Library Loot - October 30

From the Streets to the Sheets: Urban Erotic Quickies

by Noire

In this bold collection of hard-hitting urban erotic quickies, Noire, the undisputed Queen of Urban Erotica, brings you eleven authors who explore, without apology or restraint, street sagas of sexual pleasure.

Boasting an all-star lineup of some of today’s hottest authors–and sprinkled with heat from some fresh new talent too–this collection from Noire thoroughly lives up to her credo of giving her fans just what they like: street drama with a sheet-drenching erotic twist.

Here you’ll find sexy tales from fan favorites K’wan, Joy, Thomas Long, Jamise L. Dames, Andrea Blackstone, Gerald Malcom, Euftis Emory, Kweli Walker, and Erick Gray, along with two hot new voices: Aretha Temple and Plea$ure. Noire even supplies her own juicy addition to the hard-body lineup.

So beware: The heat and the drama between these pages are not fairy tales for the desperate housewife. Ride hard with Noire as her authors get their grind on and take it to the limits in From the Streets to the Sheets.

Bet Me

by Jennifer Crusie

Setting: small city in Ohio
Thirty-three-year-old Minerva Dobbs is annoyed when her current boyfriend dumps her three weeks before her sisters' wedding. But she's downright furious a few moments later when she overhears her now "ex" boyfriend bet hunky Calvin Morrisey that he can't take her home and bed her. In fact, she's so angry at them both that she lets Cal take her to dinner and decides to string him along until after her sisters' wedding. Minerva pegs Cal as a handsome "used car salesman of seducers." Cal thinks Minerva is a "cranky, starving, risk-averse statistician." But Minerva's hormones keep whispering "this one," although she knows the gorgeous Cal isn't the man for her practical, white-cotton-bra, several-pounds-over-thin, self. And Cal is blindsided by the lust he feels for the voluptuous, sensual woman he glimpses behind Min's actuary exterior. While Cal and Min struggle to deal with their mutual distrust and attraction, their friends and families try their best to interfere and direct the progression of the unlikely romantic connection.

Library Loot - Sept. 25

Here are the latest books that I got from the library. I got a few more than this, but I got it down to what I think I will actually want to read:
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The first two books are by author Richard L. Baldwin. He will be at our local library on October 7 for book signings, so I want to read some of his books before then and go to the book signing!

from the library's facebook page:
Aitkin Memorial District Library Get in the mood for Halloween on Thurs, Oct 7 at 6:30 pm as author Richard Baldwin comes to the Library to speak and sign books. Baldwin is the author of several murder mysteries set in Michigan. His latest book, “Murder in Tip-Up Town” is set in the Houghton Lake area. Other books include “Buried Secrets of Bois Bl...anc: Murder in the Straights of Mackinac,” “Murder at the Ingham County Fair,” and many more.

Murder at the Ingham County Fair by Richard Baldwin
Judge Winston Breckinridge, a Republican candidate for a seat in the Michigan Legislature, is murdered at the Ingham County Fair while manning his party's booth. It seems the judge was not well-liked by many, but who would go to such extremes? Once again, mystery writer Richard Baldwin gives readers what they crave...a good plot, interesting characters, some excitement, an ...more Judge Winston Breckinridge, a Republican candidate for a seat in the Michigan Legislature, is murdered at the Ingham County Fair while manning his party's booth. It seems the judge was not well-liked by many, but who would go to such extremes? Once again, mystery writer Richard Baldwin gives readers what they crave...a good plot, interesting characters, some excitement, and, when all is said and done, justice. (less)
Paperback, 220 pages
Published 2009 by Buttonwood Press

A Final Crossing: Murder on the S.S. Badger (Louis Searing and Margaret McMillan Mysteries) by Richard L. Baldwin
Paperback, 233 pages
Published June 15th 2004 by Buttonwood Press (IL) (first published June 2004)

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I am not sure how I found this book, but I never knew 50 Cent was a writer, so I had to check it out!

Blow by 50 Cent, K'wan
Prince, Killa-E, Daddy-O, and Danny grew up together in the projects, moving crack and cocaine, and answering to Diego, the neighborhood drug lord. They were small-timers playing for low stakes- until Prince is introduced to a heroin connect. Overnight they go from soldiers to bosses, and their crew is held together by loyalty and love. But taking the reins of power comes ...more Prince, Killa-E, Daddy-O, and Danny grew up together in the projects, moving crack and cocaine, and answering to Diego, the neighborhood drug lord. They were small-timers playing for low stakes- until Prince is introduced to a heroin connect. Overnight they go from soldiers to bosses, and their crew is held together by loyalty and love. But taking the reins of power comes at a high price. Now, with Diego at their back and a traitor in their midst, they find themselves between a kilo and a hard place, ready to spill blood to stay on top.

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I liked the last story I read by LaJill Hunt, so I had to check this one out too!

Drama Queen by La Jill Hunt
Kayla Hopkins is young, beautiful and can't win for losing. That's why everyone calls her the Drama Queen. She doesn't go looking for drama, it just happens to her. Take for instance, her love life. Kayla's not satisfied with just one man. She has two-one she's in love with and another whom she's pregnant by. A ready-made formula for disaster, but will Kayla see it before ...more Kayla Hopkins is young, beautiful and can't win for losing. That's why everyone calls her the Drama Queen. She doesn't go looking for drama, it just happens to her. Take for instance, her love life. Kayla's not satisfied with just one man. She has two-one she's in love with and another whom she's pregnant by. A ready-made formula for disaster, but will Kayla see it before everything blows up in her face? Her track records says no, but her friends and family can only hope. Drama Queen is a hilariously funny and fast-paced novel that offers king-size drama and entertainment. Urban Books, a new line of books focusing on the drama and grit of inner-city life, featuring edgy, and exciting new voices-writers who tell it like it is. (less)
Paperback, 300 pages
Published October 1st 2007 by Urban Books (first published 2003)

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I read the first book in this series, so I had to keep going on with it!

Die Trying (Jack Reacher #2) by Lee Child
Television writer Lee Child's otherwise riveting first thriller, Killing Floor, was criticized by some reviewers because of an unconvincing coincidence at its center. Child addresses that problem in his second book--and thumbs his nose at those reviewers--by having his hero, ex-military policeman Jack Reacher, just happen to be walking by a Chicago dry cleaner when an at ...more Television writer Lee Child's otherwise riveting first thriller, Killing Floor, was criticized by some reviewers because of an unconvincing coincidence at its center. Child addresses that problem in his second book--and thumbs his nose at those reviewers--by having his hero, ex-military policeman Jack Reacher, just happen to be walking by a Chicago dry cleaner when an attractive young FBI agent named Holly Johnson comes out carrying nine expensive outfits and a crutch to support her soccer-injured knee. As Holly stumbles, Reacher grabs her and her garments--which gets him kidnapped along with her by a trio of very determined badguys. "He had no problem with how he had gotten grabbed up in the first place," Child writes. "Just a freak of chance had put him alongside Holly Johnson at the exact time the snatch was going down. He was comfortable with that. He understood freak chances. Life was built out of freak chances, however much people would like to pretend otherwise." Lucky for Holly--whose father just happens to be an Army general and current head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thus making her a tempting target for a bunch of Montana-based extremists--Reacher still has all the skills and strengths associated with his former occupation. And Child still knows how to write scenes of violent action better than virtually anyone else around. --Dick Adler
Hardcover, 374 pages
Published July 20th 1998 by Putnam Adult (first published 1998)

Library Loot

Here is what I got at the library recently:

Library Loot - May 24, 2010

A Thousand Cuts by Simon Lelic
I don't know where I heard about this book, but it sounded good!

Home Wrecker by Dwayne S. Joseph
I just read Betrayal by Dwayne and it was really good, so I thought I would read another of his books. I found him on Goodreads and can't wait to read more of his books!

Library Loot - May 8, 2010

Okay, I have to admit that I didn't just get these books today, I got them really early in the week, but I am finally ready to get started on them. Here is what I got:

Crashed by Robin Wasserman

In this follow-up to "Skinned," Lia becomes swept up in the idea of being a revolutionary after she joins Jude and his roving gang of mechs. But as plans escalate, she starts having second thoughts. How many people--mechanical and organic--is she willing to hurt to protect her freedom?

I read "Skinned" and I really liked it so I decided to read this second book the series.

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Guiding the Gifted Child by James T. Webb, Ph.D., Elizabeth A. Meckstroth, M.S.W. and Stehanie S. Tolan, M.A.

This book has the intent to increase the awareness of parents, teachers and others working with gifted children particularly to recognize that these children and their families have special emotional needs and opportunities that are quite often overlooked and, thus, neglected. Most often this neglect results "only" in unfulfilled potential and missed enjoyments -- but sometimes it leads blatanly to misery and depression. Loving our children just is not enough. As in other jobs that require management roles, we have to know what we are doing!

I heard about this book from my massage lady at the chiropractor's office. I told her about the problems I have been having with my daughter and she said she read this book and it helper her.

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The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg

Now in trade-from the New York Times bestselling author of Range of Motion.

"Not a novel about a woman leaving home, but...a human being finding her way back."-Chicago Tribune"

Turning 50 seems to turn women crazy. When Nan hits this mark, she hits the road, leaving behind her home and husband. Driving west from Boston, she consults only her own pleasure. And while this sounds easy, it is often arduous for Nan, who can hardly remember what her own pleasure is...[The Pull of the Moon] is upbeat from beginning to end."-Boston Sunday Globe

"Measured, delicate, and impossible to walk away from."-Entertainment Weekly

My friend Staci from Life in the Thumb recommended this book to me and I had to check it out right away. Actually, she told me I shouldn't read it because I may want to run away from home, but I am going to read it anyway!________________________________________________________

Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child by Robert J. MacKenzie, Ed.D.
Now You Can Effectively Parent Your Strong-Willed Child

Does your child constantly misbehave and ignore or refuse your requests for proper behavior? Is your relationship with your child based on conflict instead of mutual respect and cooperation? With the help of this groundbreaking book, you can create a positive, respectful, and rewarding relationship with your child.Inside are proven techniques and procedures that provide a refreshing alternative to the ineffective extremes of punishment and permissiveness. Parents and teachers alike will discover how to effectively motivate the strong-willed child and achieve proper conduct. You will learn how to:

·Understand and empathize without giving in
·Hold your ground without threatening
·Remove daily power struggles between you and your child
·Give clear, firm messages that your child understands and respects
·And much more!

"Eminently useful and readable! This book should be a part of every parent's and school's reference library." —Judy E. Hunt-Brown, principal, Elk Grove Unified School District

"A grand book that teaches everybody in the family new skills and encourages more peaceful, socially acceptable lives at home, school, in the office, or in any social group." —Barbara O'Donnell, principal, St. Francis Elementary School

"A highly recommended eye-opener; beautifully documented." —Stewart E. Teal, M.D., clinical professor of child psychiatry, University of California, Davis

I think I heard about this book from one of my friends on Facebook, so I had to check this one out too!
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Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I checked this book out once before but never read it so thought I would get again. I just loved the Hunger Games and this book has a lot of great reviews, so I am going to read it this time.

Library Loot - January 12, 2010

Okay, I went crazy when I was reserving books at the library. I had my list suspended, but forgot to check the dates, and ended up with 19 library books waiting for me. I felt a tad--well okay pretty-embarrassed when I told them my name and they said "oh yeah" and then went over the the shelves and pulled a whole box out just for me. Yes, I had a whole copy paper box of books to pick up. I was excited too though. I started going through the books and really couldn't decide what to start with first! There is nothing more exciting than a box full of books!
Okay, here we go:

The first book I decided to start reading is Up for Renewal, What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex and Starting Over by Cathy Alter.

"Up for renewal is a charming, hilarious look that proves that it is possible to change your life in just one year. Using the improbable guide to women's magazines, Cathy Alter transforms her relationship, her job, her body, even the color of her living room. She got me laughing out loud, and also vowing to try her recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup." - Gretchen Rubin, author of the blog The Happiness Project, www.happiness-project.com

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

(from the back cover) Once I'm on my feet, I realize escape might not be so simple. Panic begins to set in. I can't stay here. Flight is essential. But I can't let my fear show.

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead

I read the first 2 books in this series and can't wait to read this one.

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

(From the inside cover) A tense and unnerving psychological thriller, Mystic River is also an epic novel of love and loyalty, faith and family, in which people irrevocably marked by the past find themselves on a collision course with the darkest truths of their own hidden selves.

Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta #1) by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

From Goodreads: Four women with nothing in common, united only in death. Four brutalized victims of a brilliant monster - a "Mr. Nobody", moving undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage... but few clues. With skilled hands, an unerring eye, and the latest advances in forensic research, an unrelenting female medical examiner - Kay Scarpetta - is determined to unmask a maniac. But someone is trying to sabotage Kay's investigation from the inside. And worse yet, someone wants her dead...

Body of Evidence (Kay Scarpetta, #2) by Patricia D. Cornwell

from Goodreads:

Someone is after Beryl Madison -- spying on her, making threatening phone calls. Terrified, she flees to Key West. When she comes back home it's not harassment that's waiting...it's murder. Someone kills her, someone she trusted enough to open her door to. Police work begins with Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Chief Medical Examiner. She finds laboratory clues no one wants to believe. So she follows them herself, putting her professional career -- and her life -- on the line. "Cornwell makes looking through a microscope as exciting as hot pursuit." (Washington Post)

All That Remains (Kay Scarpetta # 3) by Patricia Cornwell

from Goodreads: A serial killer is loose in Richmond, specializing in attractive young couples whose bodies are inevitably found in the woods months later -- minus their shoes and socks. After months of exposure to all the elements, all that remains of this killer's victims has in every case left Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta unable even to determine an exact cause of death. Frustrated that her high-tech forensic skills have apparently proved useless, Kay enlists the help of and ace crime reporter and a psychic whose powers have been vouched for by the FBI. Racing against time, Kay finds she must draw upon her own personal resources to track down a murderer skilled at eliminating every clue. All that remains to her now is her courage and intuition and the will to stop a killer before he can strike again.

Cruel & Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, #4) by Patricia D. Cornwell

from Goodreads: "Killing me won't kill the beast" are the last words of rapist-murderer Ronnie Joe Waddell, written four days before his execution. But they can't explain how Dr. Kay Scarpetta finds Waddell's fingerprints on another crime scene -- after she'd performed his autopsy. If this is some sort of game, Scarpetta seems to be the target. And if the next victim is someone she knows, the punishment will be cruel and unusual...

Fallen by Lauren Kate

from the cover: There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

from the inside cover: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark. The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable. And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

Okay. That is all I am going to list for now. That is enough. I will be lucky to get through all of these let alone the books I didn't list yet!

Happy Reading!