Time for some Reading

I passed along one of my favorite authors to my mother-in-law last month and was surprised she had never heard of her. I have been reading her books since the first of her series came out and we were still living in Montana. I thought about it today and figured those of you who actually read my blog and are into novels may like some of the stuff I have been reading. My taste in books varies depending on my mood but rarely leans towards the historical accounts my husband favors.

The author I passed to Dee was Janet Evanovich. Her series about a hapless woman who lost her job in a lingerie factory and went to work for her pervert cousin, Vinnie as a skip tracer (bail bonds enforcement) is  hilarious. The books are short reads and will have you laughing out loud. If you are looking for an educational read, this is not the book. If you want something light that will make smile, the series that starts with "One For The Money" or any of her other books are just the ticket.

I have recently gotten into MP3 downloaded audible books. The site I use, Audible.Com, is a member based site with deals on books that seem pretty good. There are others like Amazon or even Barnes and Noble but this  is the one I joined so that is what I use. I have downloaded all of the "In Death" series by J D Robb (Nora Roberts pen name) of which there are like 26 I think. The main character is a woman who is a Lieutenant for the NYPSD (New York Police and Security Division) circa 2050. The urban wars have changed the US and there are planets with casinos. It is interesting, kind of si-fi fantasy stuff but the plots are sometimes intense and again, the books are entertaining. The narrator is a good one. This, I have found is EXTREMELY important. A bad narrator can ruin a book whereas a monotone narrator can put you to sleep. The sleeping thing is frowned on when driving which is where I usually listen to the books. 

In researching other choices of books to listen to, a good friend turned me on to Dianna Gabaldon's Outlander series.  The Outlander series is an epic which begins in the 1700's in Scotland and continues to the American Revolution. The main character is a woman who travels from post WWII Scotland back in time to the field of Culloden.

I have listened to or read all of Dan Brown's stuff and if you are into deep and dark old English novels, there is one called "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. That one is very nicely done and takes a bit of time and serious attention.

I am currently listening to Allison Wier's "Innocent Traitor" which picks up where the HBO Tudor series let off. 

There is a world of entertainment out there. I would prefer the tactile feel of pages beneath my fingers but with my time limitations and the fact that I am stuck in my truck all day, the MP3 option has opened a media which not only suits my situation but has introduced me to some very talented voices. In the world of audible books, trust me when I tell you the narration is the key to making it to the end of the book.

That's about it for now. Getting ready to dig out the sewing machine and start on my granddaughter's Halloween costume. Maybe I will have time this weekend. Also, I picked up a great periodical on fall garden design. Thinking about color for fall and also planting some bulbs for spring. Never too soon to plan for new flowers in my back yard!

In the meantime, read a book and if you like it a lot, send me the info. I devour them so fast that I run out of options. I am always in the market for a new author! Happy Trails, people.