler in a series of killings that suggest religious mania. Detective Ben Paris doesn't want Tess involved, hates psychiatrists in general, and their mutual attraction leads them in directions neither of them would have chosen.
   One of Roberts' earlier works -- the difference is obvious. I can say that, while nowhere near as rich as her later romantic suspense, psychological authenticity makes SACRED SINS at least the equal of the standard for this genre. The events in the life of her teenaged patient are predictable, but that's because the combination of circumstances make those events inevitable. I don't think Roberts would have been so protective of Tess if she had written Joey's story later in her career. For me that's actually a plus. I like my heroes to be above suspicion.

Joy read: TRIBUTE by Nora Roberts
Cilla hated performing, but the women of her family started acting early, so she is a washed up ex-star by age 17. The real star of their family was her grandmother Janet Hardy, dead at 39 after a brilliant career. Cilla loves reviving old homes, and her grandmother's old farm is a perfect candidate. A tribute to the woman she sees in her dreams.
   It seems someone in their small town is holding Janet's sins against Cilla. If it wasn't for her handsome artist-writer neighbor, she could have been murdered. Another rich romantic suspense, especially enjoyable for Cilla's growth of character.

Joy read: CAROLINA MOON by Nora Roberts
Thoroughly involving life of Tory, a woman with an unwanted psychic awareness. It lead to beatings from her father and a smearing in the press from her fiance, but also at last to the killer of her childhood friend. Hope, Tory's 8 year old friend, clung to Tory in spite of the disapproval of Hope's rich mother; the one time Tory couldn't get to their illicit nighttime meeting place, she was forced instead to sense Hope's horrifying murder. Now Tory is back in town, setting up a classy houseware shop and determined to resolve her past. Hope's brother and sister are as much in need of resolution as she is.
   The sense of group camaraderie grows gradually, believably, and very warmly. I also loved Wade, the town vet. Yet another un-put-downable book.

Joy read: MURDER ON THE IDITAROD TRAIL by Sue Henry
Fully deserved the Anthony and MaCavity awards for Best First Mystery that it won in 1991. It has stayed in my memory as an awesome recreation of a deadly challenge and the mushers' responses. After watching the show on this year's heroic Iditarod race, I had to reread the book again.
   See this description of the volunteers who open the trail:
   "The snow machine drivers, dressed in layers of outerwear to repel the worst the Arctic can deliver, may cover the full thousand miles without a good night's sleep and with few hot meals. A bed becomes something they dreamed of once; a hot shower, only a memory. They develop shoulders the envy of linebackers. But when they try to explain the pale, empty nights on the ice of Norton Sound, or the northern lights so bright they reflect off the snow in the Farewell Burn, wistful looks come over their wind- and sunburned faces and they drift into silence or stammering attempts at description. Many come back year after year, addicted to the trail."

Joy read: ROOM WITH A CLUE by Kate Kingsbury
Pennyfoot Hotel is quite the rage in 1906, known as a place for the rich to retreat and have a good time discretely. Vindictive Lady Eleanor Danbury, planning to make trouble, takes a plunge to her death from the roof garden. Her husband, a poor man who married wealth, is the obvious suspect, but hotel owner Cecily doesn't believe it. Cecily is supported by her butler Baxter, her friend Madeline with the witchy reputation, and Phoebe whose love of extravagant shows gets out of hand when she rents a live python. The title ROOM WITH A CLUE is chosen because it's cute, even though it doesn't fit the plot. I sense a theme: This first book of the Pennyfoot Hotel series is cute but is more interested in its characters and action as puzzle pieces than as living people.

Joy read: PARADISE VALLEY by Robyn Carr
Rick is back, severely injured mind and body from the war in Iraq, forcing Liz to a difficult decision. Muriel puts Walt to the test -- can he handle the role of partner to a movie star? And we get an up-close-and-personal view of the marijuana grower who has been bedeviling Jack for several books. That character is something of a disappointment to me; he has been an excitingly mysterious figure up until now.
   Now I have to wait till next spring, when another Virgin River trilogy is due to come out, to find out what my friends are going to be doing.

Joy read: NEW MOON by Stephenie Meyers
Once started in a Twilight book, I have to finish it. Bella has so many tangled relationships in NEW MOON, creating so many fraught situations, that the intention of vampire Victoria to torture her to death seems almost mild. Her vampire friends the Cullens and her Native American friends the werewolves were born to destroy each other, and Bella can't bear to lose either of them. She does manage to save some lives, and have hers saved again, but the question remains... how can she reach her dearly-sought goal of eternal life with Edward?

Joy read: TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyers
Who'da thunk that a teen vampire romance could be so fascinating? Meyer makes heroine Bella and her entire world not only real but part of us, blood, bone and visions.
   Bella moves to her father's rainy Washington town and finds herself mesmerized by an extraordinarily beautiful family of schoolmates -- especially Edward. As they fight their way through to each other, Bella learns that Edward's fascination with her is her greatest danger. Edward's family has ethics, but not all vampires do, and one of those chooses Bella as the target of his hunt. 

Joy read: ORACLE OF THE DEAD by John Maddox Roberts
Decius is having the time of his life traveling around Italy as Praetor Peregrinus, putting on counterfeit dignitas and judging cases in all the luxury towns. At the Temple of Apollo and Hecate, he becomes aware of the activities of a mass murderer. He is happy to focus on the mystery while he tries to ignore the threat posed by the impending clash between Caesar and Pompey. With Pompey in the district and Decius himself married to Caesar's niece, this isn't easy, but an arrow in his chest makes finding the conspirators imperative.
   I thought at first that ORACLE OF THE DEAD was too light even for this light series, but eventually the fun, excitement and intrigue jell for a satisfying read.

Joy read: PATHS OF EXILE by Carla Nayland
Eadwine's family is driven from their throne by a robber king. Supported by his friends and by the enemies of the cruel conqueror, Eadwine sets out to take vengeance and earn the rulership of his people. Review.

Joy read: TEMPTATION RIDGE by Robyn Carr
Vanessa's cousin Shelby comes to stay in Virgin River, to get over her mother's death and prepare for nursing school. Shelby and Luke are enraptured with each other at first sight, but Luke's ladykiller past and Shelby's youth make them a bad match, at least on paper. While they keep each other at a distance, even through their passionate nights, her uncle Walt and his movie star lady are happily carrying on and Vanessa goes to a significant wedding. Finally Cameron finds the right lady -- but she and Nikki have too much in common. Life goes on, with all its joys and tragedies. I always want to know more about the Virgin River people, and that means grabbing the next in the series. PARADISE VALLEY comes out in a couple of weeks.

Joy read: AMONG THE MAD by Jacqueline Winspear
Reading a Maisie Dobbs mystery always makes me happy. I love the tone of the series. In this one, Maisie has been co-opted by various government agencies to find a madman who threatens to kill large segments of London population -- all too credibly. Maisie uncovers some secrets that reflect poorly on the government, and she makes her contribution to remedying the situation. Winspear's use of research impressed me. I wonder if Maisie is going to choose the new man she meets in this book.

Joy read: A PRESUMPTION OF DEATH by Jill Paton Walsh & Dorothy L. Sayers
Harriet and family, minus Peter, have settled for the duration of WWII in their country home in the village of Paggleham where Harriet grew up. An excessively flirtatious girl laborer is found dead during a practice air raid. The local police being busy with blackouts and food rationing offenses, Harriet is asked to find out what happened to Wicked Wendy. Until Peter gets home, she is lacking some essential pieces of the puzzle. It was rather fun to meet the Paggleham characters from BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON again, though no one can develop them like Sayers did.

Joy read: THRONES, DOMINATIONS by Dorothy L. Sayers & Jill Paton Walsh
A Dorothy Sayers idea developed by Jill Paton Walsh. Either Sayers did a lot of the writing, or Paton Walsh did a much better job of replicating Harriet and Peter's lives in London than she did for their country life in A PRESUMPTION OF DEATH. In THRONES, DOMINATIONS, I loved the dialogue and the character studies. The Harwells are notorious in London society for being indecently in love. The death of Mrs. Harwell exposes a tragedy in the classical sense: a sad ending made inevitable by character flaws. I loved reading this.

Joy read: HANGMAN'S HOLIDAY by Dorothy L. Sayers
Short stories, mostly featuring Sayers' predominant heroes Lord Peter Wimsey and Montague Egg. To me they were mostly fine, but there were two standouts.
In The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey, Lord Peter comes to the aid of Professor Langley, who has discovered his former beloved in a degenerated condition, sequestered in Pyrenees with her physician husband. The gruesomeness of the story benefits from an intelligent drama.
The Man Who Knew How features neither detective, and like the other, this story depends on the volatile mix of two specific personalities.

Joy read: THE RECRUIT by Debra A. Kemp
Lin was the much-beaten, untamable slave of the sadistic Modred. Now she has been revealed as the legitimate daughter of King Arthur. She has no grounding in the behavior of fine ladies, but she has the opportunity to decide how to repay the cruelties of Modred and his family. Sequel to THE FIREBRAND, both books were EPPIE finalists. Review.

Joy read: AUDITION: A MEMOIR by Barbara Walters
From this book I learned a great respect for Barbara Walters. The people who still think of her as "Baba Wawa" should read this book and learn what is behind the smear job. Little as I approve of the determination of today's reporters to strip the civilization away from whomever they interview, I still respect what Walters did with her career. She was just as willing to strip herself down in this book.

Joy read: MY LORD DE BURGH by Deborah Simmons
Alas, a normal romance with a little supernatural thrown in. I hated Stephen de Burgh until Brighid transformed him. Brighid's attempt to adapt to a non-paranormal society is rather interesting. There is a companion book MY LADY DE BURGH, but I'm not going searching for it.

Joy read: THE NINE TAILORS by Dorothy L. Sayers
I've been watching all the miniseries made from Sayers' books. When I got to "The Nine Tailors" I simply had to reread the book. Sayers is a brilliant writer as well as a clever plotter. She is one of the best if you want a mystery you can't help but bury yourself in. Written 1934, so there is the additional inducement of a wonderful view of the England of those years. THE NINE TAILORS may also have the most unusual murderer in all of mysteries.

Joy read: KNAVE'S HONOR by Margaret Moore
1204 A.D. Outlaws raid the travelling party of Elizabeth of Averette, summoned home from King John's court. Reluctant as Lizette was to go home, she wouldn't have chosen to be kidnapped and held hostage. Good thing Finn was there -- common thief with the speech and manner of a nobleman and a chivalry to match. The two learn that Lizette's kidnapping is just one small part of a plot against the king. They must impersonate a lord and lady being recruited by the evil Lord Wimarc. The relationship of Lizette and Finn becomes passionate, but not especially graphic. The flaw in the plot was that Lizette's virginity (or potential lack of it) could have given away her secrets in more than one way, so the author evidently decided to ignore it and hope we wouldn't notice.

Carla read: MEN OF BRONZE by Scott Oden
Epic military adventure set in Egypt in 526 BC.  The power of Egypt has dwindled from the glory days of the god-kings, and now the army depends on foreign mercenaries (“Men of Bronze”).  When a key Greek mercenary commander turns traitor, the survival of Egypt depends on the loyal Phoenician general Hasdrabal Barca.  The conflict will test Barca’s military prowess to the limit – and force him to come to terms with the long-ago crime that scars his soul. Review.

Carla read: FAR AFTER GOLD by Jen Black
Set in a tenth-century Norse settlement on the north-west coast of Scotland, this historical romance tells the story of Emer, abducted from her home in the Hebrides and sold as a slave, Flane, the handsome Norse warrior who buys her, and Katla, the Norse chieftain's daughter who expects to marry Flane. Review.

Carla read: THE WHISPERING BELL by Brian Sellars
A complex tale of greed, jealousy, loyalty, betrayal and love set against a background of lead mining in the turbulent world of seventh-century England. Review.

Joy read: THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD by J.K. Rowling
Very short, rather cute. Some of these 5 stories were referred to in the Harry Potter series, and other titles I didn't recognize. I found Professor Dumbledore's comments to be the most enjoyable part of the book, probably because I'm not child-age. Profits from book sales are going to a foundation for needy children.

Joy read: FORTUNE ISLAND by E.M. Schorb
Isolated on an island in the Outer Banks, Jessie knows few people and has never been to school. Her childhood is dogged by the horrible Reverend Cogburn, a fake preacher and many other worse things -- one of those worse things being Jessie's stepfather. FORTUNE ISLAND tells the story of her meeting with Ruth, come to the island to concentrate on her writing, and Jessie's too-fast introduction to civilization. Review.

Joy read: THE READER by Bernhard Schlink
The bare bones of this plot can never convey the consuming moods and complexities Schlink makes us face. 15 years old, Michael has an affair with a woman whose son is older than he is. Her beauty and the unexpressed love between them consume him, and through him, the reader. Suddenly she disappears, and Michael, changed forever, doesn't find her again until she is on trial for heinous crimes. What should he believe? What should he do about his complex knowledge of her? How should he feel? The theme is unconditional love: for or against? The author is for. The main character takes longer to make up his mind, and some readers (and some viewers of the movie) never get it. It takes a capacity for understanding and forgiveness to appreciate this book, and judging by the outcry, a vocal minority don't have those things. To me THE READER deserves every good review and every accolade it has been given.

Joy read: SAFETY FOR SAVVY SENIORS by Ron Smith
It looks to me like it will be a public service to publish this guide to safety for older folk. It touches everything from food to sex. Ron Smith is a senior advocate, still active in his 70s.

Joy read: GHOSTBLOOD by Pier Giorgio Pacifici
A Twin Worlds book. Ambitious military man Alric and outcast female rebel Elis saw each other once, and at that time the split in their paths was so dramatic that they could never have expected to meet again. Alric goes on to trick his way to the highest levels, and Elis literally falls into paradise. Their joining is horrifying to both -- and to the spider-souled emperor who witnesses it. But the gods will have their way.
   Pacifici writes beautifully, in a way that sweeps me up into another level of mind.

Joy read: DOWN BY THE RIVER by Robyn Carr
June is remarkably crabby for a woman who has been joined by the love of her life. But pregnancy will do that to you. Jim is helping not only June but other members of the community, a neighborly pebble whose rings spread out into the whole community. They also have a new pastor -- a beloved man with secrets. Eventually everyone is pitching in to help everyone else, and it makes a heartwarming read. Oh, and we finally solve the problem of Aunt Myra's husband, to my pleasure. Sadly, this is the last of the Grace Valley books. I'm watching for the new Virgin River book, out in a few more days.

Joy read: JUST OVER THE MOUNTAIN by Robyn Carr
Book 2 in the Grace Valley trilogy. June's lover Jim is sent away on a new mission, and her high school boyfriend Chris chooses this time to come back to Grace Valley. What did she ever see in him? June wonders, but the the whole town including Chris seems intent on pushing them back together. Between Chris's twin teenaged sons and the mystery of June's Aunt Myrna's missing husband, June has plenty of distraction from missing Jim.

Joy read: DEEP IN THE VALLEY by Robyn Carr
Going back 9 years (that's publishing years) we see the village of Grace Valley, the over-the-mountains neighbor to Virgin River. I ordered the Grace Valley trilogy on line when I ran out of Virgin River books. The anchor character is Dr. June Hudson, later to become the good friend of Mel, midwife of Virgin River. Here June is looking for a partner in her father-daughter medical clinic, and thinks Dr. John Stone may be too good to be true. On the other hand, she almost instantly trusts Jim, whom she meets from the wrong end of a gun. Carr explores various cases of abuse, and makes her community ask how much responsibility it should take. On the surface Robyn Carr's books are romances, but they have so much to them.