Citizen Dick. Available Jan 2010. Preorder your copy today @ Amazon.com

So what is “Citizen Dick” all about anyway? Well, that’s kind of difficult to explain. One way to describe it is to imagine what would happen if all the characters in Scott Adams’ comic strip “Dilbert” suddenly went on a nonstop alcoholic binge; all the while doing drugs and committing outrageous acts of larceny every chance they got. In other words, the book is about a corporate culture run amok.

The hero of “Citizen Dick,” if you want to call him that, is Dick Citizen, a serial loser who despised his first name for obvious reasons, and has proven over and over again to be unlucky in love, unlucky in the work place, and unlucky in life. In fact, his only redeeming quality was that he could hit a golf ball long and far; a skill that had thus far failed to win him fame and fortune. Meanwhile, he existed in a Bermuda Triangle of failure, wandering around West Texas with his friend Lennie, a perennial hippy, looking for a place to fit in.

When Dick arrived at the doorstep of CommGlobalTeleVista it was almost a sure bet that his job interview would be brief and unsuccessful. After all, he had no marketable skills and this was a tech company steeped in the culture of finance and engineering. But it didn’t turn out that way. The reviewer saw something in him that others did not and finagled him into the corporate communications department. This turned out to be a major mistake because soon thereafter, Dick wrote a phony press release announcing that his company was looking for a meat processing plant to acquire. It was meant to be a practical joke, but somehow the release was distributed to the press. The next morning the parking lot was jammed with TV trucks and reporters, all wanting to know what CommGlobalTeleVista knew about the meat industry that the rest of the business community did not. Everyone viewed the press release as a fiasco and a major embarrassment; everyone but the CEO, Noble Tud, that is. Tud figured that if the speculative frenzy over the meat company acquisition could be prolonged, perhaps the company stock would rise to a point where he could retire a wealthy man. Accordingly, he promoted Dick to Vice President of Meat and instructed him to go out and find a meat company to acquire. Whether or not a suitable company was actually found, of course, was immaterial.

Richard Arneson develops his characters with a light and humorous touch, reminiscent of Larry McMurty’s Cadillac Jack. All are seriously flawed, yet likable. There is Lima, Dick’s constant source of unrequited love, a zaftig Latina barber who is clearly not the sharpest razor in the shop; Big Rod, a blustery senior exec who was previously aced out of the CEO job by Noble Tud and stands to win big if the meat scam works; the conniving Noble Tud himself, whose character faults are only revealed behind the locked doors of his executive suite; and of course, Dick’s friend Lennie who finally persuades the love of his life to marry him, even though she is a welder and he is highly allergic to metal. It’s all good stuff.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Citizen Dick” and hope it is released soon so that everyone else can enjoy it as well.

Reviewed for ReadViews, April 2009

More about the book can be found at the author’s website: Citizen Dick

Experience Roman Dusk for yourself. Available @ Amazon.com

What sets her novels apart is the historical detail. Each book transports readers to a different era and place and Yarbro’s research is meticulous. The romance and vampirism take a back seat to the history lesson. In ROMAN DUSK Yarbro’s lyrical prose and absorbing narrative paints a vivid portrait of the Counts activities, and a detailed picture of life in the Roman Empire of 160 AD emerges.

Ragoczy Germainus Sanct-Franciscus, a vampire living in third-century Rome, is tending to an ailing noblewoman, the well-to-do Domina Adicia, This is not your typical alpha-male bloodsucker. Sanct-Franciscus is compassionate and noble – a merchant and a healer. The woman’s virgin daughter, Ignatia tempts him into a romantic interlude. He’s accused of corrupting the daughter and her zealous brother threatens to destroy him. Meanwhile as a foreigner, he comes under scrutiny of a corrupt tax collector who targets him for tax evasion and a spy is placed in his household. He intends to leave Rome, but Ignatia’s brother, a fanatical convert to Christianity, has other plans for him. And Sanct-Franciscus finds his life is threatened by the true death – fire.

There’s more political maneuvering than action, but the plot is still engrossing. The setting is authentic down to the smallest detail – politics, food, and style of dress. A glossary and gazetteer are included for those unfamiliar with the time period. Some readers may find the attention to detail and vocabulary distracting – but history buffs will be thrilled.

ISBN: 978-0765313935
Publisher: TOR (Jan 2008)
Pages: 352

Get your copy of The Road, a national best seller @ Amazon.com

The last fifty years has produced some remarkable literary talent. Their work is not only good: In many ways it is better than that of the old masters. They have taken the best of those that came before them and discarded the worse; they have, as Newton did, stood on the shoulders of giants, and seen farther.

There are many out there, but here I offer five of my favorites:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Set in some unspecified post apocalyptic future, The Road is a work of sheer horrifying genius. This is in my opinion, the best novel of the last hundred years. It won the Pulitzer, but somehow this doesn’t’ seem enough. It deserves every accolade we can heap on it. It is brilliant, riveting, and absorbing; most importantly however, is its ability to cut through the heart of the human spirit.

Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee

Disgrace is an astonishing work of penetrating insight and incomparable brilliance. It won the Booker Prize, and it was mainly responsible for Mr. Coetzee being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003. It is set in modern South Africa, and follows the life of an early fifties twice divorced college professor. If you haven’t read it, be ready to be blown away.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

This novel is a dazzling triumph that won Ms. Morrison the Nobel Prize. And rightfully so. It is a beautifully written, mesmerizing tale of slavery and life afterwards. It is what roots could have been without the melodrama. Beloved is brilliant, brutally honest, and Ms. Morrison’s crowning achievement.

The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski

In this powerful, haunting, unforgettable novel we follow the life of a young boy wandering through Eastern Europe, during and after World War II. But to say we follow is not enough: The reader sees through the eyes of the boy, and at times the brutality and savagery is so overwhelming, many claim not to be able to finish the book. The Painted Bird is a rich, provocative, and spectacular feast for the senses that it is guaranteed to leave you changed.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

This is the Heart-wrenching story of two generations of women clashing in subtle ways in modern America. We have four mothers and four daughters each telling us their stories. We get to see their lives and how their past experiences have served to shape their present attitudes. It is a superb tale told in magical prose. It is a profound and compelling work and by far Amy Tan’s finest work. The Chinese scenes alone are magnificent. The Joy Luck Club is the sort of novel you can read again and again.

The moral here is, not to get stuck with outdated reading lists. There are countless modern masterpieces that deserve your attention. These five masterpieces, however, you have no option: You must read them.

Over the years Miss Anderson’s writing has changed a bit. Actually, not so much her writing – it’s as wonderful as ever. Good dialogue, strong characters, emotionally charged scenes, great romance, and a delightful mix of sweet and light combined with suspense and tension. But with the last 2 or 3 books there has been a lot more mention of God. I don’t necessarily have a problem with God, it’s just that it wasn’t what I’d grown to expect from her. But people change. And if you’re an author, I’m sure your writing changes as you grow and experience life.

Buy Star Bright at Amazon.com

Her latest books are all stand alones but are connected through family. We had the terrific Coulter Family Novels and now an offshoot of the Coulter’s, the Harrigan Family Novels. Her latest release features Parker Harrigan, and although it does mention God (the Harrigan’s are Roman Catholics) his religion is woven into the fabric of his character and informs his decisions in an intelligent and emotional way. I felt that this book had finally come to a beautiful balance between the Catherine Anderson I’d read five years ago and the Catherine Anderson I’d read a year ago.

As I was reading STAR BRIGHT, it seemed very familiar to me. The book had this déjà vu quality about it. I thought ‘have I read this before?’ As I continued reading it I had an ah ha moment and realized that some of the plot is much like the Julia Roberts movie “Sleeping With the Enemy”. And it wasn’t but 30 pages later when I read this:

…Did you ever watch the movie Sleeping With the Enemy?
“The Julia Roberts film?” It hit Parker then. There’d always been something oddly familiar about Rainie, and now he saw it. Except for little differences in her features and eyes, she was almost an exact duplicate of the leading female character in that movie, right down to the flowing skirts, dainty tops, and quaint summer dresses. The wildly curly, sun-streaked hair. The funky white shoes she’d worn to that first interview. She’d mimicked that look. “I’ll be damned,” he whispered.
“That’s where we got the idea, from that movie,” she went on, her voice wobbling like an out-of-balance tire.

So now you know that Rainie Hall has faked her own death to run away from an abusive and murderous husband. She finds herself in Crystal Falls with no money and trying to start a new life, where she lands up working at Parker Harrigan’s ranch. There are many ways that Rainie’s life and the book itself differ from the movie Sleeping With the Enemy and Andersen gives Rainie a rich and full bodied back story. Her fears and hesitations are based in her past traumas. Yet her new life is formed by the woman she dreamed she’d grow up to be before her parent’s death and before her marriage. Parker is the antithesis of her very evil husband. He comes from a big and loving family, and Andersen hits all the right notes in making his family and their relationship to each other come alive. She’s so very good at this. Anderson is a master when it comes to creating family scenes that make you want to pull up a chair and invite yourself to dinner.

The scenes where Rainie and Parker are getting to know each other are sweet (and I mean that in the best possible way) and romantic. She takes her time with these two, which only makes sense. Rainie has just fled for her life and her trust isn’t easily won. The ‘courtship’ of these two is a gentle dance with a great deal of care taken in the ‘getting to know you’ phase. I appreciated that, and it made it all the more real for me.

There is suspense in this book, with an evil husband that is beyond redemption. The re-telling of Rainie’s abuse is often hard to read, but it is written with the distance that allows dignity and the knowledge that Rainie had the courage to finally take control of her life. She begins to really own the fact that warmth, friendship and love is something that she both deserves and has a right to. Parker becomes her friend first, her confidant second and her lover third. In this way one can see the rightness of their coming together.

Anderson’s books are always, and I mean always, heartwarming. STAR BRIGHT was heartwarming, sweet, sensual and romantic. I enjoyed spending time with Rainie, Parker and the Harrigan family. I’m hoping for more with this family and looking forward to the next one.

Get Total Control and other David Baldacci novels from Amazon.com

David’s novels are complex tales involving FBI agents, US government, big business and all manner of criminals. So complex that I’m sure that I would lose the plot if I tried to write them, but even in their complexity I don’t lose the plot as a reader. I have plowed my way through most of David Baldacci’s current 17 novels and been gripped by the storylines of all of them.

Total Control is one of David’s early novels, first published at the beginning of 1997. The two main characters are lawyer Sydney Archer and veteran FBI agent Lee Sawyer. Sydney’s husband Jason works for the worlds leading technology conglomerate Triton Global and it is clear from the outset that he is involved in something that looks dodgy.

Sydney is the lawyer heading up a massive deal for her husbands company Triton Global, which is owned by the rich and nasty Nathan Gamble and his computer genius partner Quentin Rowe.

One morning Jason sets off to fly to LA, initially telling his wife that he is going there on business for his company. When he discovers that she is heading for a meeting with his bosses he changes his story and tells Sydney that he is actually going to Los Angeles for a job interview that would pay enough to enable Sydney to become the full time mother that she yearns for their 2 year old daughter Amy.

When Jason arrives at Dulles International airport he switches tickets in the toilets with a man who looks and dresses like him and flies to Seattle whilst the other man takes his place on the flight to LA. Part way through the flight the aeroplane goes down killing everybody, including the man who had taken Jason Archer’s place.

When FBI agent Lee Sawyer is called in to be the main investigator he quickly discovers that the plane was sabotaged. When proof is presented to Lee that Jason Archer was alive in Seattle after the plane crash Jason becomes the main suspect of the bombing, selling secrets of his company’s deal to a competitor and stealing millions of dollars from Triton Global.

Initially the FBI agent is unsure of whether or not Sydney is involved with her husband’s dodgy dealings. Sydney believing herself to be a widow holds back evidence because of the uncertainty about the man she loves, and from the fear that she will be accused of complicity and end up in jail instead of raising their daughter.

That is just a very small part of a massive plot with many twists and turns. The character of Sydney was built well; she is believable, likeable and very gutsy. I could feel an empathy with her sorrow at her believed loss, her fears for her daughter’s future and her need to find out for herself just what had happened.

Our initial encounter with Lee Sawyer is at the scene of the plane crash and his sorrow at the tragedy is apparent in every word written about it. His character is exactly what we would all like to see in law enforcement officers. Dogged, determined, honest, likeable and reliable but you wouldn’t want to oppose this no BS FBI agent.

I found Total Control to be a well-crafted thriller that held my attention right up until the end. As with all of David Baldacci’s novels there are lots of clues on the way but even if you think that you know the outcome he leaves little twists for the ending. I really enjoyed reading this book and unusual for me found myself on the edge of my seat during the last few chapters.

A great read that I highly recommend, Total Control is available in paperback, hard cover and audio cassette in book shops and on the Internet.

Buy Tales of Beedle the Bard from Amazon.com

The most compelling story is that of the three brothers. They encounter death as they cross a bridge. Death gives them each a gift – the elder wand, a stone that brings back the dead, and the cloak of invisibility. It is this story which is referenced in book seven of the Harry Potter series and it gives Voldemort’s driving desire to possess these objects perspective, as Voldemort was trying to find a way to cheat death.

The other stories are just as interesting. In “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” a self-serving wizard refuses to share the hopping pot with the townsfolk. His refusal to help others leads the hopping pot to drive him crazy until he does. In Dumbledore’s footnotes, Rowling cleverly ties in legends of our own history and talks about how the wizarding community and humans came to have separate societies.

“The Fountain of Fair Fortune” rebuilds trust between muggles and the magical. Three witches and a knight go on a quest and discover what they were looking for was more in their hearts than in their magic.

“The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” tells what happens when a magician gives up his humanity by removing his heart. Its probably the most gory of the fairy tales – but its also one that captures the essence of the Grimm stories.

“Babbity Rabbitty and her Crackling Stump,” is one of the first stories in Harry Potter’s universe that deals with Animagi – those wizards and witches who can change into animals. In it, an arrogant king wants to be the only one who can do magic in the kingdom. A sly charlatan who can’t do magic, fools the king into becoming the Grand Sorcerer. When the king puts the charlatan on the spot, he turns to Babbitty, an old witch, to help him fool the king.

All the stories have folksy, fairytale appeal. They read like we would expect a fairytale to. The use of magic in the story makes little difference to the moral of the story being told.

The book complements Rowling’s Harry Potter series well. The writing is easy to understand. The stories are well paced. Rowling makes her characters appealing with little emotional touches reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. Overall, “The Tales of Beedle the Bard,” is a book all will enjoy.

“The Tales of Beedle The Bard”
Written by: JK Rowling
Scholastic, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-545-12828-5
$12.99
5 Stars

The Books

* Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
* First Draft In 30 Days: A Novel Writer’s System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript by Karen S. Wiesner

Common Highlights

There are a few high points that each of these books share, including:

* There’s a finite timeline involved, which forces you to focus.
* They both address issues of time management and writer’s block (First Draft in 30 Days does an especially good job with a thorough list of ideas to help you push through blocks).
* They each contain quite a few worksheets to help you organize your thoughts and map out your story.

Common Faults

The two books also share a few similar problems:

* Neither seems to really guide you in finishing what I would call a true “draft” (even a rough one) within a 30-day period. Instead, you’ll essentially have a very detailed outline. Maybe you’re comfortable calling that a draft – I’m not, and find the titles to be a bit deceptive in that sense. In the case of Book in a Month, it involves leaving out significant chunks of your story to get done in the time period allowed (one of the tips is to leave out subplots – how is that writing a real draft?). In the defense of First Draft in 30 days, the book does then offer advice on turning that formatted outline into an actual draft of a novel – I just find the title misleading in that it’s implied that’s a part of the 30-day program.

* I almost feel like the sheer amount of worksheets involved is a bit overwhelming, and found some of them to be rather vague. In fictional projects in the past, I’ve spent pages fully outlining the main character, villain, etc., trying to get into the head of the character and understand their motivations. I felt like some of the worksheets revolving around that in particular could leave your characters a little flat.

Now let’s talk a bit more about each of the books individually:

Book in a Month

Try Book in a Month for yourself. Purchase at Amazon.com

One of the biggest problems I have with this book is the binding. It’s stiff, with a hard cover enclosing a ring-bound book. It’s difficult to quickly page through, can seem a bit clunky, and takes up a lot of space to lay out in front of you (you really can’t fold it back on itself). Another issue is the fold-out pages / cards at the beginning of each chapter. I think the chapter outline, and other information there is great, but the display feels awkward.

Speaking of those fold-outs, they do feature some highlights of the book. For example, during each week of the 30-day process, you’ll find a weekly mantra and writing meditation to help you stay focused and motivated. Your goals for the week are also laid out, and you’re reminded to celebrate each step of your progress. I just think the info could have been condensed onto a single carded page rather than the fold-out (perhaps others won’t have a problem with it though).

Despite my issues with other elements of the book’s format and layout, I love the vivid colors… black and white alone does nothing for me creatively, and when you’re working on a creative project like a novel (and potentially battling writer’s block), it can be refreshing.

I also love the fact that this book asks a lot of questions throughout its chapters, helping you get inside your own head, and again working to keep you motivated. I don’t really think they add much value to the book, but it also includes two sheets of stickers that you can use to motivate yourself, reward yourself, or even just check off things that you’ve completed.

The book itself urges you to buy a new copy for each project you work on. I think that’s ludicrous. Unless you’re crazy about those little stickers, there’s no need whatsoever to buy a new copy. You can photocopy anything that you need extra copies of for your own projects – and frankly, I think that’s smarter (if you make a mistake, just print off another page and work it out again). Nice try on the marketing gimmick, but I hope most writers don’t fall for it.

Overall, despite my complaints, I think the book was a worthwhile investment, and one I’ll enjoy using.

First Draft in 30 Days

First Draft in 30 Days. Buy it @ Amazon.com

I’ve already mentioned my biggest issues with this book, as they were shared with the second. In comparison, I would say the worksheets in this book are a bit more lacking, and unless I missed it there wasn’t a nice calendar layout here mapping out what you’ll do each day (although there are vaguer lists including date ranges). I would have liked to have seen that.

One thing I loved about this book is its section on outlining not only your novel, but outlining your career. This is a great addition for those authors with several fictional projects in the works, those who will be pitching one book while writing another, etc. If you want to be a career novelist, the advice and examples here are worth picking up a copy of the book for alone.

I also liked that this book has an adjusted 30-day plan for projects that were already in the works (I may use it to re-work a novel outline I did a few years back, because I’ll want to make some character and plot changes before moving forward with it, and I can definitely see the program adapting well to something like that).

Which Program Should You Use?

It’s a tough call on the better book here. From evaluating nothing but the methods and books themselves, I’d personally go with First Draft in 30 Days (because of the career planning chapter, nice list of writer’s block solutions, and the ability to tailor the project for new or existing projects easily).

However, if you’re a more visual person, or you like the extra nudges of probing questions to help you think and re-focus, Book in a Month will probably serve your needs better. I bought both, and don’t regret either purchase. There’s no reason I would suggest that you not consider one or the other, if this kind of project interests you.

Putting the Programs to the Test

I’ve outlined one novel in the past (using the Marshall Plan for Novel Writing), and I decided to do the same with these two books. I used First Draft in 30 Days to create a 70+ page outline for a book in the horror / supernatural realm, and I used Book in a Month as a guide for a similar-length outline for a contemporary comedy.

I didn’t follow every step of each plan exactly as laid out in the book (in part because I already had worksheets of my own that I was more comfortable with, and my previous outline gave me other ideas of my own to work with). Fortunately, both programs are designed to be used exactly that way – they make it easy to adapt the outlining / drafting process to your own preferences.

Both programs were easy to use. The first (First Draft in 30 Days) came to right around the 30-day mark for project completion (because I made a conscious effort to use the time allotted, without going over). I was able to outline the comedy with the second program in just nine days (although I followed it much more loosely – at that point having two other outlining methods in mind, giving me a lot of options to really work out more of my own outlining system).

I can’t suggest one over the other for all novel writing projects. What I can say is that I found Book in a Month to be a little more rigid, perhaps making it less ideal to stories that need more structural freedom, and perhaps making it the better option for writers who prefer that added structure to keep them focused.

I would suggest writers test each program (or at least read them both) for themselves, and do as I did – pull the elements that work best for you, and use them to develop a process of your own that enables you to work more efficiently.

There is no single answer to this, as tastes vary, but there are definitely some authors that appeal to many readers who love this genre.

Add Stardust to your library. Available @ Amazon.com

Urban fantasy is an interesting genre, as it involves the mixing of the modern and ordinary with the supernatural or fantastic. Some of the best examples of this in recent years include Neil Gaiman, whose novel Stardust was recently made into a movie, giving him more mainstream popularity than he ever had before. Gaiman was originally well known within certain circles for his graphic novels and comics, such as Sandman. Stardust is not quite an urban fantasy, as most of it takes place in the “Otherworld.” However, it does start off in a modern (or almost modern) setting.

Some of Gaiman’s other novels, such as American Gods and Neverwhere are more pure examples of urban fantasy. The latter in particular, as it takes place in London (mostly the London Underground, to be more specific). In these and other novels, Gaiman introduces bizarre creatures into the everyday world in a way that seems plausible. This is the key to good urban fantasy. In this way, it’s similar to horror, the kind found in the best Stephen King novels, where the ordinary gradually becomes more and more strange and terrible.

Another great example of urban fantasy are the novels of Charles de Lint, an extremely prolific and popular writer. Some of his better known novels include Onion Girl, Memory and Dream and Widdershins. De Lint likes to use faeries and otherwordly creatures and mix them with artistic people such as artists and musicians. In this way, he explores the connection between creativity and other dimensions of reality.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy, or are looking to explore it, you should not overlook John Crowley’s novel, Little, Big, a poetic and unique urban fantasy that also looks at what happens when humans interact with the faerie realm. If you are an admirer of John Crowley, you might also want to explore his four-volume series of novels, Aegypt. While these books never achieved the acclaim of Little, Big, perhaps for their meandering and not always accessible style, they are undeniably full of Crowley’s imaginative and distinctive vision.

These are just a few examples of what might be considered the best fantasy books for urban fantasy lovers. This is obviously not even close to being a complete list, which would not be possible anyway, as new books of this genre are coming out all the time!

Thanks to Oprah and her cult like following, book clubs and reading groups are all the rage. And why not? For those who love to read, what could be more fun than discovering a great new book, or an author you’ve never read, and coming together with friends each month to talk about your reading experience. Throw in some good food, good wine, and a cozy setting, and let the conversation flow!

Get this helpful guide for creating your own book club from Amazon.com

But is it really that easy? I’ve talked to several people who’ve tried to make a book club work, without much success. People lose interest, or there are personality conflicts, or they aren’t committed to reading the book that has been selected. Groups can get too big, or not big enough. What, then, are the ingredients of a successful book club?

Size Matters: You don’t want your club to be too small. If you have fewer than about 6 people in your group, you can run into problems if people are sick, or on vacation, or too busy to read on a given month. You also wouldn’t want more than about 12, because it would be difficult to accommodate a group of that size in someone’s house. It would also be hard for everyone to make their points and participate. For good conversation, 8-12 members is ideal.

Like Minds: You may want to invite your best friend, but if she doesn’t LOVE books, should you really include her? Seek out READERS. You want people who are excited to see what the next selection is, and can’t wait to tear into it. Reluctant readers will be unlikely to finish the book, and won’t contribute much to your book club meetings.

I Don’t Have Enough Friends To Start A Club: You don’t necessarily want everyone in your club to be friends, or even to know each other at first. A group of close friends will have a history and possibly personal issues that could affect the dynamics of the book club in a negative way. Seek out people from a variety of places: parents of your kids’ friends, neighbors, work, church, etc. Once you have a core group, ask those people to invite others. You want a good mix of people with different backgrounds and life experiences, but you might not want them to be so diverse that they don’t have much in common.

Make Decisions in Advance: It’s good to have some guidelines or “loose rules”. Our group decided to limit our selections to paperbacks, to keep costs down, and to keep our selections right around 400 pages (although we broke that rule this month!). We read mostly fiction, but are open to other things. We rotate meetings in each other’s homes, and we do potluck. In some clubs, whoever is hosting does all the food for that month. These things can all be decided on at your first meeting.

Decide on a Method for Selecting Books: Some clubs take turns. Others have members bring suggestions and then vote. Some groups have the hostess for that month choose the book. Some go off book club lists or stick with Oprah. There are a variety of ways to go about it. It’s good to decide on a system early on.

Pick Great Books! When it’s your turn to decide on a book, take the time to look at reviews and read up on it. Do a little research so that you can “sell” it to the group. Chances are you’ll pick a great book if you’ve done your homework. Here are some ideas to get you started: Book Club Picks 2007

Designate a Group Leader: Generally, this is the person who started the group. You would be the one to keep in touch with everyone between meetings, send out invitations for the next meeting (we do ours through evite.com), update everyone with any news or changes, and keep people motivated to read the book!

Designate a Discussion Leader: It can be the same person each time, or it can be the person who selected the book, but there should be someone to facilitate conversation. It’s important to have someone to do a bit of background research on the author and on the book that has been selected. Discussion questions (whether from readinggroupguides.com, bookmovement.com, or other online sources, or questions the leader has come up with) are a natural jumping-off point for book discussions. Your group may want to have each member bring a discussion question for the group, or a favorite quote or scene from the book. Involve everyone as much as possible. The discussion leader should move the conversation along, giving each person a chance to have their say but also knowing when to step in if someone is going on too long, or going off on a personal tangent. Book clubs are definitely social, but primarily we are there to discuss the book.

Eat! Drink! Have fun! Our book club meetings would not be half as fun without lots of great food and wine. Sometimes the book we’re reading lends itself to a theme, so we will bring food that goes along with that (i.e. Chinese food for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan). In our group, everyone brings a dish to share, and we eat first. This is a great time to get to know each other better and talk about our lives before jumping into the book discussion. And there is always chocolate for after.

Our heroine, Rebecca Rose isn’t from the upscale part of the line – she spent her first four years playing with her doll on the other side of a curtain from where her mother earned their living on her back. Rebecca is content in her mother’s love unaware of what goes on when the curtain is closed, until the day a nasty client with a knife ends Rebecca’s happiness. Sworn to avenge her mother’s murder she lives each day knowing she’ll have peace once the murderer is lying cold beneath the ground.

Click here to buy The Parlor House Daughter from Amazon.com

When Rebecca finds work in Denver she knows she’s entering the life handed down to her by her mother. What she doesn’t expect is to find is love with one of the town’s most prominent citizens. Morgan Larkspur, has always done what is right, in fact he’s ahead of his times. He’s caring, considerate, hard working and looks out for people. What Rebecca and Morgan find together is altogether unexpected and unconventional. Their desire for each other is at odds with their own personal quests, her desire for revenge and his desire for conventional happiness.

Ms. Sundell writes an interesting combination of western, historical, romantic mystery. The author has a unique writing style that is sharp and to the point. The dialogue is punchy, not flowery but it works here. It read in a staccato fashion, very much the way I imagine the frontier was, short and to the point with no superfluous meanderings. The author’s sense of pacing had me guessing as to who the murderer was, and threw me off very early on in the book – I was surprised to learn his identity, and I certainly didn’t see it coming.

As a reader, what I would have liked was several more chapters. The conflict between the hero and heroine wraps almost before it’s begun. The resolution of problems up and disappear in a matter of paragraphs. Secondary characters that were well thought out and developed are nearly forgotten at the end of the book. This is a western and I wanted it to be big and sprawling, I felt the length of the book gave it confines it was never meant to have.